His three wins in the 1968 Series against the Cardinals were the apex of his career. Feat Fan March 2, 2003 When he was with the Mets, I gave him the name "TOO MUCH EATER" but then again the Orange and Blue has always had big boned hurlers (El Sid. Five years before he became a Met, Lolich threw for 376 innings! Lolich won complete games in Games 2 & 5 and faced and beat Gibson and the St. Louis Cardinals in Game 7 by the score of 4-1 as the Tigers won the World Championship. NYB Buff Jim Snedeker End of Line His not being elected to Cooperstown is a major oversight. September 29, 2007 Usually a bad trade doesn't reveal itself as bad until later when the player that came clearly is not working out. Mickey Lolich is one of my favorite players. The Staub trade was ridiculous but not Lolich's fault. Lolich - donuts Staub - steak.The food metaphor of trading a steak for a donut is accurate in this and many Mets trades.Would love to see a book written with lists and analysis of all Mets trades. Lolich: Still a sweet delivery to the plate. Take a look at his stats on baseball-reference and you will shake your head. Bartolo Colon etc). What an interesting parallel, huh? Too bad we waited until '76 to bring him in, although his numbers indicated a lack of run support. That's pretty good this day in age. Mickey was a great pitcher but was not happy in New York. According to his profile above, his height and weight are listed as follows:Height: 6.01 Weight: 170170 pounds on a 6 ft. 1 in. He later came back to play for the Padres. He later resurfaced with the Padres. Too bad we waited until '76 to bring him in, although his numbers indicated a lack of run support. I would put Rusty for Lolich in second place. As a 44-year-old with a beer belly, I can relate. Shickhaus Franks Joe Figliola I recall one year where he had 121 RBI's. Doug S. Mickey Lolich (Michael Stephen Lolich) was born on 12 September, 1940 in Portland, Oregon, USA, is an Actor. He had a 2.59 ERA at the end of July. Mickey Lolich did not want to come to the Mets. Lolich pitched fairly well with the Mets, in fact I recall a 2-0 shutout at Shea he pitched against the Cardinals in about two hours. September 24, 2005 (thankfully returning in '81). February 27, 2002 He later came back to play for the Padres. They were starting their descent into oblivion and the Staub trade was step in that direction. He and his second wife, Shatemar, split their time between Taos, N.Mex., where they own a ranch; Dallas, home to his six childrenages nine to 25from his first marriage; and L.A., where Thomas has a contracting company for commercial construction. Mickey Lolich was a great pitcher in the American League. The trade was a great one for the Tigers and yet another whopper in a long history of bad trades for the Mets. John Bruce A Staub-Kingman combo would have provided more run support for big three, and probably a 90+ win season. His not being elected to Cooperstown is a major oversight. That was a terrible trade. Somber. He had a 3/4 delivery that thrived on the weight shift. Mickey pitched almost 200 innings in 76, gave up less hits than innings and his era was in the low 3.00's. John Bruce Lolich may be a legend in Detroit based on his 1968 World Series performance, but he was at the end of his career by 1976. Mickey Lolich captured the sporting headlines in 1968 by upstaging Hall of Famer, Bob Gibson, in the World Series. He made the all- star team 3 times, led the AL in wins once, shutouts once, complete games once, innings once, strikeouts once, and losses TWICE.He finished second (1971) and third (1972) in the Cy Young race, and he never finished higher than TENTH PLACE in the league in ERA (finished tenth in both 1971 and 1972).Baseball Reference lists among his top ten in similarity scores: Jerry Koosman, Jerry Reuss, Rick Reuschel, Luis Tiant, Vida Blue, and Joe Niekro.All of that tells me Lolich in his prime was a good pitcher, but nowhere near a HOFer. But in his final season with the Tigers, he became the all-time leader in strikeouts for left-handed pitchers. A Staub-Kingman combo would have provided more run support for big three, and probably a 90+ win season. Other than some one saying he ate donuts rather than come back to NY, does anyone know the real reason why he didn't pitch in 77? Mickey Lolich is one of my favorite players. His era of 3.22 is only .09% more than 20-game winner Carlton for the Phils. As somebody mentioned previously, this is really all Mike Vail's fault. As far as who got the better of the Staub for Lolich deal: Rusty went on to have several excellent seasons in a Tiger uniform. October 2, 2005 (With three lefties and a Seaver, the Mets were lefty killers) But the Mets needed hitting. HmmBaseball Reference.com is usually beyond redoubt, but I would say with almost unimpeachable certainty that Mickey Lolich weighed somewhere in the vicinity of 240 by the time he was huffing and puffing his way up the pitchers mound at Shea in 1976.Another awful trade, courtesy of M. Donald Grant, who couldn't wait to run Rusty Staub (coming off a team-record setting 105 RBI season) out of town, weeks after Mrs. Payson passed away. Lolich's main purpose was to pitch and he couldn't even do that for us. Raymond Malcuit He normally threw lots of pitches and completed a high percentage of his games. He goes up one notch for being a character! Reading this brings back my memory of the trade that sent Rusty packing to Detroit. Mickey did a few good games with the Mets as well as a couple shutouts. April 23, 2003 Mickey Lolich captured the sporting headlines in 1968 by upstaging Hall of Famer, Bob Gibson, in the World Series. December 8, 2006 November 3, 2006 There were some games where the Mets did not give him support. I remember that the Daily News at the time would have a one-page section on Sunday that showed some of the athletes with their families away from the ballpark. (thankfully returning in '81). He goes up one notch for being a character! Maudlin, anecdotal sentiment at its best! Later inserted into the rotation by manager Bob Scheffing, Mickey earned his first win May 28 in Los Angeles against the Angels, going the distance. June 30, 2019 Feat Fan Having this claim (in addition to his World Series MVP) is definitely worthy of the Hall of Fame. The trade was a great one for the Tigers and yet another whopper in a long history of bad trades for the Mets. Koufax would have 175 by the All-Star Break. Scrappy I look at his numbers as a Met and they're not bad. Lolich may be a legend in Detroit based on his 1968 World Series performance, but he was at the end of his career by 1976. Anybody remember how Rusty looked those last few years in New York? Although Mick was not the same pitcher in NY that he was in Detroit, everyone seemed to like the guy. I don't know if Mickey belongs in Cooperstown but he sure deserved more than 25% of the vote which was his highest showing. Maybe Rusty was not in his prime when the Tigers got him, but the man could still swing the bat. Lolich may have been a great pitcher once, but by 1976 he was a has-been. December 8, 2006 He told the New York Press, he pitched with his head and arm not his abdomen. Mickey was a fantastic pitcher for the Tigers. He still knew how to pitch but had no run support to get him a winning record. After one year in New York Lolich retired. Lolich committed to playing 2 years for the Mets, but then reneged on that promise. The bat-and-ball-shaped sign confirms that the shop belongs to the Mickey Lolich, the lefty who won 217 games and struck out 2,832 batters in a 16-year career with the Detroit Tigers. Raymond Malcuit The trade was a great one for the Tigers and yet another whopper in a long history of bad trades for the Mets. He started 45 games and completed 29. April 23, 2003 But then Vail got hurt, and Kranepool and the aging Torre got more playing time.The better plan was to keep Staub, and let Milner and Vail fight for a spot. For a fourth starter, on a four man rotation, Lolich was decent. Mickey did a few good games with the Mets as well as a couple shutouts. Mickey was a fantastic pitcher for the Tigers. In that same year he went 13, 13, 12, 11 and 10 innings in 5 games. But what can you expect when the team only averaged 3.4 runs for Seaver per start and 3.3 for Lolich? November 12, 2006 April 6, 2012 My memory is that while the Mets' front office had made dumb and abysmal trades in the past, this was one that just made no sense in any way, shape, or form. October 19, 2011 Grant was a real hindrance to the Mets. May 6, 2003 308 strikeouts. In his first full season 1964, Mickey Lolich went 18-9 an ERA of 3.26. Larry Burns The two 13-inning games didn't even count for complete games because they went 15 innings! He was overweight and kind of babyfaced but I don't remember anyone being more focused or a battler. C'mon John, the Mets did the Tigers a huge favor by taking this washed-up pitcher off their hands and giving them a great hitter like Rusty. LA-Mets Mickey did a few good games with the Mets as well as a couple shutouts. to realizing he was one of the worst trades in Mets history, before Seaver went to the Reds. The last thing the Tigers needed was a dandy hitter whose hitting only went to support lopsided slugfest losses every day. September 29, 2007 snook October 19, 2011 For a fourth starter, on a four man rotation, Lolich was decent. I thought Rusty filled that uniform out pretty well himself! I find it odd that he didn't play in 1977. I'll start with full disclosure: I was (and still am) bitter that the Mets gave up one of my favorite players, Rusty Staub, to get Lolich-- who was well past his prime. Bartolo Colon etc). This has never happened before? Five years before he became a Met, Lolich threw for 376 innings! In San Diego they had a fan club for him called the Mickey Lolich Gut Club. Well, I never realized that Rusty Staub was such a favorite in New York, beside the old Tigers announcer George Kell always making a fuss over Rusty Staub's New York restaurant. Baseball burnt him out. Rusty played another decade. A Staub-Kingman combo would have provided more run support for big three, and probably a 90+ win season. 170 pounds, maybe not but here's a fact: hurled 376 innings in the early 70's. But then Vail got hurt, and Kranepool and the aging Torre got more playing time.The better plan was to keep Staub, and let Milner and Vail fight for a spot. Three bad starts on 8/3 and 8/13 as well as his next to last start on 9/15 is what really bloated his ERA, not that 3.22 even in the '70s was that shabby.Yes, he was far removed from his prime but to say he sucked is pretty short sighted and flies in the face of the fact that he pitched well enough to be a 12-15 game winner, but then this is the same year Seaver pitched Cy Young caliber ball and went only 14-11. September 25, 2013 December 8, 2006 The Mets acquiring him for Rusty Staub was another trade made by M. Donald Grant out of spite for Staub's salary request. Ramblin' Pete Or even a platoon as Vail was righty, and Milner was lefty.In the days of 4-man rotation, Seaver-Koosman-Matlack had them covered 75% of the time. Lolich was a good one, underrated and dominating at times. Mickey Lolich did not do too bad with the Mets, He just did not get the Dianna Jeanneh Jones Lolich was a newcomer that was a big loser, and he reminded us of how stupid the Mets management was for always going after fading superstars. October 18, 2008 As for all the innings Lolich pitched in Detroit, in today's game 300 innings is comparable to two full seasons, what with pitch counts and constantly babying starting pitchers. When he was with the Mets, I gave him the name "TOO MUCH EATER" but then again the Orange and Blue has always had big boned hurlers (El Sid. Ramblin' Pete I don't know if Mickey belongs in Cooperstown but he sure deserved more than 25% of the vote which was his highest showing. I'll take Mickey's pitching line - except for W&L - any time. Shari He also had a terrific arm and was a darn good fielder. I don't know, I'm not a Mets expert. Lolich - donuts Staub - steak.The food metaphor of trading a steak for a donut is accurate in this and many Mets trades.Would love to see a book written with lists and analysis of all Mets trades. Or even a platoon as Vail was righty, and Milner was lefty.In the days of 4-man rotation, Seaver-Koosman-Matlack had them covered 75% of the time. How Mickey still had an arm when he pitched for us is amazing. 6'1", 170???? Mickey pitched to a poor 8-13 record but he also had a 3.22 ERA which is pretty damn good. He started 45 games and completed 29. Mickey pitched almost 200 innings in 76, gave up less hits than innings and his era was in the low 3.00's. He had a 2.59 ERA at the end of July. mets pete I look at his numbers as a Met and they're not bad. Mickey was at the tail end of his career when he came to the Mets. Take a look at his stats on baseball-reference and you will shake your head. 6'1", 170???? Mickey Lolich did not do too bad with the Mets, He just did not get the McLain got all the publicity but Lolich got the wins in post season 1968. But I have to say, I laughed out loud when I saw his physical statistics on this site. Maybe when he was 15 years old he was 170, but at no point in his major league career was he ever 170. For a fourth starter, on a four man rotation, Lolich was decent. Staub a great fielder with a great arm? But keeping 105-RBI Staub would have provided middle lineup power 100% of the time. He later came back to play for the Padres. December 20, 2019 October 13, 2008 Baseball burnt him out. body would be a pretty slender person. Having this claim (in addition to his World Series MVP) is definitely worthy of the Hall of Fame. The daughter of former Detroit Tigers pitcher Mickey Lolich has been placed on three years probation for stealing $70,000 in coins and jewelry--including her fathers 1968 World Series ring--from her parents home. November 12, 2006 The plan was apparently: Vail LF/RF, Kingman LF/RF/1B, Milner, LF/RF/1B for those three spots. So when your "inning eater" goes 220 and gets a bonus it's beyond comprehension. Max Power God bless him wherever he is and good luck! If he had finished his career in Detroit, he probably would have been elected to the Hall Of Fame, with perhaps two more seasons of 15 wins. Maybe when he was 15 years old he was 170, but at no point in his major league career was he ever 170. Lolich was a good one, underrated and dominating at times. He later resurfaced with the Padres. April 23, 2003 Did you boo him or make fun out of him? May 6, 2003 I agree with Doughnut Shoppe patron. I remember that the Daily News at the time would have a one-page section on Sunday that showed some of the athletes with their families away from the ballpark. How Mickey still had an arm when he pitched for us is amazing. July 15, 2016 He later resurfaced with the Padres. But the facts are:Lolich spent 16 years in the Majors. 170 pounds, maybe not but here's a fact: hurled 376 innings in the early 70's. August 11, 2015 pete Raymond Malcuit Jr. He learned to pitch lefty in order to strengthen his left hand and arm after he lost the use of his right hand for a few years as a child. According to his profile above, his height and weight are listed as follows:Height: 6.01 Weight: 170170 pounds on a 6 ft. 1 in. I don't know if Mickey belongs in Cooperstown but he sure deserved more than 25% of the vote which was his highest showing. The Staub trade was ridiculous but not Lolich's fault. Take a look at his stats on baseball-reference and you will shake your head. And yes, maybe Koosman had losing years in the late 70's but he had been a Met long enough with a winning record that the fans rooted for him. As a kid collecting baseball cards and watching ballgames in the '70s, I remember being struck by Lolich's belly. - Now for the trade itself. He made the all- star team 3 times, led the AL in wins once, shutouts once, complete games once, innings once, strikeouts once, and losses TWICE.He finished second (1971) and third (1972) in the Cy Young race, and he never finished higher than TENTH PLACE in the league in ERA (finished tenth in both 1971 and 1972).Baseball Reference lists among his top ten in similarity scores: Jerry Koosman, Jerry Reuss, Rick Reuschel, Luis Tiant, Vida Blue, and Joe Niekro.All of that tells me Lolich in his prime was a good pitcher, but nowhere near a HOFer. Ramblin' Pete Mickey pitched to a poor 8-13 record but he also had a 3.22 ERA which is pretty damn good. mets October 19, 2011 They were starting their descent into oblivion and the Staub trade was step in that direction. Lolich was giving one of his typical awful performances in a Mets uniform. McLain got all the publicity but Lolich got the wins in post season 1968. Like Seaver and Koosman, Mickey had pretty meager run support throughout his career. Predmore also owned a general store. In this World Series, Lolich pitched three complete games and allowed only five runs an ERA of 1.67. I'll start with full disclosure: I was (and still am) bitter that the Mets gave up one of my favorite players, Rusty Staub, to get Lolich-- who was well past his prime. I used to think that Lolich sucked with the Mets, but after reviewing his stats and starts from that year, he was a damn effective #4 starter. GoMets2006 Yes, Mickey had some great years with the Tigers, no disrespect to him, but acquiring him at the cost of Rusty was one of the Mets' top three bonehead trades. Dianna Jeanneh Jones ''I was embarrassed at the way people were looking at me,'' he said. May 9, 2002 November 12, 2006 Lolich won complete games in Games 2 & 5 and faced and beat Gibson and the St. Louis Cardinals in Game 7 by the score of 4-1 as the Tigers won the World Championship. I thought Rusty filled that uniform out pretty well himself! End of Line As far as who got the better of the Staub for Lolich deal: Rusty went on to have several excellent seasons in a Tiger uniform. The Staub trade was ridiculous but not Lolich's fault. A few more years as the ace of the Tigers staff probably would have landed him in the Hall of Fame. (thankfully returning in '81). LA-Mets April 27, 2013 My memory is that while the Mets' front office had made dumb and abysmal trades in the past, this was one that just made no sense in any way, shape, or form. pete Mickey loved his Harley. I remember Lolich pitching some good ball for the Mets with absolutely NO run support. I remember that the Daily News at the time would have a one-page section on Sunday that showed some of the athletes with their families away from the ballpark. Usually a bad trade doesn't reveal itself as bad until later when the player that came clearly is not working out. July 15, 2016 As a 44-year-old with a beer belly, I can relate. EG As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. Lolich was a good one, underrated and dominating at times. Did you boo him or make fun out of him? The last thing the Tigers needed was a dandy hitter whose hitting only went to support lopsided slugfest losses every day. According to his profile above, his height and weight are listed as follows:Height: 6.01 Weight: 170170 pounds on a 6 ft. 1 in. June 30, 2019 =Chuck= He pitched over 300 innings for 4 years in a row, coming close to 400 one year. The Mets acquiring him for Rusty Staub was another trade made by M. Donald Grant out of spite for Staub's salary request. eddiek All he represents for me was one of the many horrendous choices the Mets have made over the years, always going after washed up has-beens past their prime. [1] A three-time All-Star, Lolich is most notable for his performance in the 1968 World Series against the St. Louis Cardinals when he earned three complete-game victories, including a win over Bob . Lolich was a good pitcher in his prime - he won 3 games in the '68 Series vs. the Cardinals, including Game 7. And of course Lolich did not want to be here, and the fans did not want him here either, so I am sure that's why he skipped town the next year. Shari Five years before he became a Met, Lolich threw for 376 innings! Staub a great fielder with a great arm? As Sonny Jurgenson once said "you don't throw the ball with your stomach." As a kid collecting baseball cards and watching ballgames in the '70s, I remember being struck by Lolich's belly. After one year in New York Lolich retired. His era of 3.22 is only .09% more than 20-game winner Carlton for the Phils. October 13, 2008 But keeping 105-RBI Staub would have provided middle lineup power 100% of the time. May 7, 2013 December 20, 2019 Lolich - donuts Staub - steak.The food metaphor of trading a steak for a donut is accurate in this and many Mets trades.Would love to see a book written with lists and analysis of all Mets trades. Five years before he became a Met, Lolich threw for 376 innings! That's more realistic but generous, I think! SPONSORED. McLain got all the publicity but Lolich got the wins in post season 1968. No contest. Shari He normally threw lots of pitches and completed a high percentage of his games. He was my dad's favorite Met, though, I think because here was a gut with a gut as big as my dad's who was out there flinging baseballs for money. I have to respectfully disagree with NYB Buff's claim that Lolich belongs in Cooperstown. Lolich may have been a great pitcher once, but by 1976 he was a has-been. C'mon John, the Mets did the Tigers a huge favor by taking this washed-up pitcher off their hands and giving them a great hitter like Rusty. Mickey Lolich captured the sporting headlines in 1968 by upstaging Hall of Famer, Bob Gibson, in the World Series. GoMets2006 I don't know if Mickey belongs in Cooperstown but he sure deserved more than 25% of the vote which was his highest showing. I'll start with full disclosure: I was (and still am) bitter that the Mets gave up one of my favorite players, Rusty Staub, to get Lolich-- who was well past his prime. Doug S. eddiek Well, I never realized that Rusty Staub was such a favorite in New York, beside the old Tigers announcer George Kell always making a fuss over Rusty Staub's New York restaurant. He had a 3/4 delivery that thrived on the weight shift. February 28, 2003 He had a 3/4 delivery that thrived on the weight shift. November 19, 2002 Mike B I'll start with full disclosure: I was (and still am) bitter that the Mets gave up one of my favorite players, Rusty Staub, to get Lolich-- who was well past his prime. Stu Baron So when your "inning eater" goes 220 and gets a bonus it's beyond comprehension. Al In San Diego they had a fan club for him called the Mickey Lolich Gut Club. But then Vail got hurt, and Kranepool and the aging Torre got more playing time.The better plan was to keep Staub, and let Milner and Vail fight for a spot. I used to think that Lolich sucked with the Mets, but after reviewing his stats and starts from that year, he was a damn effective #4 starter. Robert July 31, 2002 Bob P Mickey pitched to a poor 8-13 record but he also had a 3.22 ERA which is pretty damn good. Raymond Malcuit Jr. Another guy who didn't get enough run support, and - yes - he ended up being blamed for the Staub trade rather than Grant himself. Mickey Lolich was the greatest left handed pitcher in the whole world to me in 1968, He was even greater than Denny. April 23, 2003 I don't know if Mickey belongs in Cooperstown but he sure deserved more than 25% of the vote which was his highest showing. January 12, 2011 The Lolich for Rusty Staub trade might be the first and only trade where two players who were well known for food establishments were traded for each other.