At Tiger Stadium, 45 miles south of here, Sparky Anderson's trim, young players shagged fly balls, hammered line drives and loosened their arms over the weekend in preparation for Tuesday's opening game in San Diego against the Padres. Mickey pitched almost 200 innings in 76, gave up less hits than innings and his era was in the low 3.00's. Jay Raymond Malcuit March 22, 2005 July 15, 2016 And complaining about how fat he was? Mickey did a few good games with the Mets as well as a couple shutouts. He later came back to play for the Padres. 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. He played in Major League Baseball as a pitcher from 1962 until 1979, most notably for the Detroit Tigers. GoMets2006 He never had much to say about Lolich's donut shop though. He was overweight and kind of babyfaced but I don't remember anyone being more focused or a battler. Not to say the trade wasn't awful - but come on! In one of his best games as a Met, hefty lefty Lolich (no doubt the prototype for David Wells), tossed 8 innings, allowing 8 hits and 2 walks while striking out 4, the only run scoring on a fourth-inning groundout by a young Dave Parker.Alas, with the Mets historically typical poor run support, Lolich left, trailing 1-0, for pinch hitter Mike Phillips, who fanned for the 2nd out of the ninth, before singles by Ed Kranepool (batting for Leon Brown) and Bruce Boisclair and a walk to John Milner loaded the bases for Joe Torre. Mickey Lolich was the greatest left handed pitcher in the whole world to me in 1968, He was even greater than Denny. feat fan April 27, 2013 He told the New York Press, he pitched with his head and arm not his abdomen. I recall one year where he had 121 RBI's. Anybody remember how Rusty looked those last few years in New York? Max Power Ramblin' Pete Another guy who didn't get enough run support, and - yes - he ended up being blamed for the Staub trade rather than Grant himself. God bless him wherever he is and good luck! (With three lefties and a Seaver, the Mets were lefty killers) But the Mets needed hitting. Dianna Jeanneh Jones Lolich was a good one, underrated and dominating at times. I agree with Doughnut Shoppe patron. to the Village of Leonard. mets Mickey Lolich's Great World Series Lolich was great. Lolich was still productive but he was never accepted in New York because of whom he was traded for. 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. Take a look at his stats on baseball-reference and you will shake your head. Although I'd rather have a hitter like Rusty, you have to admit, Mickey Lolich's ERA was a very respectable 3.22. Mike B June 11, 2003 October 18, 2008 The last thing the Tigers needed was a dandy hitter whose hitting only went to support lopsided slugfest losses every day. GoMets2006 With the NFL regular season quickly approaching lets cheer on our 2009 Lake Orion High School graduate and current Safety for the Dallas Cowboys JEFF HEATH! 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. (And of course Donald Grant) The Mets had to fill 2 corner outfield spots and first base. God bless him wherever he is and good luck! Koufax would have 175 by the All-Star Break. As a kid collecting baseball cards and watching ballgames in the '70s, I remember being struck by Lolich's belly. Lolich was still productive but he was never accepted in New York because of whom he was traded for. The point is he made a bad team worse. 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. October 19, 2011 October 18, 2008 Lolich may have gone 8-13 in 1976 but Koosman did even worse the next two years (1977 and 1978). Like Seaver and Koosman, Mickey had pretty meager run support throughout his career. Koufax would have 175 by the All-Star Break. bob saunders Lolich finished his career 12th on the all-time strikeout list with 2,832, second only to Steve Carlton among left-handers. I saw Lolich pitch at Shea on July 29, 1976, a Thursday afternoon game following morning showers, probably a getaway game, attended by a sparse crowd of 12,588. February 27, 2002 (Note: others featured in that section were the Knicks' Toby Knight and his wife and Rangers enforcer Nick Fotiu and his very leggy wife and kids)I also had the unfortunate opportunity to score the game against the Phillies where pitcher Larry Christensen belted TWO home runs off Lolich on a hot Sunday afternoon. 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. Late 1930s was then purchased and ran by Gus Kalohn and his 2 sons Pete & Paul (Gus' Steakhouse) into the '80s. The two 13-inning games didn't even count for complete games because they went 15 innings! He had a 2.59 ERA at the end of July. There were some games where the Mets did not give him support. Bartolo Colon etc). He may have left behind a fine legacy in Detroit but when he got to New York he stunk.You weren't happy with Rusty and we weren't happy with Lolich, so let's just call the trade a wash. Case closed. 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. He had terrific stuff. Mickey, his nickname, had 2,832 career strikeouts when he retired the most by a left-handed pitcher in Major League . In San Diego they had a fan club for him called the Mickey Lolich Gut Club. In one of his best games as a Met, hefty lefty Lolich (no doubt the prototype for David Wells), tossed 8 innings, allowing 8 hits and 2 walks while striking out 4, the only run scoring on a fourth-inning groundout by a young Dave Parker.Alas, with the Mets historically typical poor run support, Lolich left, trailing 1-0, for pinch hitter Mike Phillips, who fanned for the 2nd out of the ninth, before singles by Ed Kranepool (batting for Leon Brown) and Bruce Boisclair and a walk to John Milner loaded the bases for Joe Torre. Within a year, the corpulent Lolich had retired to open a doughnut shop in suburban Detroit. As a 44-year-old with a beer belly, I can relate. Mickey was a fantastic pitcher for the Tigers. Bartolo Colon etc). (thankfully returning in '81). I was 7 years old, listening to the Mets on the radio in the car with my mother. =Chuck= 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'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. He started 45 games and completed 29. Although I'd rather have a hitter like Rusty, you have to admit, Mickey Lolich's ERA was a very respectable 3.22. 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. Usually a bad trade doesn't reveal itself as bad until later when the player that came clearly is not working out. 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. Shari 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. "Never bothers me," Lolich says, smiling. Ok, the height is correct but make no mistake,a consistent, determined winner, Mickey Lolich was in the spotlight throughout his career. In one of his best games as a Met, hefty lefty Lolich (no doubt the prototype for David Wells), tossed 8 innings, allowing 8 hits and 2 walks while striking out 4, the only run scoring on a fourth-inning groundout by a young Dave Parker.Alas, with the Mets historically typical poor run support, Lolich left, trailing 1-0, for pinch hitter Mike Phillips, who fanned for the 2nd out of the ninth, before singles by Ed Kranepool (batting for Leon Brown) and Bruce Boisclair and a walk to John Milner loaded the bases for Joe Torre. mets 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. I have to respectfully disagree with NYB Buff's claim that Lolich belongs in Cooperstown. Lolich was a good one, underrated and dominating at times. 170 lbs.? 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. Mickey was a fantastic pitcher for the Tigers. Two quick points that haven't been mentioned:- It was Mike Vail's fantastic debut that led the Mets to believe they had a replacement for Staub. Robert I simply loved to see him walk onto the mound; I knew that we as a ball club would be a winner any time he pitched, but as they always say time moves on, but our memory is always around. Reading this brings back my memory of the trade that sent Rusty packing to Detroit. He lost 39 games his last two seasons in Detroit, with an obese ERA both years. Bob P He served up a home run, and my mother screamed "Lolich, you fat jerk, you stink!!!" 3-time MLB All-Star who started more games as a pitcher than anyone in Detroit Tigers history. Showing Editorial results for mickey lolich. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. How Mickey still had an arm when he pitched for us is amazing. The '74 season was his last in the NFL. Mickey loved his Harley. As for his love of donuts, he could have been the prototype for Homer Simpson. In that same year he went 13, 13, 12, 11 and 10 innings in 5 games. Lolich was a good one, underrated and dominating at times. Jamey Bumbalo December 13, 2007 Lolich was still productive but he was never accepted in New York because of whom he was traded for. April 23, 2003 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. Ramblin' Pete I saw Lolich pitch at Shea on July 29, 1976, a Thursday afternoon game following morning showers, probably a getaway game, attended by a sparse crowd of 12,588. As somebody mentioned previously, this is really all Mike Vail's fault. He later came back to play for the Padres. Bartolo Colon etc). Gary from Chesapeake His era of 3.22 is only .09% more than 20-game winner Carlton for the Phils. Scrappy No contest. He had terrific stuff. So when your "inning eater" goes 220 and gets a bonus it's beyond comprehension. Anybody remember how Rusty looked those last few years in New York? 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. As a kid collecting baseball cards and watching ballgames in the '70s, I remember being struck by Lolich's belly. May 7, 2013 There were some games where the Mets did not give him support. etc. Mickey Lolich did not pitch badly for the Mets in 1976. Rusty has always been a fan favorite so if you're going to trade him it better be worth it, and to most of us Mets fans Lolich wasn't. 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. No contest. Let me say that again, 376 and that's without a pitch count. I thought Rusty filled that uniform out pretty well himself! I don't know if Mickey belongs in Cooperstown but he sure deserved more than 25% of the vote which was his highest showing. Like Seaver and Koosman, Mickey had pretty meager run support throughout his career. 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