In this World Series, Lolich pitched three complete games and allowed only five runs an ERA of 1.67. 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. Over a thousand player transactions -- in chronological order! The Mets traded the best player they ever had for a bunch of stiffs. Shickhaus Franks Maudlin, anecdotal sentiment at its best! Pitchers have good days and then once in a while they hang a curve? Rusty played another decade. feat fan April 30, 2009 But the facts are:Lolich spent 16 years in the Majors. February 27, 2002 snook Man, he was a big one. 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. 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. The plan was apparently: Vail LF/RF, Kingman LF/RF/1B, Milner, LF/RF/1B for those three spots. Mike B September 25, 2013 Bobster1985 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. Mickey Lolich did not do too bad with the Mets, He just did not get the Reading this brings back my memory of the trade that sent Rusty packing to Detroit. senor ortiz I look at his numbers as a Met and they're not bad. I have to respectfully disagree with NYB Buff's claim that Lolich belongs in Cooperstown. Having this claim (in addition to his World Series MVP) is definitely worthy of the Hall of Fame. He started 45 games and completed 29. In that same year he went 13, 13, 12, 11 and 10 innings in 5 games. GoMets2006 Mickey Lolich did not do too bad with the Mets, He just did not get the I remember when M. Donald Grant traded Staub for Lolich he explained it to disgusted NY sports fans by saying something like "the team needs more speed. - Now for the trade itself. September 29, 2007 Lolich may have been a great pitcher once, but by 1976 he was a has-been. How Mickey still had an arm when he pitched for us is amazing. August 7, 2018 '', ''I'm always here,'' Lolich replied, autographing a pastry box. He pitched over 300 innings for 4 years in a row, coming close to 400 one year. But in his final season with the Tigers, he became the all-time leader in strikeouts for left-handed pitchers. God bless him wherever he is and good luck! He still knew how to pitch but had no run support to get him a winning record. Like Seaver and Koosman, Mickey had pretty meager run support throughout his career. 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. The fact that he pitched four consecutive 300+ inning years; that's like 10 years in today's game. Jamey Bumbalo Lolich may have gone 8-13 in 1976 but Koosman did even worse the next two years (1977 and 1978). December 20, 2019 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. November 10, 2002 I thought Rusty filled that uniform out pretty well himself! September 25, 2013 Only two others, Steve Carlton and Randy Johnson, have surpassed him. Mickey Lolich captured the sporting headlines in 1968 by upstaging Hall of Famer, Bob Gibson, in the World Series. He normally threw lots of pitches and completed a high percentage of his games. Lolich's main purpose was to pitch and he couldn't even do that for us. ''But disaster hit the auto industry,'' Lolich said, ''and the first thing they cut was trinkets and trash advertising.''. Here's a snippet he recites: "In the ring with Joe Frazier and Muhammad Ali/Is a memory I look on with pride/fought with my heart but needed much more/The bridesmaid but never the bride. No contest. That would make him a star in today's market. 05 SEC. But what can you expect when the team only averaged 3.4 runs for Seaver per start and 3.3 for Lolich? October 19, 2011 No contest. Robert I have to respectfully disagree with NYB Buff's claim that Lolich belongs in Cooperstown. Mickey was at the tail end of his career when he came to the Mets. After one year in New York Lolich retired. Reading this brings back my memory of the trade that sent Rusty packing to Detroit. A Staub-Kingman combo would have provided more run support for big three, and probably a 90+ win season. Feat Fan So why did you try to destroy the guy? Baseball burnt him out. Lolich's main purpose was to pitch and he couldn't even do that for us. The plan was apparently: Vail LF/RF, Kingman LF/RF/1B, Milner, LF/RF/1B for those three spots. He had terrific stuff. Mickey Lolich did not do too bad with the Mets, He just did not get the Man, those pitches were big ones. He told the New York Press, he pitched with his head and arm not his abdomen. Lolich struck out more American League hitters than any other lefty in the history of baseball- that includes Randy Johnson, etc. I still remember the Mets broadcast team trying to build him up in the eyes of the fans because he had been a Cy Young award winner. 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. Really? Bob 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. There were some games where the Mets did not give him support. I would put Rusty for Lolich in second place. Within a year, the corpulent Lolich had retired to open a doughnut shop in suburban Detroit. He still knew how to pitch but had no run support to get him a winning record. Let's understand one thing: this wasn't a "trade" in the traditional sense. September 24, 2005 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. In that same year he went 13, 13, 12, 11 and 10 innings in 5 games. He pitched very good ball for you. For a fourth starter, on a four man rotation, Lolich was decent. In San Diego they had a fan club for him called the Mickey Lolich Gut Club. January 12, 2011 I don't know if Mickey belongs in Cooperstown but he sure deserved more than 25% of the vote which was his highest showing. 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. Usually a bad trade doesn't reveal itself as bad until later when the player that came clearly is not working out. Mickey Lolich did not want to come to the Mets. September 25, 2013 That's pretty good this day in age. August 7, 2018 Raymond Malcuit We are going all the way!" I find it odd that he didn't play in 1977. 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. 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? He had terrific stuff. Kooz Usually a bad trade doesn't reveal itself as bad until later when the player that came clearly is not working out. Did you boo him or make fun out of him? Koufax would have 175 by the All-Star Break. The plan was apparently: Vail LF/RF, Kingman LF/RF/1B, Milner, LF/RF/1B for those three spots. Its not Rustys fault the Tigers traded for hitting when they already had hitting. We are going all the way!" (And of course Donald Grant) The Mets had to fill 2 corner outfield spots and first base. 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. April 23, 2003 Jay GoMets2006 I have to respectfully disagree with NYB Buff's claim that Lolich belongs in Cooperstown. John Bruce August 7, 2018 Hey Mets Fan, Lolich never asked to be traded to New York. April 6, 2012 And complaining about how fat he was? As a 44-year-old with a beer belly, I can relate. Bob P Anybody remember how Rusty looked those last few years in New York? Joe =Chuck= Jay 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. May 7, 2013 This has never happened before? support. As a 44-year-old with a beer belly, I can relate. He normally threw lots of pitches and completed a high percentage of his games. =Chuck= He pitched over 300 innings for 4 years in a row, coming close to 400 one year. Within a year, the corpulent Lolich had retired to open a doughnut shop in suburban Detroit. Its not Rustys fault the Tigers traded for hitting when they already had hitting. 6'1", 170???? Lolich for Staub---it might be the fattest trade in major league history. September 25, 2013 Kooz Koufax would have 175 by the All-Star Break. Lake Orion wasconsidered avacation cityin thepast. However, Mets management, in their infinite wisdom, wanted to trade Rusty Staub so badly, that they were willing to get anything in return, and actually had to go to great lengths to convince Lolich to come to the Mets. to realizing he was one of the worst trades in Mets history, before Seaver went to the Reds. Like Seaver and Koosman, Mickey had pretty meager run support throughout his career. Appearancewise, Lolich made Sid Fernandez look like Tom Hall (remember him??) Shickhaus Franks Bob P Mickey liked his doughnuts. I recall one year where he had 121 RBI's. 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. Lolich may have been a great pitcher once, but by 1976 he was a has-been. Lolich was a fine pitcher. Five years before he became a Met, Lolich threw for 376 innings! 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. to realizing he was one of the worst trades in Mets history, before Seaver went to the Reds. by Tom Gage (Author), Mickey Lolich (Author), Jim Leyland (Foreword) 121 ratings Kindle $12.99 Read with Our Free App Paperback $13.99 29 Used from $8.66 20 New from $13.66 The 1968 World Series remains one of the most iconic in major league history. 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. An E.R.A of 3.22 in the mid 70's was still pretty respectable. Mickey Lolich is one of my favorite players. He toiled in the minor leagues for five years before the Detroit Tigers finally gave him a chance in 1963. 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 was 7 years old, listening to the Mets on the radio in the car with my mother. Jamey Bumbalo Our visitors have submitted thousands of thoughts and memories of the Mets and the games they've played. As Sonny Jurgenson once said "you don't throw the ball with your stomach." - Now for the trade itself. LA-Mets Kooz Ramblin' Pete Mickey pitched almost 200 innings in 76, gave up less hits than innings and his era was in the low 3.00's. Lolich committed to playing 2 years for the Mets, but then reneged on that promise. Too bad we waited until '76 to bring him in, although his numbers indicated a lack of run support. Lolich hit a home run in the World Series- and so what does that mean, that he was a great hitter? Bob P 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. body would be a pretty slender person. 3.50 was more of a mediocre E.R.A in those days.About his profile of 6'1" and 170 lbs., I looked him up in the Baseball Encyclopedia and that's what they have. July 15, 2016 Randy Tate February 25, 2003 No contest. An interesting thing about Lolich that I remember from an old Mets program is that he's actually right handed. Mickey Lolich captured the sporting headlines in 1968 by upstaging Hall of Famer, Bob Gibson, in the World Series. Dianna Jeanneh Jones 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? Al Five years before he became a Met, Lolich threw for 376 innings! Mickey pitched almost 200 innings in 76, gave up less hits than innings and his era was in the low 3.00's. Mickey Lolich is one of my favorite players. His cousin was Ron Lolich. Cut him some slack. 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. That's more realistic but generous, I think! I look at his numbers as a Met and they're not bad. Enjoythesebits of LOcal history. You have to remember that any ERA of 3.00 and over back in the 1970's was not a good stat. That would make him a star in today's market. bogeyman Not to say the trade wasn't awful - but come on! 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 did not want to come to the Mets. Check out his 1971 season: 45 starts. As for his love of donuts, he could have been the prototype for Homer Simpson. This happened because M. Donald Grant, usurper/dictator of the New York Mets, was personally annoyed by Rusty Staub. June 30, 2019 His not being elected to Cooperstown is a major oversight. The two 13-inning games didn't even count for complete games because they went 15 innings! John Bruce Mr. Sparkle He was a big (emphasis: BIG) bust in New York. 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. God bless him wherever he is and good luck! Bob P Peter But in his final season with the Tigers, he became the all-time leader in strikeouts for left-handed pitchers. 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. August 7, 2018 Mike B August 7, 2018 His not being elected to Cooperstown is a major oversight. Five years before he became a Met, Lolich threw for 376 innings! 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. Like Seaver and Koosman, Mickey had pretty meager run support throughout his career. Donut Shoppe Patron Lolich was a good one, underrated and dominating at times. - Now for the trade itself. Lolich's main purpose was to pitch and he couldn't even do that for us. senor ortiz An online store and history website that curates Lake Orion history and offers. Not that THAT did squat for the Mets! Rusty played another decade. Maybe when he was 15 years old he was 170, but at no point in his major league career was he ever 170. I remember Lolich pitching some good ball for the Mets with absolutely NO run support. Bob P Take a look at his stats on baseball-reference and you will shake your head. Mickey Lolich did not do too bad with the Mets, He just did not get the Mickey pitched to a poor 8-13 record but he also had a 3.22 ERA which is pretty damn good. The plan was apparently: Vail LF/RF, Kingman LF/RF/1B, Milner, LF/RF/1B for those three spots. McLain got all the publicity but Lolich got the wins in post season 1968. ''How can you dare say '68 was better?'' (thankfully returning in '81). That would make him a star in today's market. In San Diego they had a fan club for him called the Mickey Lolich Gut Club. Let's understand one thing: this wasn't a "trade" in the traditional sense. The last thing the Tigers needed was a dandy hitter whose hitting only went to support lopsided slugfest losses every day. Mickey Lolich was the greatest left handed pitcher in the whole world to me in 1968, He was even greater than Denny. eddiek 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. I'll take Mickey's pitching line - except for W&L - any time. The last thing the Tigers needed was a dandy hitter whose hitting only went to support lopsided slugfest losses every day. Lolich committed to playing 2 years for the Mets, but then reneged on that promise. 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. December 8, 2006 Raymond Malcuit John Bruce Mr. Sparkle March 22, 2005 Cut him some slack. April 23, 2003 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. 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. He pitched over 300 innings for 4 years in a row, coming close to 400 one year. Usually a bad trade doesn't reveal itself as bad until later when the player that came clearly is not working out. You have to remember that any ERA of 3.00 and over back in the 1970's was not a good stat. Mickey Lolich was the greatest left handed pitcher in the whole world to me in 1968, He was even greater than Denny. April 30, 2009 Mickey was finished and Rusty still had about 8-10 years left, even though the last couple were solely as a pinch hitter. Hell, he kept his restaurant even after moving on to the Tigers, and still lives in the Big Apple. That's more realistic but generous, I think! No put-down of Mickey, but that teamed needed Staub much more than they needed another pitcher. Mickey Lolich did not pitch badly for the Mets in 1976. He later came back to play for the Padres. Within a year, the corpulent Lolich had retired to open a doughnut shop in suburban Detroit. August 7, 2002 Bob P Five years before he became a Met, Lolich threw for 376 innings! Mickey liked his doughnuts. Then they all got old and the team slid into rebuilding- different than the Mets? 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. 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. October 4, 2006 He was overweight and kind of babyfaced but I don't remember anyone being more focused or a battler. September 25, 2013 I looked him up in The Sports Encyclopedia 2002 and they have 6' and 210 lbs. God bless him wherever he is and good luck! Jay 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. April 27, 2013 Ramblin' Pete He goes up one notch for being a character! Mike B (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. August 7, 2002 Raymond Malcuit Jr. After one year in New York Lolich retired. He started 45 games and completed 29. The trade was a great one for the Tigers and yet another whopper in a long history of bad trades for the Mets. A Staub-Kingman combo would have provided more run support for big three, and probably a 90+ win season. Mickey Lolich is one of my favorite players. An interesting thing about Lolich that I remember from an old Mets program is that he's actually right handed. Ramblin' Pete March 22, 2005 Shickhaus Franks feat fan Mickey Lolich was the greatest left handed pitcher in the whole world to me in 1968, He was even greater than Denny. (With three lefties and a Seaver, the Mets were lefty killers) But the Mets needed hitting. Scrappy Mickey loved his Harley. Lolich may have been a great pitcher once, but by 1976 he was a has-been. Lolich's main purpose was to pitch and he couldn't even do that for us. He was All-GLIAC his senior season. After one year in New York Lolich retired. The Tigers had some great years back in the late 60's and early 70's- much like the Mets.