"Denny McLain was the star of Detroit's pitching staff in 1968, winning 31 regular-season games. But Lolich was the Most Valuable Player of the Series, with a ERA of 1.67 and a Game 7 road victory over Bob Gibson and the St. Louis Cardinals. Bill Freehan threw off his catcher's mask and caught a foul pop-up by Tim McCarver for the final out. Lolich jumped into Freehan's arms - an iconic image of Detroit's championship season."
""I was having a few problems, but I had been a starting pitcher ever since 1964," said Lolich, who was upset about the bullpen move. "I remember telling him, 'If we win this thing this year it's going to be because of me.' But I was only talking about the season. I wasn't talking about the World Series. "I got my revenge back in the World Series," he said."
Mickey Lolich died at 85 after a short hospice stay; an exact cause of death was not provided. He recorded three complete-game victories for the Detroit Tigers in the 1968 World Series and was named Series Most Valuable Player with a 1.67 ERA, including a Game 7 road victory over Bob Gibson and the St. Louis Cardinals. Bill Freehan caught the final out as Lolich celebrated. Lolich totaled 2,832 career strikeouts, ranking No. 23 overall and fifth among left-handers. He endured a late-season bullpen demotion in August, returned to go 6-1 before the Series, and pitched Game 7 on two days' rest.
Read at ESPN.com
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