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Mickey Lolich, hero of the 1968 World Series for the Detroit Tigers, dies at 85

Mickey Lolich, who had three complete-game victories for the Detroit Tigers in the 1968 World Series, the last Major League Baseball pitcher to post the incredible feat, died Wednesday. He was 85.

The Tigers said Lolich's wife told them that he died after a short stay in hospice care. An exact cause of death was not provided.

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.

https://www.koat.com/article/mickey-lol ... s/70249729

Back then, pitchers normally pitched on three days rest (as Gibson did when he started games 1 and 4, which he won, and game 7, which he lost). Lolich started games 2 and 5 with the normal three days rest and then game 7 on only two days rest.

Today's pitchers have the benefit of much better training and conditioning and are lucky to last six innings on four days rest.