Denny McLain was the star of Detroit’s pitching staff in 1968, winning 31 regular-season games. Lolich, however, was the Most Valuable Player of the Series, with a 1.67 ERA and a Game 7 victory on the road over Bob Gibson and the St. Louis Cardinals.

DETROIT — Mickey Lolich, the left-handed pitcher who outdueled Bob Gibson and won MVP of the 1968 World Series, was an icon of his time. He died on Wednesday at 85, the Detroit Tigers confirmed.

Detroit Tigers legendary left-hander Mickey Lolich, who was the 1968 World Series MVP, has died at the age of 85.

The Detroit Tigers lost one of their most enduring symbols of toughness and dependability with the passing of Mickey Lolich, a pitcher whose career embodied an era when durability, competitiveness, and responsibility defined greatness.