Show U Under rated ra rated er-rated lel Pitcher By PETE FRITCHIE FRITCH IE Mickey Lolich has to be one of the most under-rated under pitchers in the Majors As this is written he has already pitched four complete games and will have pitched a few more by the time you read these lines HE SHOULD have won all of his first four games but lost one on an unearned run to Baltimore in eleven innings He gave up on one earned run in nine innings but buta a Detroit miscue allowed the Orioles to tie lie the game and they won in the After pitching Detroit to a awin awin awin win over Boston in a nationally nationally nationally nation nation- ally televised game recently Tony Kubek asked Lolich inthe in inthe inthe the post-game post interview whether the loss of Denny McLain Mc Mc- McLain Lain to the Tigers increased the pressure Lolich said it didn't make much difference he gave one hundred and ten percent anyhow HE WAS VAS of course the clutch pitcher in the 1968 World Series almost winning that classic by himself He won three of the four games won by Tiger pitchers Denny McLain McLain McLain Mc- Mc Lain won the greatest number of games in both 1968 and 1969 but it was Lolich who ha had to o win win the cl clutch game gamer ana i ne was given fewer runs behind him in both years than were given McLain McLain Mc- Mc Lain almost certainly because because because be be- cause opposing clubs fear Lolich more and put their best against him THE TIGERS after a sorry sorry sorry sor sor- ry exhibition season began the season as if the absence of McLain didn't bother any any- one Baltimore is still sUlI the choice but it could be that the Tigers and Red Sox and maybe New York and Washington Washington Wash Wash- ington will make it a race this year and keep the Orioles Orioles Orioles Ori Ori- oles from running away |