Mickey Lolich Still Had In in 1978, Part 2

 So Mickey Lolich wasn't the closer on the San Diego Padres in 1978? That doesn't mean he didn't contribute.

Mickey was pitching under the watchful eye of Roger Craig. And Craig was no stranger to relief pitching. As a rookie with the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1955, Craig had a pretty good set of stats...And more stats that season.

And the manager certainly knew how to handle his relief corps. Craig used Rollie Fingers as the stopper that year, and he picked up 37 saves and a 2.52 earned run average. There was Bob Shirley, but he started 20 games, too. John D'Acquisto had his best season, winning four games, saving ten and having an ERA of just 2.13.

There was rookie Mark Lee, who went 5-1 with a 3.28 earned run average. Mickey Lolich was pitching his second last season, and was at the opposite end of the spectrum as Lee.

But this bullpen helped San Diago win 84 games that season. The team had some pretty good starting pitching, no doubt. Gaylord Perry won 21 contests to go along with a 2.73 ERA. Randy Jones was below .500 (13-14) but not because of his pitching, which produced a 2.88 earned run average in 1978.  Bob Owchinko was 10-13, but like Jones had a pretty good ERA, 3.56. Eric Rasmussen had an ERA over four, but still went 12-10.

So the bullpen complimented the starting staff just fine.

As for Lolich, his one and only save of the 1978 season was on August 17th in a game at Shea Stadium. He blanked the New York Mets over three innings. August itself was quite a month for Mickey. He did not allow an earned run. He won his only August decision and posted a hold. From July 17th to August 26th, Mickey Lolich made nine appearances, including his only start, posting an earned run average of 0.00.

For '78, Mickey had an outstanding ERA of just 1.56. His walks and hits allowed per inning was 1.183, ironically that was exactly .100 more than his career low as a starter back in 1967. This was encouraging, as he looked to extend his career. He came up with a new pitch in the spring of next season, a knuckleball. Alas, it did not help. Lolich struggled with an 0-2 record and a 4.74 ERA in 1979, bringing to end his career.

Greatest Relief Seasons of All-Time Stat Set 1

Pitcher	Year	S	BS	S%	H	ERA	K	K/9	WHIP	WAR
Bernhard	1899	0	?	?	?	2.65	23	1.6	1.179	2.0
Pitcher	Year	S	BS	S%	H	ERA	K	K/9	WHIP	WAR
Walsh	1904	1	?	?	?	2.60	57	4.6	1.102	0.1
Griffith	1905	1	?	?	?	1.68	46	4.1	0.954	3.3
Ferguson	1906	7	?	?	?	2.58	32	5.5	1.280	0.2
Keefe	1907	3	?	?	?	2.50	20	3.1	1.387	2.0
Chappelle	1908	0	?	?	?	1.79	23	2.9	1.095	0.3
Leever	1909	2	?	?	?	2.83	23	3.0	1.257	-0.1
Dygert	1909	0	?	?	?	2.42	79	5.2	1.216	-0.4
Pitcher	Year	S	BS	S%	H	ERA	K	K/9	WHIP	WAR
Phillipe	1910	4	?	?	?	2.29	30	2.2	0.986	2.0
Benz	1911	0	?	?	?	2.26	28	4.5	1.168	0.7
Baskette	1912	1	?	?	?	3.18	51	4.0	1.336	2.2
Crandall	1913	6	?	?	?	2.86	42	3.9	1.290	0.5
Wolfgang	1914	0	?	?	?	1.89	50	3.8	1.073	1.8
Bressler	1914	2	?	?	?	1.77	96	5.9	1.138	3.5
Conzelman	1914	2	?	?	?	2.94	39	3.5	1.267	0.8
Mays	1915	7	?	?	?	2.60	65	4.4	1.063	1.0
Hughes	1916	5	1	0.833	?	2.35	97	5.4	1.068	2.5
Danforth	1917	9	?	?	?	2.65	79	4.1	1.324	3.2
Bender	1917	2	?	?	?	1.67	43	3.4	0.973	3.7
Coumbe	1917	5	2	0.714	1	2.14	30	2.0	1.146	1.1
Dubuc	1919	3	?	?	?	2.66	32	2.2	1.182	0.6
Luque	1919	3	0	1.000	?	2.63	26	3.4	1.179	1.1
Pitcher	Year	S	BS	S%	H	ERA	K	K/9	WHIP	WAR
Morton	1921	1	?	?	?	2.76	45	3.8	1.207	2.3
Baumgartner	1925	3	?	?	?	3.57	18	1.4	1.368	2.5
Marberry	1926	22	?	?	?	3.00	43	2.8	1.348	3.1
Clark	1927	2	?	?	?	2.32	32	2.3	1.262	2.8
Haid	1928	5	?	?	?	2.30	21	4.0	1.064	0.4
Rommel	1929	4	1	0.800	1	2.85	25	2.0	1.484	1.6
Pitcher	Year	S	BS	S%	H	ERA	K	K/9	WHIP	WAR
Lindsey	1931	7	1	0.875	?	2.77	32	3.9	1.634	1.1
Quinn	1932	13	?	?	?	2.66	24	3.5	1.383	1.1
Russell	1933	13	?	?	?	2.69	28	2.0	1.218	3.1
Malone	1936	9	1	0.900	0	3.81	72	4.8	1.515	2.9
Brown	1938	5	?	?	?	3.80	55	3.7	1.500	0.4
Pitcher	Year	S	BS	S%	H	ERA	K	K/9	WHIP	WAR
Beggs	1940	7	4	0.636	0	2.00	25	2.9	1.161	2.2
Murphy	1941	15	7	0.682	0	1.98	29	3.4	1.397	2.2
Adams	1943	9	2	0.818	0	2.82	46	3.0	1.254	3.0
Heving	1944	10	?	?	0	1.96	46	3.5	1.228	1.9
Maltzberger	1944	12	?	?	0	2.96	49	4.8	1.095	1.8
Berry	1944	12	4	0.750	0	1.94	44	3.6	0.907	3.7
Karl	1945	15	1	0.938	1	2.99	51	2.5	1.245	3.6
Christopher	1947	12	2	0.857	0	2.90	33	3.7	1.277	1.4
Wilks	1948	13	1	0.929	1	2.62	72	4.9	1.163	4.8
Page	1949	27	11	0.711	0	2.59	99	6.6	1.315	4.2
Pitcher	Year	S	BS	S%	H	ERA	K	K/9	WHIP	WAR
Konstanty	1950	22	4	0.846	0	2.66	56	3.3	1.039	4.7
Aloma	1951	3	1	0.750	0	1.82	25	3.2	1.096	3.2
Wilhelm	1952	11	1	0.917	1	2.43	108	6.1	1.155	2.7
Paige	1952	10	5	0.667	1	3.07	91	5.9	1.254	3.4
Kinder	1953	27	8	0.771	4	1.85	39	3.3	1.140	4.5
Mossi	1954	7	0	1.000	0	1.94	55	5.3	1.022	3.3
Pitcher	Year	S	BS	S%	H	ERA	K	K/9	WHIP	WAR
Narleski	1955	19	2	0.905	6	3.71	94	7.6	1.281	2.5
Craig	1955	2	0	1.000	0	2.78	48	4.8	1.368	1.8
Freeman	1956	18	3	0.857	2	3.40	50	4.1	1.344	2.6
Farrell	1957	10	3	0.769	0	2.38	54	5.8	1.320	2.4
Zuverink	1957	9	8	0.529	0	2.48	36	2.9	1.278	2.7
Hyde	1958	18	5	0.783	0	1.75	49	4.3	1.136	4.9
Duren	1959	14	7	0.667	1	1.88	96	11.3	1.200	3.8
Staley	1959	15	4	0.789	2	2.24	54	4.2	1.169	2.5
Face	1959	10	9	0.526	1	2.70	69	6.7	1.243	3.2
Sherry	1959	3	1	0.750	0	2.19	23	6.9	1.251	3.6
Pitcher	Year	S	BS	S%	H	ERA	K	K/9	WHIP	WAR
McDaniel	1960	26	6	0.813	1	1.29	95	8.2	0.863	6.0
Brosnan	1960	12	2	0.857	2	2.36	62	5.6	1.020	2.7
Arroyo	1961	29	10	0.744	1	2.19	87	6.6	1.109	3.3
Fox	1961	12	2	0.857	3	1.41	32	5.0	1.012	2.6
Radatz	1963	25	3	0.893	0	1.97	162	11.0	1.096	5.7
Perranoski	1963	21	8	0.724	0	1.67	75	5.2	1.202	4.5
Baldschun	1963	16	5	0.762	1	2.30	89	7.0	1.240	2.0
Lee	1964	19	8	0.704	1	1.51	111	7.3	1.058	4.3
Ellis	1964	14	2	0.875	1	2.57	125	9.2	1.054	3.1
Hall	1964	9	2	0.818	2	1.85	52	5.3	0.844	3.0
Pitcher	Year	S	BS	S%	H	ERA	K	K/9	WHIP	WAR
Miller	1965	24	1	0.960	1	1.89	104	7.8	0.997	4.3
Regan	1966	21	7	0.750	1	1.62	88	6.8	0.934	5.0
Hoerner	1966	13	3	0.813	4	1.54	63	7.5	1.026	3.0
Drabowsky	1967	12	5	0.706	3	1.60	96	9.1	0.955	3.2
Abernathy	1967	28	6	0.824	1	1.27	88	7.4	0.978	6.2
Wyatt	1967	20	4	0.833	2	2.60	68	6.6	1.179	2.2
Wood	1968	16	5	0.762	7	1.87	74	4.2	1.006	5.4
V. Romo	1968	12	3	0.800	1	1.60	54	5.8	0.901	2.8
Segui	1968	6	1	0.857	4	2.39	72	7.8	1.000	1.3
Tatum	1969	22	1	0.957	2	1.36	65	6.8	1.042	4.3
Pitcher	Year	S	BS	S%	H	ERA	K	K/9	WHIP	WAR
Williams	1970	15	4	0.789	7	1.99	76	6.0	1.032	2.8
McMahon	1970	19	5	0.792	0	2.96	74	7.1	1.219	3.0
Sanders	1971	31	4	0.886	0	1.91	80	5.3	1.064	4.1
Carroll	1971	15	6	0.714	4	2.50	64	6.1	1.281	1.8
Giusti	1972	22	5	0.815	0	1.93	54	6.5	1.058	2.3
Knowles	1972	11	3	0.786	5	1.37	36	4.9	1.310	2.5
Brewer	1972	17	7	0.708	0	1.26	69	7.9	0.843	3.5
Hiller	1973	38	4	0.905	0	1.44	124	8.9	1.021	8.1
Borbon	1973	14	5	0.737	6	2.16	60	4.5	1.421	2.5
Beene	1973	1	0	1.000	0	1.68	49	4.8	1.033	3.0
Marshall	1974	21	12	0.636	9	2.42	143	6.2	1.186	3.1
Pitcher	Year	S	BS	S%	H	ERA	K	K/9	WHIP	WAR
Gossage	1975	26	5	0.839	1	1.84	130	8.3	1.193	8.2
Hrabosky	1975	22	6	0.786	3	1.66	82	7.6	1.097	3.9
McEnaney	1975	15	4	0.789	11	2.47	48	4.7	1.264	1.5
Eastwick	1976	26	9	0.743	1	2.09	70	5.9	1.115	2.8
Lyle	1977	26	8	0.765	1	2.17	68	4.5	1.197	3.7
Sutter	1977	31	9	0.775	0	1.34	129	10.8	0.857	6.5
Johnson	1977	15	7	0.682	1	3.13	87	5.3	1.806	2.5
Stanley	1978	10	5	0.667	1	2.60	38	2.2	1.242	4.1
Blair	1978	28	5	0.848	2	1.97	91	8.2	1.246	4.1
Lolich	1978	1	0	1.000	2	1.56	13	3.4	1.183	1.1
Tekulve	1979	31	6	0.838	8	2.79	75	5.0	1.176	3.2
Lopez	1979	21	5	0.808	1	2.41	106	7.5	1.150	5.3
Davis	1979	9	10	0.474	2	2.85	43	4.5	1.313	2.2
E.Romo	1979	5	8	0.385	12	2.99	106	7.4	1.276	1.8
Monge	1979	19	7	0.731	5	2.40	108	7.4	1.221	3.0
Sosa	1979	18	7	0.720	4	1.96	59	5.5	1.179	3.1
Palmer	1979	2	1	0.667	0	2.64	72	5.3	1.141	2.2
Pitcher	Year	S	BS	S%	H	ERA	K	K/9	WHIP	WAR
McGraw	1980	20	5	0.800	0	1.46	75	7.3	0.921	4.7
Garvin	1980	8	5	0.615	5	2.29	52	5.7	1.173	3.4
Fingers	1981	28	6	0.824	0	1.04	61	7.0	0.872	4.2
Caudill	1982	26	6	0.813	0	2.35	111	10.4	1.045	4.4
Reardon	1982	26	8	0.765	2	2.06	86	7.1	1.128	3.5
L.Smith	1983	29	4	0.879	1	1.65	91	7.9	1.074	4.8
Stewart	1983	8	5	0.615	5	2.60	78	5.2	1.237	3.1
Quisenberry	1983	45	8	0.849	0	1.94	48	3.1	0.928	5.5
Orosco	1983	17	5	0.773	1	1.47	84	6.9	1.036	3.8
Hernandez	1984	32	1	0.970	0	1.92	112	7.2	0.941	4.8
Pitcher	Year	S	BS	S%	H	ERA	K	K/9	WHIP	WAR
Lamp	1985	2	5	0.286	8	3.32	68	5.8	1.164	1.3
B.Smith	1985	27	6	0.818	1	2.27	40	4.5	1.084	1.6
Lahti	1985	19	1	0.950	6	1.84	41	5,4	1.302	2.3
D. Moore	1985	31	8	0.795	0	1.92	72	6.3	1.087	3.6
Eichhorn	1986	10	4	0.714	7	1.72	166	9.5	0.955	7.4
Righetti	1986	46	10	0.821	0	2.45	83	7.0	1.153	3.8
Todd Worrell	1986	36	10	0.783	0	2.08	73	6.3	1.225	2.5
Henke	1987	34	8	0.810	1	2.49	128	12.3	0.926	3.3
Burke	1987	18	4	0.818	5	1.19	58	5.7	0.890	4.3
Dayley	1987	4	6	0.400	6	2.66	63	9.3	1.393	1.5
Henneman	1988	22	7	0.759	2	1.87	58	5.7	1.051	3.3
Parrett	1988	6	4	0.600	2	2.65	62	6.1	1.211	1.6
Pena	1988	12	2	0.857	9	1.91	83	7.9	1.081	1.7
Lancaster	1989	8	3	0.727	7	1.36	56	6.9	1.032	3.9
Russell	1989	38	6	0.864	0	1.98	77	9.5	0.950	2.5
Pitcher	Year	S	BS	S%	H	ERA	K	K/9	WHIP	WAR
Eckersley	1990	48	2	0.960	0	0.61	73	9.0	0.614	3.3
Thigpen	1990	57	8	0.877	0	1.83	70	7.1	1.038	3.4
Nelson	1990	5	3	0.625	18	1.57	38	4.6	0.964	2.3
Dibble	1990	11	6	0.647	17	1.74	136	12.5	0.980	4.0
Henry	1991	15	1	0.938	3	1.00	28	7.0	0.833	2.2
Aguilera	1991	42	9	0.824	0	2.35	61	8.0	1.072	2.4
Ward	1992	12	4	0.750	24	1.95	103	9.1	1.135	3.1
Rojas	1992	10	1	0.909	13	1.43	70	6.3	1.043	3.9
Olin	1992	29	7	0.806	0	2.34	47	4.8	1.211	2.7
Wetteland	1993	43	1	0.977	0	1.37	113	12.0	1.008	4.2
Harvey	1993	45	4	0.918	0	1.70	73	9.5	0.841	4.0
Beck	1993	48	4	0.923	0	2.16	86	9.8	0.882	2.4
Martinez	1993	2	1	0.667	14	2.61	119	10.0	1.243	3.0
Pitcher	Year	S	BS	S%	H	ERA	K	K/9	WHIP	WAR
Hoffman	1998	53	1	0.981	0	1.48	86	10.6	0.849	4.1
Urbina	1998	34	4	0.895	0	1.30	94	12.2	1.010	3.2
Williamson	1999	19	7	0.731	5	2.41	107	10.3	1.039	2.8
Pitcher	Year	S	BS	S%	H	ERA	K	K/9	WHIP	WAR
Rhodes	2001	3	4	0.429	31	1.72	83	11.0	0.853	2.5
Smoltz	2003	45	4	0.918	0	1.12	73	10.2	0.870	3.3
Tim Worrell	2003	38	7	0.844	1	2.87	65	7.5	1.302	0.8
Cormier	2003	1	3	0.250	13	1.70	67	7.1	0.933	2.6
Timlin	2005	13	7	0.650	24	2.24	59	6.6	1.320	2.9
Nathan	2006	36	2	0.947	0	1.58	95	12.5	0.790	3.3
Ryan	2006	38	4	0.905	1	1.37	86	10.7	0.857	3.6
Putz	2007	40	2	0.952	0	1.38	82	10.3	0.698	4.0
Rivera	2008	39	1	0.975	0	1.40	77	9.8	0.665	4.3
Pitcher	Year	S	BS	S%	H	ERA	K	K/9	WHIP	WAR
Bell	2010	47	3	0.940	0	1.93	86	11.1	1.200	1.9
Soriano	2010	45	3	0.938	0	1.73	57	8.2	0.802	2.1
Aceves	2011	2	3	0.400	11	2.61	80	6.3	1.105	2.7
Axford	2011	46	2	0.958	0	1.95	86	10.5	1.140	2.3
Downs	2011	1	3	0.250	26	1.34	35	5.9	1.006	2.0
Cook	2012	14	7	0.667	21	2.09	80	9.8	0.941	2.6
Chapman	2012	38	5	0.884	6	1.51	122	15.3	0.809	3.6
Johnson	2012	51	3	0.944	0	2.49	41	5.4	1.019	2.4
Smyly	2013	2	4	0.333	21	2.37	81	9.6	1.039	2.6
Davis	2014	3	3	0.500	33	1.00	109	13.6	0.847	3.7
Clippard	2014	1	6	0.143	40	2.18	82	10.5	0.995	1.5
Rondon	2015	30	4	0.882	8	1.67	69	8.6	1.000	2.2
Pitcher	Year	S	BS	S%	H	ERA	K	K/9	WHIP	WAR
Britton	2016	47	0	1.000	0	0.54	75	9.9	0.836	4.2
Osuna	2016	36	6	0.857	0	2.68	82	10.0	0.932	2.1
Brach	2016	2	5	0.286	24	2.05	92	10.5	1.038	2.5
Miller	2016	12	2	0.857	25	1.45	123	14.9	0.686	3.8
Robertson	2017	14	2	0.875	8	1.84	98	12.9	0.849	2.9
Jansen	2017	41	1	0.976	1	1.32	109	14.4	0.746	2.9
Albers	2017	2	4	0.333	14	1.62	63	9.3	0.852	2.5
Kimbrel	2017	35	4	0.897	1	1.43	126	16.4	0.681	3.6
Morrow	2018	22	2	1.158	0	1.47	31	9.1	1.076	1.4
Trivino	2018	4	5	0.444	23	2.92	82	10.0	1.135	1.5
Pitcher	Year	S	BS	S%	H	ERA	K	K/9	WHIP	WAR
Treinen	2018	38	5	0.884	5	0.78	100	11.2	0.834	4.1
Jeffress	2018	15	5	0.750	18	1.29	89	10.4	0.991	3.3
Yarbrough	2018	0	0	0.000	1	3.91	128	7.8	1.290	1.1
Hader	2018	12	5	0.706	21	2.43	243	15.8	0.811	2.1
Strop	2018	13	4	0.765	9	2.26	57	8.6	0.989	2.1
Workman	2019	16	6	0.727	15	1.88	104	13.1	1.033	3.2
Robles	2019	23	4	0.852	2	2.48	75	9.3	1.018	2.6
Walden	2019	2	4	0.333	8	3.81	76	8.8	1.192	1.2
W.Smith	2019	34	4	0.895	0	2.76	96	13.2	1.026	0.4
Oberg	2019	5	3	0.625	8	2.25	58	9.3	1.107	2.4
Littell	2019	0	1	0.000	1	2.68	32	7.8	1.162	0.9
Pitcher	Year	S	BS	S%	H	ERA	K	K/9	WHIP	WAR

Notes

Hughes appeared as a starter thirteen times.

Baumgartner and Bernhard appeared as a starter twelve times.

Wolfgang and Baskette appeared as a starter eleven times.

Craig and Coumbe appeared as a starter ten times.

Danforth, Malone, Stewart, Sherry, Luque and Conzelman appeared as a starter nine times.

Phillipe and Walsh appeared as a starter eight times.

Morton and Griffith appeared as a starter seven times.

Paige, Mays, Chappelle, Rommell and Yarbrough appeared as a starter six times.

Marberry, Mossi, Lee, Ellis and Dubuc appeared as a starter five times.

Leever, Aceves and Beene appeared as a starter four times.

Russell, Stanley, Adams and Keefe appeared as a starter three times.

Brown, McDaniel, Wood, Crandall, Brosnan, Lindsey, Karl, Wilks, Martinez, Clark and Lolich appeared as a starter two times.

Beggs, Quinn, Narleski, McGraw, Aloma, Robles, Ferguson and Vincente Romo, appeared once as a starter.

Maltzberger, Hyde, Konstanty, Duren, Brosnan, Tekulve and Henke all wore glasses.

References

Holmes, Dan. “Mickey Lolich.” Society for American Baseball Research, SABR, sabr.org/bioproj/person/mickey-lolich/. 04 Mar. 2021.

Sports Reference LLC. Baseball-Reference.com - Major League Statistics and Information. https://www.baseball-reference.com/. 04 Mar. 2021.