MLB: Pitchers Hitting Their First Career Home Runs

Joe Glasgow is a former senior staff writer at Fanstop.com, and is the author of the book Play Ball! Growing Up With Baseball https://amzn.to/2o4M62h

Nasty Pitches

Joe Glasgow is a former senior staff writer at Fanstop.com, and is the author of the book Play Ball! Growing Up With Baseball https://amzn.to/2o4M62h

The Detroit Tigers Mickey Lolich

In the 1968 World Series southpaw Mickey Lolich registered three complete game wins, and walked away with the MVP trophy. He sparked the Tigers to comeback from a 3 games to 1 deficit to defeat the St. Louis Cardinals.  He his three complete game victories haven't been matched in World Series play since. It wasn't until 2001, when another southpaw Randy Johnson would get three World Series wins. In game two of the World Series (8-1 Tiger win), he would hit the only home run of his career.

Lolich would sign with the Detroit Tigers out of high school and toiled in their farm system for five seasons until making his major league debut in the fifth season in 1963, when he went 5-9 splitting time between being a starter and reliever. It all changed in when he had a won-loss record of 18-9, tossed six shutouts finished with an ERA of 3.26.  Lolich would be a consistent starter for the Tigers, he won 14 or more games in 11 consecutive seasons.  From 1969 through 1974, Lolich would strike out 200 or more in six consecutive seasons. His best season would be in 1971, when he would lead MLB with 25 wins, 308 strike outs, 45 starts, 29 complete games, 376 innings pitched. He was an American League all-star three times in 1969, and 1971-1972. He would follow up the 1971 with 22 wins in 1972, and sending the Tigers into postseason as the American League East champions.

Lolich would be traded after the 1975 season to the New York Mets. He went 8-13 with a 3.22 ERA, and retired at the end of the season. After sitting out the 1977 season, he signed as a free agent with the San Diego Padres pitching two seasons making only seven starts in 47 appearances. 

He retired with a career won-loss record of 217-191 with an ERA of 3.44, and 2,832 strike outs. 

Randy Johnson Hurls Perfect Game

May 18, 2004. Arizona Diamondbacks southpaw Rand Johnson tosses a perfect game over the Atlanta Braves 2-0. At 40, he becomes the oldest pitcher to pitch a perfect game. He also joins select company of pitchers that have thrown no-hitters in both leagues (Jim Bunning, Hideo Nomo, Nolan Ryan, and Cy Young).

Joe Glasgow is a former senior staff writer at Fanstop.com, and is the author of the book Play Ball! Growing Up With Baseball https://amzn.to/2o4M62h

Baseball History: Mariners Acquire Randy Johnson

April 25, 1989, the Seattle Mariners trade their starter Mark Langston, and minor league player Mike Campbell to the Montreal Expos for Brian Holman, Gene Harris, and a lefty named Randy Johnson. Johnson would anchor the Mariners staff for the next ten seasons. He would finish with a 130-74 record with a 3.42 ERA in Seattle. He would be a ten time All-Star, win five Cy Young Awards, a World Series Most Valuable Player Award, pitched both a no-hitter and a perfect game. He also pitched for the New York Yankees, Houston Astros, Arizona Diamondbacks, and San Francisco Giants. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2015.