http://www.1968tigers.com/tigers-win-1968-world-series-behind-mickey-lolichs-gem/ Paying Tribute to the 1968 Detroit Tigers Fri, 08 Apr 2011 04:23:25 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 http://www.1968tigers.com/tigers-win-1968-world-series-behind-mickey-lolichs-gem/comment-page-1/#comment-420 Curly Sat, 10 Oct 2009 18:04:57 +0000 http://www.1968tigers.com/tigers-win-1968-world-series-behind-mickey-lolichs-gem/#comment-420 It was 41 years ago today (4:06 pm EDT), that Tim McCarver popped up to end this perfect World Series. I was in the TV room of my dorm at Oakland University, and remember every play. At the beginning of the Series, God had said to Mickey Lolich, "You've got one week, son. Enjoy." Hitting home runs, picking off two of the best baserunners in the National League and, oh yes, three complete game victories, which, thanks to pitch counts and closers, we'll never see again. Forty-one years later to the day, we don't even know who's going to be in this year's World Series. The 1968 Tigers had won it and were flying back to Detroit at this point. What we do know is that it will be played at night, using designated hitters and men wearing batting gloves. If the Yankees and the Dodgers, having the best records in their respective leagues, don't make it to the World Series, it won't even be a legitimate Series. The '68 Series was the last one before that other abberation, divisional play, came into being. In this era of personalities, emotionalism, choreographed celebrations, and meaningless tributes, something's missing. (We've gone from the President throwing out the first pitch, once, at the beginning of the year, to half a dozen kids throwing them out at every game.) Go back and look at the 1968 World Series, when it was done right. It was 41 years ago today (4:06 pm EDT), that Tim McCarver popped up to end this perfect World Series. I was in the TV room of my dorm at Oakland University, and remember every play. At the beginning of the Series, God had said to Mickey Lolich, “You’ve got one week, son. Enjoy.” Hitting home runs, picking off two of the best baserunners in the National League and, oh yes, three complete game victories, which, thanks to pitch counts and closers, we’ll never see again.
Forty-one years later to the day, we don’t even know who’s going to be in this year’s World Series. The 1968 Tigers had won it and were flying back to Detroit at this point. What we do know is that it will be played at night, using designated hitters and men wearing batting gloves. If the Yankees and the Dodgers, having the best records in their respective leagues, don’t make it to the World Series, it won’t even be a legitimate Series.
The ’68 Series was the last one before that other abberation, divisional play, came into being. In this era of personalities, emotionalism, choreographed celebrations, and meaningless tributes, something’s missing. (We’ve gone from the President throwing out the first pitch, once, at the beginning of the year, to half a dozen kids throwing them out at every game.) Go back and look at the 1968 World Series, when it was done right.

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