The April 24-30, 2024 issue of The Record displayed some photos of former Detroit Tigers pitcher Mickey Lolich's April 20 visit to the River of God Church in Romeo. Lolich was there to receive the "Hometown Hero" Award and to give a presentation on his 16-year career in Major League Baseball.
For those who don't know, Lolich was a pitcher for the Detroit Tigers between 1963 and 1975. In fact, his actions helped the team to win the 1968 World Series, and he was named Most Valuable Player. Even though he was born in Portland, Oregon, he has spent plenty of time in Washington, Michigan. So much that when the Tigers won the World Series in 1968, Washington turned into Lolich Town.
This leads us to the photo above. The front page of the October 17, 1968 edition of The Romeo Observer displayed this picture of a makeshift sign welcoming Lolich and its declaration. It was erected right after the Tigers' victory. Residents were excited to know that Lolich put Washington on the map. They were so elated that people on Robin Hill road "gleefully turned their street into Lolich Blvd[,] and marked up their mail boxes accordingly."
But that's not all! The article goes on to say the following, "Two state troopers turned up at Mickey's home to handle the expected crowds on Thursday, October 10, the night the conquering heroes came home. There were signs on the expressway, flood lights on his lawn and hundreds of very happy Tiger fans on hand throughout the evening."
Despite the huge win for Washington, it seems that some Detroit newscasters didn't really do their homework. They claimed it was a town west of Detroit. The Observer took note of this and considered sending them a map of Michigan and a compass.
Lolich continued his victory lap on the national scene. He made appearances on the Ed Sullivan and Johnny Carson shows. There were even plans for him to do some western and country singing at the Frontier Hotel in Las Vegas.
Regardless if it's 1968 or 2024, Washington will always be Lolich Town.
To discover more about Mickey Lolich, you can contact the Romeo Community Archives at rca@romemodistrictlibrary.org or call (586) 690-4890.
Source: The Record, April 24-30, 2024, p.12; The Romeo Observer, October 17, 1968, p.1-A; Detroit Free Press, October 15, 1968, p.31; and MLB.com
