Al Kaline 12/19/1934 - 04/06/2020 RIP#6

[kalinecountry]

What a thrill it must have been for many Tigers fans to get such a close up view of Mr. Tiger in action in Lakeland in 1963.
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[kalinecountry]

1/3/63: Al Kaline points out where he will be patrolling right field in the coming season, after inking his contract for the '63 campaign.
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[kalinecountry]

Boston Red Sox star Ted Williams & Detroit Tigers star Al Kaline happily pose together back in the day! #Legends
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[kalinecountry]

December 19, 1934: Al Kaline is born in Baltimore, Md. Al becomes a High School, and Legion Ball Phenom playing 2 and at times 3 games in a day. Kaline is signed by Ed Katalinas a day after graduating from high school and signs for $35K.
Al sits on the bench in 1953 between Johnny Pesky and Fred Hutchinson going in as a defensive replacement.
In 1955 Kaline becomes the youngest player to win a batting title, also leading the A.L. in Hits with 200 and Total Bases with 321.
A complete 5 tool ballplayer, Kaline becomes the greatest defensive outfielder in American League history, winning 10 Gold Gloves for fielding excellence. After 5 full years and 85 assists, opposing teams stop running on Kaline's legendary throwing arm considered to be the Most Accurate in Major League History. Kaline is voted to 18 All-Star games batting a cool .324 12 for 37 with 2 Homeruns.
Al is the runnerup in the A.L. MVP ballot in 1955 and 1963, winning the prestigious Sporting News A.L. Player of the Year Award those seasons, and a 3rd place finish in the MVP ballot in 1956 and 10 years in the top 10 voting for MVP over his career.
In the 1968 World Series, Kaline?s only appearance in the Fall Classic, he batted .379, hit two home runs and drove in eight to help Detroit knock off the St. Louis Cardinals in seven games.
Injuries during several seasons keep Kaline from hitting 30 or home runs and several more seasons of 100+ Runs and 100+ RBI, missing 450 games to various injuries. Despite missing so many games, Kaline becomes the 12th member of the 3,000 Hit Club, and and the 10th player to become a first ballot Hall Of Famer in 1980.
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[kalinecountry]

Hats off to the great Al Kaline, born OTD (12/19) in 1934 From the Flagstaff Films home movie baseball archive.
https://twitter.com/i/status/1737113136350761305

 

[kalinecountry]

Even in the major leagues, players are conscious that there are a few who are involved in a different game, whose skill level is unattainable to most others.
Al Kaline was one of these players.
George Cantor
Detroit Free Press
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[kalinecountry]

January 9, 1980: Legendary Tigers Right Fielder Al Kaline and "The Duke Of Flatbush" Duke Snider are elected to the Hall of Fame by the Baseball Writers Association of America.
Kaline is the 10th player to be elected in his first year of eligibility, while Snider is making his 11th appearance on the ballot.
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[kalinecountry]

Ernie Harwell and George Kell interview Al Kaline during spring training in 1962.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qwwA2xyG-lY&ab_channel=BallySportsDetroit

 

[kalinecountry]

?Old Days?Detroit Tiger Stars,Rocky Colavito and Al Kaline before a 1962 game at Yankee Stadium.
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[kalinecountry]

Al Kaline visits a printing shop.
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I never saw this picture before.

 

[kalinecountry]

Cash, Kaline, and Freehan.
34 combined All Star game selections.
976 combined home runs.
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[kalinecountry]

Mickey, Al, and Ernie smile after game 7 of the '68 World Series.
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[kalinecountry]

Al Kaline sporting the orange D cap with the home jersey. That was the combination for several seasons in the 1950s, along with orange striped stirrups. IMO that would be fun to do a few times each season, now. I guess this D is not returning, to my never ending ire. Iffy The Dopestar
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[kalinecountry]

Al Kaline in Spring Training.
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[kalinecountry]

Al Kaline, just starting off his hall of fame career.

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[kalinecountry]

Al Kaline, Mr. Tiger, smiles for the camera at the 1957 All Star Game.

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[kalinecountry]

Al Kaline's once in a career opportunity.

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[kalinecountry]

"As a bonus baby, you usually sit on a bench for two years, but I figured my folks deserved the money. And they got it.” Signed with Tigers directly from HS for $35,000, paid off his parents’ mortgage, paid for his mother’s eye operation. Al Kaline Clocked at 3.4 seconds to first.
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A good son, a gentleman, and man of integrity, and an all time all around great ball player.

 

[kalinecountry]

Few players wore the Detroit ball club's uniform as regally as Al Kaline!!

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[kalinecountry]

March 28, 1970: In this first (and last?) "Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial All-Star Baseball Classic", solo home runs by Ron Fairly of Montreal and Ron Santo of the Chicago Cubs, plus a three-run 8th-inning brings the East a 5 - 1 victory over the West. A crowd of 31,694 watches the charity game in Dodger Stadium. Proceeds go to the late Dr. King's Southern Christian Leadership Conference and a memorial center planned for Atlanta.

For this initial charity game, former New York Yankees great Joe DiMaggio manages the East, and ex-Dodger Roy Campanella, confined to a wheelchair since a 1958 auto accident, directs the fortunes of the West. Jim "Mudcat" Grant of Oakland sings the National Anthem in the pre-game program, and then becomes the victim of a four-hit uprising in the 8th inning that insures the outcome.

Al Kaline of Detroit beats out an infield hit to open the frame and moves to second as Tommie Agee drives Hank Aaron to the left field wall. Kaline races home on Lou Brock's double to left. Brock scores on Roberto Clemente's double and Clemente comes home on Ken McMullen's single.