Horton to receive military honor

[Rebbiv]

http://detroit.tigers.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20111114&content_id=25970424&vkey=news_det&c_id=det

Good for him!

 

[kalinecountry]

Posted Monday, maybe I should have made a separate thread for it.

http://detroit.tigers.mlb.com/news/press....t=.jsp&c_id=det
National Infantry Foundation to present Inaugural Abner Doubleday Award to Willie Horton.
PressRelease from the Tigers official site

http://www.mlive.com/tigers/index.ssf/20...._willie_ho.html
Former Detroit Tiger Willie Horton wins inaugural Doubleday honor.
from Mlive

http://www.detnews.com/article/20111114/....itary--families
Tigers great Willie Horton to be honored for support of military, families.
from the detnews

 

[Rebbiv]

I hadn't seen it before now. And I am bias to the military, so I would agree that the article needed it's own thread.

 

[Mitchrapp]

Couldn't happen to a better guy.

 

[kingofdetroit57]

Completely random encounter, but I stopped at Panera Bread in Bloomfield on my way home and wound up standing in line next to Willie Horton and his wife today. I didn't want to bother him, so I didn't chat him up, but we did nod at one another when it was clear that I recognized him.

 

[byco42]

I definitely would have thanked him for all the memories that he helped shape in my youth. If the opportunity had presented itself. There was a Starbucks' on Woodward and 13 mile that was a habitual stopping point for a lot of Red Wings in the late 90's early 2000s, mostly the ones who lived a few miles north in Bloomfield Hills and Birmingham.

 

[kalinecountry]

http://mlb.mlb.com/search/?query=willie+horton&c_id=mlb
All Willie Horton's webvideos and stories from mlb and the Tigers official site.

I would have shook Willie's hand and given him a hug. His whole adult life is everything Detroit and our Tigers. Such a powerful man, and never shy to wear his heart on his sleeve for Detroit and old Tiger Stadium.

 

[byco42]

Willie was a beast before the term was cool: "You don't wan't to get the big fella mad at ya." A common George Kell quip when a pitch ranged too close to Willie's ear.

 

[kingofdetroit57]

I'm definitely a huge Willie Horton fan and wanted to tell him that, but I also didn't want to bug him while he was picking up dinner. It was clear to him that he knew I recognized him, as did the guy working the register, but he didn't seem to want a big hoopla made. The guy at the register gave him a free coffee cake to take with him, to which he quietly said to his wife, something about not being able to wait to try it.
He actually went to sit down for a couple minutes because his knees seemed to be bothering him. He was parked in a handicap spot and defintely was hobbling, but looked to be in good health otherwise.

One thing I was surprised by was how short he was... I always thought he was a big guy, but he really wasn't. I'm a beast (6'5" and 285lbs), but I probably had nearly a foot on him. Even the guy at the register whispered something to me about always thinking he was taller than he was in person. LOL!

 

[byco42]

I wonder how many ballplayers would be able to stand on home plate with a ring of opponents around him all of whom were unwilling to engage that ballplayer, even though he was inviting all comers. Willie did that as a Texas Ranger in 1977.

 

[kingofdetroit57]

I wonder how many ballplayers would be able to stand on home plate with a ring of opponents around him all of whom were unwilling to engage that ballplayer, even though he was inviting all comers. Willie did that as a Texas Ranger in 1977.

Or how many would take to the streets in uniform to try to stop riots. He's a baaaaaaaaad man!

 

[kalinecountry]

Nobody pitcher or position wanted to piss Willie off. In fact that Tigers team, with big guys Freehan and Gates Brown, add in a fearless McAuliffe, and Northrup, and even in 67-68 with Eddie Mathews, the only player to kick the snot out of another tough guy frank robinson. Pitchers would think twice.
No surprise in 68 when lew krause threw and broke Kaline's arm, and the next day, iirc aker threw at Northrup there was a big fight.

 

[kingofdetroit57]

I always pictured Willie as a bigger guy given his reputation, KC. He was listed at 5'11" as a player, but I'm not buying that. I'd guess he was somewhere around 5'9" in person.

He's still one of those larger than life figures in my eyes though... pun intended.