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

[kalinecountry]

No Alibis: The Detroit Tigers’ 1962 Tour of Japan – Society for American Baseball Research

sabr.org

No Alibis: The Detroit Tigers’ 1962 Tour of Japan.
SABR.org

 

[kalinecountry]

"Al Kaline signed his initial contract in June, 1953, and the health of his parents had also become a concern. His mother’s eyesight was failing and surgery would be required to save it.In 1955, Al Kaline would reveal to writer Hal Middlesworth that his dad “was not real well and neither is Mom.” When Kaline inked that first contract with Detroit, he used the money to pay off the mortgage on his parents’ home and to pay for his mother’s eye operation. Jack Olsen described the Kaline family as “poor, proud, and hungry” Among an illustrious collection of Detroit Tiger batting Kings, Ty Cobb, Harry Heilmann, Heinie Manush, Charlie Gehringer, and George Kell, Al Kaline in 1955 became the youngest Tiger to achieve the distinction, a scant one day younger than Ty Cobb was when he won the first of his 12 titles. With all the years stretching out before him, something approaching Cobb’s remarkable record is not beyond the realm of possibility. Through race riots, through the assassinations of King and the Kennedys, through Vietnam death counts on the morning news, through the crimes of our President, through times of turmoil and uncertainty, Al Kaline was there, every season.” Tom Stanton. Accumulated 3,007 hits, 399 HR , a .297 batting average, 10 Gold Gloves, 18 All-Star selections. Won the batting title in 1955, hitting .340 at the age of 20. "Mr. Tiger".

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/HCaCoFlWYAAuSnu?format=jpg&name=small

 

[kalinecountry]

The Trials, Tribulations, and Challenges of Al Kaline – Society for American Baseball Research

sabr.org

The Trials, Tribulations, and Challenges of Al Kaline.
SABR

 

[kalinecountry]

Al Kaline takes batting practice at an empty Briggs Stadium, 1957. He hit .303 at home compared to .292 on the road. The model of consistency.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/HC6SamcX0AAPeVx?format=jpg&name=medium

 

[kalinecountry]

Hall of Fame writer Tom Gage and Alex Avila teamed up on a book ranking the Top 400 Tigers in history! Great profiles, fun facts and stories about your favorite players. Available on Amazon and wherever you get your books. To be released March 31st.

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[kalinecountry]

Sandy Koufax famously praised Al Kaline's hitting and overall mastery of the game, stating:
"Kaline is the only hitter I've ever seen who could hit a line drive off a 2-0 pitch, a 3-1 pitch, or a 0-2 pitch. He's just a complete ballplayer."
"Kaline is the only player I know who is never out of position, never makes the wrong base-running move, and never makes a bad throw."

 

[kalinecountry]

Al Kaline with Mickey Mantle. Kaline debuted 2 years after Mantle, playing in 12 All-Star games with him.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/HEML29AWQAABHMV?format=jpg&name=small

 

[kalinecountry]

Kirk Gibson was coached by 10-time Gold-Glove winner Al Kaline during Spring Training.
Opposing team's managers would have their outfielders watch Kaline shagging flies in BP so they would see how it is done with perfection.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/HERdaYjWIAAgpda?format=jpg&name=small

 

[kalinecountry]

Al Kaline climbs the fence to attempt to make a catch on a fly ball at Tiger Stadium. The outfield was known for its 10-foot-high green wall around much of the park, along with the distinctive overhanging right-field deck. Mr. Tiger made it look easy.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/HEw_BCBW0AA2H1k?format=jpg&name=360x360

 

[kalinecountry]

Rocky Colavito and Al Kaline at Yankee Stadium, 1962.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/HFTiB-PXsAAAC2-?format=jpg&name=small

 

[kalinecountry]

"Al Kaline signed his initial contract in June, 1953, and the health of his parents had also become a concern.His mother’s eyesight was failing and surgery would be required to save it.In 1955, Al Kaline would reveal to writer Hal Middlesworth that his dad:"Was not real well and neither is Mom.” When Kaline inked that first contract with Detroit, he used the money to pay off the mortgage on his parents’ home and to pay for his mother’s eye operation.Jack Olsen described the Kaline family as “poor, proud, and hungry”. "Among an illustrious collection of Detroit Tiger batting Kings", Ty Cobb, Harry Heilmann, Heinie Manush, Charlie Gehringer, and George Kell, Al Kaline in 1955 became the youngest Tiger to achieve the distinction, a scant one day younger than Ty Cobb was when Cobb won the first of his 12 titles. With all the years stretching out before him, something approaching Cobb’s remarkable record is not beyond the realm of possibility. Through race riots, through the assassinations of King and the Kennedys, through Vietnam death counts on the morning news, through the crimes of our President, through times of turmoil and uncertainty, Al Kaline was there, every season.”Tom Stanton. Accumulated 3,007 hits, 399 HR , a .297 batting average, 10 Gold Gloves, 18 All-Star selections while missing the equivalent of nearly 3 seasons due to injuries. Won the batting title in 1955, hitting .340 at the age of 20."Mr. Tiger".

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/HFPbycjWEAABVqQ?format=jpg&name=small

 

[kalinecountry]

"I'll never forget that first night with the team. Going to the ballpark on the bus was the hardest 30 minutes of my life. I had to walk down that aisle between all the players. I really didn't know too much about the Detroit Tigers at that time. All of a sudden I'm in the major leagues and we're travelling from town to town. I see the other players dressing different every day. I've got only one suit and I keep wearing it over and over. I'm really embarrassed". Al Kaline.

At Comiskey, the Tigers Al Kaline is knocked out cold from a Bob Shaw pitch in the sixth inning during the Tigers 7-1 win over the White Sox. The 23-year-old right fielder would have to be carried off the field on a stretcher and taken to the hospital for x-rays, which came back negative. Al Kaline would miss only one game and return to the lineup against the Cleveland Indians, hitting a 3 run triple in a 5-1 win. September 25, 1958.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/HFumw6VWUAAejIK?format=png&name=small

 

[kalinecountry]

The Game That Made Al Kaline a Star

It was April 17, 1955.Al Kaline entered this game a prospect, and left it a star. The talk leading up to it was, could he develop into a good player? After the game, it turned into just how great w…

mgwentworth.wordpress.com

Baseball Legend Al Kaline of the Detroit Tigers hits three home runs in Briggs Stadium, including a pair in the 6th inning, to drive in six runs. The Tigers rout the A's, 16 - 0 behind Steve Gromek's strong pitching. Kaline extends his 2-day streak of 6 straight hits.
Kaline becomes the first Tigers player to hit two home runs in the same inning, a feat that will be also done by Magglio Ordonez.
For Kaline's 1955 season, the 20 year old will lead the league in batting average .340 hits with 200 and total bases with 321, and finish second in the MVP vote to Yogi Berra.

 

[kalinecountry]

https://www.freep.com/story/sports/mlb/tigers/2026/04/27/kevin-mcgonigle-detroit-tigers/89822044007/?gnt-cfr=1&gca-cat=p&gca-uir=true&gca-epti=z114936p117050c117050e1198xxv114936d--35--b--35--&gca-ft=75&gca-ds=sophi

Kevin McGonigle just did something no Tiger has done since Al Kaline. Paywall.
Freep

 

[kalinecountry]

https://www.mlive.com/tigers/2026/04/kevin-mcgonigle-is-doing-incredible-things-that-we-shouldnt-take-for-granted.html

Kevin McGonigle is doing incredible things that we shouldn’t take for granted.
Mlive

 

[kalinecountry]

Al Kaline connects during a 1962 Yankee-Tiger game. Kaline's .313 against the Yankees was his highest against any team.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/HHLGuRbXoAArTUj?format=jpg&name=small

 

[kalinecountry]

MLB Legends Explain How TERRIFYING Al Kaline Was. 14 minutes.
Al Kaline was the ultimate psychological weapon on the diamond. Known as Mister Perfection, Al Kaline dominated through pure all-around brilliance rather than just raw statistics. From his feared cannon arm to his elite hitting, discover why icons like Mickey Mantle considered Al Kaline the league's best.

 

[kalinecountry]

The Top 19 Outfielders From The 1960's. 24 minutes.