Sports legend Al Kaline passes away at 85.
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Sports legend Al Kaline passes away at 85.
The Detroit Tigers lost a legend. Hall of Fame outfielder and franchise icon Al Kaline died Monday, according to the Detroit Free Press. He was 85.
Kaline’s cause of death was not available.
Over 22 seasons — all with Detroit — Kaline established himself as one of the best Tigers of all time. He was selected to 18 All-Star teams throughout his career, earned 10 Gold Glove awards, won the 1955 batting title and led the Tigers to a World Series win in 1968.
During his career, Kaline played 2,834 games — all of which came with the Tigers. He notched 3,007 hits and 399 career home runs, earning himself the nickname “Mr. Tiger.”
Those accomplishments led to the Tigers retiring Kaline’s No. 6 in 1980. That same year, Kaline was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum. He received 88.3 percent of the vote, and was inducted in his first year of eligibility. At that time, Kaline was only the 10th player in Major League Baseball history to make the Hall of Fame on his first ballot.
Following his retirement in 1974, Kaline joined the Tigers’ television team. After a couple decades in the broadcast booth, Kaline was named a special assistant to the Tigers in 2002. Kaline was set to continue working as a special assistant during the 2020 season.
The Tigers paid tribute to Kaline in a statement, calling Kaline a “pillar of our organization.”
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Kaline was one helluva ball player. It always stuck in my craw that the Indians (Frank Lane) traded Rocky Colavito for "singles hitter" Harvey Kuenn when he should have insisted on Kaline or, better yet, never have traded "The Rock".
RIP Al.
Mike
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Kaline was one helluva ball player. It always stuck in my craw that the Indians (Frank Lane) traded Rocky Colavito for "singles hitter" Harvey Kuenn when he should have insisted on Kaline or, better yet, never have traded "The Rock".
RIP Al.
Mike
Don't see longevity like Kaline's anymore... that's for sure.
Indians (Frank Lane) traded Rocky Colavito for "singles hitter" Harvey Kuenn
And then we traded Kuenn... and then traded to get Rocky back... and then traded Rocky again...
I remember Rocky and Herb Score coming up together as rookies and thinking things were looking up.
I remember seeing The Rock's 4 home run game on TV...
One of my Little League teams was named after him... sorta... whoever turned in the name for the uniforms misspelled it so we were the "Colovitos"
"When you have a shared vision it is a lot easier to make unpopular decisions." - Paul DePodesta "When you win, say nothing. When you lose, say less." - Paul Brown Complete 2017 Browns Board Mock: http://thebrownsboard.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=46196 -
Don't see longevity like Kaline's anymore... that's for sure.
Indians (Frank Lane) traded Rocky Colavito for "singles hitter" Harvey Kuenn
And then we traded Kuenn... and then traded to get Rocky back... and then traded Rocky again...
I remember Rocky and Herb Score coming up together as rookies and thinking things were looking up.
I remember seeing The Rock's 4 home run game on TV...
One of my Little League teams was named after him... sorta... whoever turned in the name for the uniforms misspelled it so we were the "Colovitos"
Don't see longevity like Kaline's anymore... that's for sure.
And then we traded Kuenn... and then traded to get Rocky back... and then traded Rocky again...
I remember Rocky and Herb Score coming up together as rookies and thinking things were looking up.
I remember seeing The Rock's 4 home run game on TV...
One of my Little League teams was named after him... sorta... whoever turned in the name for the uniforms misspelled it so we were the "Colovitos"
I'll never forget watching that game vs Baltimore!
Mike
IN DORSEY I TRUST -
Sad, Sad day on the Corner of Michigan & Trumbull
.. from the great Ernie Harwell..Al Kaline rarely ever "stood there like the house by the side of the road and watched that one go by"...
Got home to the news & turned on MLB network since..some Great childhood flashbacks for me...includes. Harwell on my dad's outdoor radio... a rubber baseball, I'd throw at a chalk box on the white brick garage on every pitch..As a 5 year old kid, I became a fan of the bat ahead of Al Kaline too.. Mickey Stanley...Than came along Pete Rose & the Big Red Machine... I became a Reds & Tigers Fan.... Dad always said "you can't have two favorite teams in the same sport" Pick one...I never did
Made it to many Tigers games with my Dad, including one of the best catches you'd ever see Chet Lemon make in his life at the wall...
Al Kaline RIP ? ...You were always a great gentleman of the sport, playing a kids game...
52 years later, here's the 1968 Tiger batting order like yesterday
Dick McAuliffe
Mickey Stanley
Al Kaline
Norm Cash
Willie Horton
Jim Northrup
Bill Freehan
Don Wert
Denny McLain
Farewell Captain Kaline
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Sad, Sad day on the Corner of Michigan & Trumbull
.. from the great Ernie Harwell..Al Kaline rarely ever "stood there like the house by the side of the road and watched that one go by"...
Got home to the news & turned on MLB network since..some Great childhood flashbacks for me...includes. Harwell on my dad's outdoor radio... a rubber baseball, I'd throw at a chalk box on the white brick garage on every pitch..As a 5 year old kid, I became a fan of the bat ahead of Al Kaline too.. Mickey Stanley...Than came along Pete Rose & the Big Red Machine... I became a Reds & Tigers Fan.... Dad always said "you can't have two favorite teams in the same sport" Pick one...I never did
Made it to many Tigers games with my Dad, including one of the best catches you'd ever see Chet Lemon make in his life at the wall...
Al Kaline RIP ? ...You were always a great gentleman of the sport, playing a kids game...
52 years later, here's the 1968 Tiger batting order like yesterday
Dick McAuliffe
Mickey Stanley
Al Kaline
Norm Cash
Willie Horton
Jim Northrup
Bill Freehan
Don Wert
Denny McLain
Farewell Captain Kaline
Dick McAuliffe
Was he the Tiger with the unusual batting stance? Bat level with shoulders almost as if he had started his swing? Infielder?
"When you have a shared vision it is a lot easier to make unpopular decisions." - Paul DePodesta "When you win, say nothing. When you lose, say less." - Paul Brown Complete 2017 Browns Board Mock: http://thebrownsboard.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=46196 -
Was he the Tiger with the unusual batting stance? Bat level with shoulders almost as if he had started his swing? Infielder?
Yep! McAuliffe was all of 5'10 maybe, he was a solid infielder at second or shortstop. Throws & signs autographs right handed, but always swung bat left handed.. Dick did have his own rare stance that made him a good leadoff contact hitter..trended Top 5 in not striking out.. wide open stance.. hands held high in stance..eyes glaring over his forearm..at pitch release, his front foot in box would kick to more a normal look.. McAuliffe past away while i was visiting family in Michigan around 2015..Alzheimer
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Don't see longevity like Kaline's anymore... that's for sure.
And then we traded Kuenn... and then traded to get Rocky back... and then traded Rocky again...
I remember Rocky and Herb Score coming up together as rookies and thinking things were looking up.
I remember seeing The Rock's 4 home run game on TV...
One of my Little League teams was named after him... sorta... whoever turned in the name for the uniforms misspelled it so we were the "Colovitos"
I'll never forget watching that game vs Baltimore!
Mike
I'll never forget watching that game vs Baltimore!
Mike
Before my time
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