Albert William (Al) Kaline

Albert William "Al" Kaline

“Mr. Tiger”
Detroit Tigers Player (1953 - 1974)

Al Kaline was born and raised in Baltimore, Maryland graduating from Southern High School where he also starred in basketball and football. He earned all-state honors in baseball all four years in high school. Kaline by-passed the minor league system and joined the Tigers directly from high school as an 18-year-old “bonus baby”.  He made his major league debut in 1953 and played his entire 22-year career with the Detroit Tigers. He won the A.L. batting title as a 20-year-old in 1955 with a .340 average. He finished his career with 3,007 hits (12th player to reach 3,000 hits), 399 Home Runs, 2634 games played (20 consecutive seasons over 100 games), .297 career average with nine seasons above .300, 1622 runs scored and 1583 RBI. Kaline played 242 consecutive errorless games in the outfield from 1970 - 1972. He played in eighteen All Star games, won ten Gold Gloves and won one World Series (1968).  Al Kaline had his number “6” retired by the Tigers in 1980, was Inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1980 in his first year of eligibility and was inducted into the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame in 1978.  He passed away on April 6, 2020 at 85 years of age.