Al Kaline facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Al Kaline |
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Kaline in 1957
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| Right fielder | |||
| Born: December 19, 1934 Baltimore, Maryland, U.S. |
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| Died: April 6, 2020 (aged 85) Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, U.S. |
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| debut | |||
| June 25, 1953, for the Detroit Tigers | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| October 2, 1974, for the Detroit Tigers | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Batting average | .297 | ||
| Hits | 3,007 | ||
| Home runs | 399 | ||
| Runs batted in | 1,583 | ||
| Teams | |||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||
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 Baseball Hall of Fame |
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| Induction | 1980 | ||
| Vote | 88.3% (first ballot) | ||
Albert "Al" William Kaline (born December 19, 1934 – died April 6, 2020) was a famous American professional baseball player. He was nicknamed "Mr. Tiger" because he played his entire 22-year career in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Detroit Tigers.
Kaline was mostly a right fielder, known for his strong throwing arm and amazing defense. He won ten Gold Glove Awards for being the best defensive player at his position. He was also picked for the Major League Baseball All-Star Game 18 times! In 1980, he was elected into the Baseball Hall of Fame on his very first try.
After he stopped playing, Kaline became a TV broadcaster for the Tigers until 2002. Then, he worked in the Tigers' front office, helping and mentoring younger players, until he passed away in 2020. He spent an incredible 67 years with the same team!
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Early Life and Baseball Start
Al Kaline was born and grew up in Baltimore, Maryland. His family was not rich, and many of his relatives played semi-professional baseball.
When he was eight years old, Kaline had a bone infection in his left foot. Doctors had to remove a small part of the bone. This left his foot with scars and a different shape, but it didn't stop him from becoming a great baseball player. In fact, he was an amazing pitcher in youth baseball, learning to throw different types of pitches by age nine.
Kaline went to Southern High School in Baltimore. He was a star in basketball and also played football. When he tried out for the baseball team, there were too many pitchers, so he became an outfielder instead. He was so good that he earned all-state honors in baseball for all four years of high school.
Amazing MLB Career
Starting Strong
Al Kaline was so talented that he skipped playing in the minor leagues and went straight to the Detroit Tigers from high school! He was only 18 years old when he signed with the team in 1953, receiving $35,000, which was a lot of money back then. A scout who watched him play said Kaline was "the prospect that a scout creates in his mind and then prays that someone will come along to fit the pattern."
He played his first major league game on June 25, 1953. He started with uniform number 25, but after his first season, he asked a teammate for number 6, which he wore for the rest of his career.
In 1955, when Kaline was just 20, he had a batting average of .340. This made him the youngest player ever to win the American League (AL) batting title! No 20-year-old had won a batting title since the legendary Ty Cobb in 1907. That year, Kaline also hit two home runs in one inning and became the youngest player to hit three home runs in a single game. He ended 1955 with 200 hits, 27 home runs, and 102 runs batted in (RBIs). He was also chosen for the Major League Baseball All-Star Game, which was the first of many All-Star selections in a row.
Kaline continued to play well in 1956, hitting .314 with 27 home runs and a career-high 128 RBIs. In 1957, he won his first of ten Gold Glove Awards, showing how great he was at fielding. He was known for having one of the best arms in baseball, leading the league in outfield assists in 1956 and 1958.
Middle Years and a World Series Win
In 1961, Kaline hit .324 and led the league with 41 doubles. The Tigers had a great season, winning 101 games, but they still finished behind the powerful New York Yankees.
In 1962, Kaline broke his collarbone while making a catch. He missed 57 games, and his absence hurt the Tigers' chances of winning. Even with the injury, he hit a career-high 29 home runs in only 100 games!
In 1963, Kaline hit .312 with 27 home runs and 101 RBIs. For a few years, he had pain in his left foot, the one that had the surgery when he was a child. Doctors eventually found that special corrective shoes helped him feel much better.
In 1966, Kaline tied his career best with 29 home runs. In 1967, he broke a bone in his hand when he hit a bat rack in frustration. He missed a month, and the Tigers narrowly missed winning their division.
The 1968 was very special. Kaline missed two months with a broken arm. When he returned, the Tigers manager, Mayo Smith, made a very smart move: he put Kaline back in the outfield by moving other players around. In the 1968 World Series, the Tigers were losing to the St. Louis Cardinals three games to one. In Game 5, with the bases loaded (meaning three runners were on base), Kaline hit a single that brought in two runs. The Tigers won that game and then won Game 6 in a big way. Kaline had a fantastic World Series, hitting .379 with two home runs and eight RBIs. The Tigers won Game 7, becoming World Series champions for the first time since 1945!
Final Seasons and Milestones
In 1970, Kaline had a serious injury when he collided with another outfielder. Luckily, his teammate Willie Horton quickly helped him, possibly saving his life.
In 1971, Kaline became the first Tiger player to sign a contract worth $100,000. He had actually turned down that amount the year before because he didn't feel he deserved it! In 1972, the Tigers won their division, and Kaline played a key role. That year, he also won the Roberto Clemente Award, which honors players who show great sportsmanship and help their communities.
On September 24, 1974, Kaline reached a huge milestone: he got his 3,000th career hit! He was only the 12th player in MLB history to do so. After reaching this goal, Kaline announced he would retire at the end of the season.
Al Kaline finished his amazing career with 3,007 hits, 399 home runs (a Tigers record!), and 1,582 RBIs. He batted over .300 nine times and had more walks than strikeouts, which shows how good he was at hitting and being patient at the plate. He also holds Tigers records for games played and walks.
Defensively, Kaline was excellent throughout his career. In his early years, baserunners often tried to run on his strong arm, but after a few years, they learned not to!
Honors and Legacy
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| Al Kaline's number 6 was retired by the Detroit Tigers in 1980. |
In 1980, Al Kaline was elected into the Baseball Hall of Fame on his first try. This is a huge honor, and he was only the tenth player in history to achieve it. Kaline said that being elected to the Hall of Fame was the biggest thing that ever happened to him, even more than winning the World Series.
The Tigers honored Kaline by retiring his uniform number (6), meaning no other player on the team will ever wear that number again. He won ten Gold Glove Awards for his amazing fielding and was an All-Star 15 times. In 1998, he was ranked among the 100 Greatest Baseball Players of all time.
A street behind the Tigers' old stadium, Tiger Stadium, was renamed Kaline Drive in his honor in 1970. Many people who played with or against Kaline said he was a "perfect player" because he was great at everything: hitting, fielding, running, and throwing.
After Playing Baseball
After his playing career, Al Kaline stayed very involved with the Detroit Tigers. He worked as a TV commentator for the team's games from 1975 to 2002. Then, he became a special assistant to the team's general manager, helping to coach and mentor young outfielders during spring training. He continued in this role until he passed away in 2020. His 67 years with one team is one of the longest times anyone has spent with a single team in MLB history.
Because of his long and dedicated time with the Tigers, Al Kaline was lovingly known as "Mr. Tiger." His grandson, Colin Kaline, was even drafted by the Tigers twice, showing the family's continued connection to baseball.
Personal Life
Al Kaline married his high school sweetheart, Madge Louise Hamilton, in 1954. They had two sons, Mark and Michael. Michael's son, Colin, also played baseball in the minor leagues.
Al Kaline passed away at his home in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, on April 6, 2020.
See Also
In Spanish: Al Kaline para niños
- List of members of the Baseball Hall of Fame
- List of Major League Baseball retired numbers
- List of Major League Baseball career hits leaders
- List of Gold Glove Award winners at outfield
- List of baseball players who went directly to Major League Baseball
- List of Major League Baseball players who spent their entire career with one franchise
