Albert William Kaline

• Born: December 19, 1934, Baltimore, Maryland
• Bats: right
• Throws: right
• Height: 6'1"
• Weight: 175 lbs
• Elected to Hall of Fame by BBWAA: 1980
• 340 votes of 385 ballots cast: 88.31%
• Major League Debut: June 25, 1953

     Al Kaline was the stalwart of the Detroit Tigers for 22 years, retiring in 1974 with 3,007 hits and 399 home runs - he played more games and hit more home runs than any other Tiger.  The quiet, durable outfielder was a consistent performer, compiling a career batting average of .297, and was named to 18 All-Star teams.  Yet he never quite matched his 1955 season, when at the age of 20, he hit .340, won the batting title, drove in 102 runs and hit 27 homers.  He was compared to Ty Cobb and to Mickey Mantle, his contemporary, but was never able to fulfill those expectations.

     Kaline was so good so young because he lived and breathed baseball growing in Baltimore.  His father Nick, his grandfather Philip, and his uncles Bibb and Fred were all pretty good catchers in their days, and as an adolescent Kaline would play as many as three games in a day.  The Tigers gave him $30,000 when he was 18, and brought him immediately to Detroit.

     In 1959, four years after his lone batting title, he led the league in slugging percentage.  But although he was effective offensively, he was better known for his defense - Kaline made playing right field into an art form.  He won 10 Gold Gloves in 11 years (1957-59, 61-67).  Graceful and quick, he never a wasted motion, and rarely a wrong decision.  Whether hitting for power or average, whether using his speed or his throwing arm, he could beat you.

     In one game against the White Sox, Kaline threw out Fred Marsh trying to score from second on a single, Minnie Minoso trying to stretch a single into a double, and Chico Carrasquel trying to go from first to third on a single.  Once, in the bottom of the ninth at Yankee Stadium with the Tigers leading by a run, Mickey Mantle came up with two on and two out.  He smashed a line drive so hard and deep into the gap in right center that announcer Mel Allen whooped "The Yankees win 5-4!"  The Tigers' clubhouse man angrily shut off the radio - but when the Tigers came back into the dugout, they were whooping and laughing.  Kaline had made an impossible running backhanded catch against the scoreboard.

	BASEBALL: Scores / Schedules  |  Standings  |  Stats  |  Transactions  |  Injuries