OT: A legend is lost.

[Madmannsucks]

My very first sports hero growing up. R I P Mr. Kaline.

Al Kaline, MLB Hall of Famer, dies at 85 | CNN

Legendary right fielder Al Kaline died Monday at the age of 85, according to the Detroit Tigers. He played his entire career, 22 seasons, with the Tigers where he was an All-Star 18 times, won a World Series in 1968 and earned the nickname "Mr. Tiger."

www.cnn.com

 

[Hans Sprungfeld]

My very first sports hero growing up. R I P Mr. Kaline.

Al Kaline, MLB Hall of Famer, dies at 85 | CNN

Legendary right fielder Al Kaline died Monday at the age of 85, according to the Detroit Tigers. He played his entire career, 22 seasons, with the Tigers where he was an All-Star 18 times, won a World Series in 1968 and earned the nickname "Mr. Tiger."

www.cnn.com

Way too subtle a title.
Should have gone with something like "Death of a Tiger King"

 

[HCCForever]

Way too subtle a title.
Should have gone with something like "Death of a Tiger King"

I agree. My father who grew up in CT was a lifelong Tiger fan due mainly to Al Kaline. He was a special player who had issues with his foot that made his success more difficult. I remember watching Kaline in the 68 series against the Cardinals toward the end of his career. That was quite a series with pitching by Gibson, Lolich and McClain and players like Kaline and Cash. Kaline hit .379 in the series.

 

[KennyD]

One of my all time favorite players. All through my Hartford J.C. Courant league, high school, , American Legion, College, and Hartford Twilight league career, I always used an Adirondack (not Louisville Slugger) Al Kaline signature bat. It had a medium width handle and a fairly big barrel. I just loved using his bat.

 

[David 76]

One of the greats.
RIP

 

[Waquoit]

I had an Al Kaline glove in LL. Yaz was the first AL player to get 400 homers and 3,000 hits. Perhaps Al would be a little more remembered today if he his just one more dinger. He finished with 399.

 

[Kitaman]

Had his baseball card as a kid. Treasured it so much, it got a prime spot on my bike spokes, next to Willie Mays, Harmon Killebrew and the rest of my lost retirement funds.

 

[my2cents]

I was living in Detroit in the md 80's. Al Kaline and George Kell were the TV broadcast team. Both HOFmers. They easily were the best TV broadcasters I ever heard.

 

[Duncan Idaho]

Kaline Northrup Cash Horton Freehan MCauliffe. Loved those Tigers' teams. Had a couple of decent pitchers too. Use to play that team in Stratematic Baseball a lot. RIP Al.

 

[Madmannsucks]

I had an Al Kaline glove in LL. Yaz was the first AL player to get 400 homers and 3,000 hits. Perhaps Al would be a little more remembered today if he his just one more dinger. He finished with 399.

He had several games left in his final season. Had 399 HR and 499 doubles. Said he was done.

 

[Madmannsucks]

I agree. My father who grew up in CT was a lifelong Tiger fan due mainly to Al Kaline. He was a special player who had issues with his foot that made his success more difficult. I remember watching Kaline in the 68 series against the Cardinals toward the end of his career. That was quite a series with pitching by Gibson, Lolich and McClain and players like Kaline and Cash. Kaline hit .379 in the series.

Manager Mayo Smith made the move in the series of moving Mickey Stanley to SS over light hitting Ray Oyler.

 

[HCCForever]

Manager Mayo Smith made the move in the series of moving Mickey Stanley to SS over light hitting Ray Oyler.

That lineup switch was voted one of the gutsiest calls by ESPN. It sure worked. Dick McAuliffe is another name from the past, CT bred. I sure do miss baseball.

 

[Madmannsucks]

The Tigers were the favorite team for me-67 I followed the impossible dream Sox but was rooting for the Tigers. I remember this line up. Freehan, Cash, McCauliffe(?) Ray Oyler, Don Wert(They added Eddie Matthews late in the season. Willie Horton, Northrup and Kaline in the Series. Denny wins 30 but Lolich is the WS hero winning 3 games AND hitting a HR-Favorite player??? Besides Kaline, Gates Brown, pinch hitter extroanaire-Earl wilson was a pitcher on the team who also pinch hit and I think had over 30 career HR. What a season. EVERYONE had the Cards winning the series.

 

[Waquoit]

Manager Mayo Smith made the move in the series of moving Mickey Stanley to SS over light hitting Ray Oyler.

The next baseball card season, Mickey Stanley was the card we were all chasing. I don't remember ever seeing one.