Al Kaline

Quotes About Kaline
"The kid murders you with his speed and arm. ... He's made some catches I still don't believe. ... I sort of hate to think what'll happen when he grows up." — Casey Stengel, 1955

"There's a hitter. In my book he's the greatest right-handed hitter in the league." — Ted Williams in 1955.

"I wouldn't trade him for Mantle OR Mays." — Bob Scheffing, who managed Kaline from 1961-1963.

"I don't want to sound like one of those guys who manages in Chicago and says this Chicago is the best, then manages in St. Louis and says this St. Louis player is the best. But I've been watching Kaline... and he's the best player who ever played for me. Jackie Robinson was the most exciting runner I ever had... and Hank Aaron was the best hitter. But for all-around ability, I mean hitting, fielding, running and throwing, I'll go with Al." — Chuck Dressen, who was Kaline's manager from 1963-1966.

"Al Kaline, one of my all-time heroes, getting paid for signing autographs! What's next? Boy Scouts charging for helping little old ladies across the street?" — Jack Brownson, in a letter to the editors of The Sporting News, June 7, 1982

"No he did not, he was a gentleman. It would have to be a real borderline pitch for him to even turn his head." — umpire Larry McCoy responding to the question of whether Kaline argued any of his calls.

Quotes From Kaline
"Baseball is a great job. You play six months a year and people do everything for you. All you have to do is play the games."

"If you think you can hit, two strikes won't mean anything to you." � Kaline on the importance of confidence at the plate.

"I don't deserve such a salary. I didn't have a good season last year. This ballclub has been so fair and decent to me that I'd prefer to have you give it to me when I rate it." � refusing the Tigers' offer in 1971 of the club's first $100,000 contract. Kaline earned that salary in 1972.

"The secret of being a good hitter is to wait for your pitch to hit, and then hit it."

"I'd love to go to the Masters golf tournament and the Kentucky Derby, but I've never been able to. On the Fourth of July, I'd love to be at a lake instead of at the ballpark for two." � Kaline in 1974, on his plans for retirement.

Played For
Detroit Tigers (1953-1974)

Minor League Experience
Kaline never spent a single day in the minor leagues. He was signed by Detroit scout Ed Katalinas just past midnight on evening of his high school graduation, on June 19, 1953. Kaline had been a sandlot star in Baltimore as a youth. He hit .609 in American Legion ball in 1951, a city record. In his four years of high school at Baltimore Southern High, Kaline batted .333, .418, .469, and .488, earning selection to the All-Maryland team each year.

All-Time Rankings
Al Kaline ranks #6 among the Top 50 all-time at RF. Rankings ⇒

Best Season: 1955
Kaline is hard to peg. After his batting title season of '55 he had several other great years at the plate, but he was always running into a wall or something and missing 3-5 weeks of the season. He was Fred Lynn before Fred Lynn. After 1955 he had two more seasons in his entire career in which he played at least 150 games, and one of them was 1956. So a best season is difficult to determine because he never amassed 30 homers, though he would have on at least four occasions had he stayed healthy. In 1962, he was having his best power year when he broke his collar bone. He had hit 29 homers and driven in 94 runs in less than 100 games. His batting averages seem low compared to today's standards: .293, .281, .288, .308, .287, .272, .278, and .294 in one eight-season stretch. But those figures are far more impressive when you realize that the league he was playing in was batting between .230 and .250. His .296 batting average for the 1960s is the best for players with at least 1,000 games. The 1955 season saw him hit .340 and win the title at the youngest age ever. He smacked 200 hits, leading the AL. He scored 121 runs and plated 102. Throughout his career he was a very patient hitter, even at a young age. In 1956 his BB/K ratio was 82 to 57. He had several very good years, but his failure to play a full schedule when he was at his best, cost him some accolades.

Factoids
Al Kaline played at least 100 games in 19 straight seasons (1954-1972), tying a mark held by Tris Speaker.

Al Kaline's batting average of .322 (37 hits in 115 at-bats) is the fifth-highest in history for players with at least 100 at-bats off the bench.

Detroit's Al Kaline refused to attend a World Series game until he played in one. In 1968, his 16th season in the big leagues, Kaline finally played in the Fall Classic, helping the Tigers to the World Championship.

Full Bio
In 1955 at the age of 20, Kaline became the youngest player to win a batting crown when he hit .340. A recipient of ten Gold Gloves, the right fielder possessed a strong arm and great instincts. He once played 242 consecutive games in the outfield without an error. He consistently garnered 25 homers and batted near his .297 lifetime average. Runner-up for the American League MVP award both in 1955 and 1963, Kaline finished second to Yankee catchers Yogi Berra in 1955 and Elston Howard in 1963. In both seasons, despite the vote of the baseball writers, The Sporting News chose Kaline as the Player of the Year.

In the late 1950s and early 1960s Kaline was hampered by injuries, many of them due to the deformed bones he was born with in his feet. He continued to produce but routinely missed out on milestones such as 30 homers, 100 RBI, and 100 runs scored. From 1960 to 1963 Kaline and Rocky Colavito teamed to form one of the most feared duos in baseball, helping Detroit to 101 wins in 1961. Unfortunately the Tigers finished second to the Yankees.

In the mid-1960s Kaline grew bitter about some of the negative press he was receiving in Detroit, where they felt he should be doing more to bring a title to the town. He even talked openly of being traded. But

In 1968 he led the Detroit Tigers to a World Series title, their first in 23 seasons. He recovered from a broken arm earlier in the 1968 season to bat .379 against the Cardinals in the World Series. He had two home runs among his 11 hits in the series and drove in eight runs, furthering his reputation as a tremendous clutch performer.

Most amazing about Kaline's performance in the World Series was the fact that manager Mayo Smith juggled his defense to get the veteran in the lineup. In the most daring move in post-season history, Smith moved outfielder Mickey Stanley to shortstop, allowing Kaline to play right field. Stanley performed wonderfully, committing two harmless errors (both in Tigers victories).

In 1972 he led the aging Tigers to the post-season again, in a tight race with the Red Sox for the AL East title. The Tigers won five straight games to clinch the division title, which was marred by the labor strike early in the season, which left each team with a different number of games played. In his last 44 at-bats, Kaline collected 22 hits, including the go-ahead RBI single that won the clinching game, off Luis Tiant.

Kaline retired with 3,007 hits, 399 home runs, 1,622 runs and 1,583 RBI. He or Ty Cobb hold nearly every Tiger career batting record. After his playing career, Kaline entered the Tigers television booth as a color commentator. He teamed with former teammate George Kell to form a popular on-air tandem. At the same time, Kaline served as an instructor for Tigers outfielders in spring training camps. He helped Kirk Gibson and learn to play the outfield.

Later, Kaline was a key board member under several Tigers owners, helping to shape team policy. In the 1990s he was critical of personnel moves made by Detroit, and in 2001 he was named by owner Mike Ilitch to a special board to help revive the struggling franchise. The 2002 season marked his 50th as an employee of the Detroit Tigers.

Kaline and Cobb
In 1955, Kaline broke Ty Cobb's record to become the youngest player to win a batting title. Kaline was one day younger in 1955 than Cobb had been in 1907, when "The Georgia Peach" won his first title. The two Tiger batting champs met each other in the late 1950s.

"I'd always heard what a fierce man Ty Cobb was, but when I met him... he was very mild mannered," Kaline said of their meeting.

As was his habit, Cobb gave the young Tiger outfielder hitting advice.

"He told me 'Always bear down, because there'll come a time when you won't be able to bear down,' meaning that there'll come a time when you won't be able to play," said Kaline.

Description
Kaline was six-foot, two icnhes tall and weighed around 135 pounds when he entered the big leagues as an 18-year old in 1953. Two seasons later, when he won the batting title, he weighed 157 pounds. He filled out to 180-185 pounds for the balance of his career. he had thin, light brown hair during his playing career, and has blue eyes.

Where He Played
Kaline was the best defensive right fielder in the American League in the late 1950s and into the 1960s. In 1959-1960, he served as a center fielder, which he handled very well. Later in his career, starting in 1968, he began to see some action at first base, and at the very end he DHed as well. In 1966-1967, there was talk of Kaline taking over in center again, but Mayo Smith would have none of it: "He made his reputation in right field and that's where he should remain."

Born
Albert William Kaline was born on December 19, 1934, in Baltimore, MD.

Batted:  Right
Threw:  Right

Primary Position:  OF

Primary Team:  DET

Major League Debut
June 25, 1953 ... Kaline entered his first big league game as a defensive replacement in center field, but did not accept a chance. He flew out in his only time at-bat, against right-hander Harry Byrd of the Athletics. Kaline collected his first major league hit off the White Sox' Louis Aloma on July 8, 1953. The hit was a single to left field.

Nine Other Players Who Debuted in 1953
Al Kaline
Ernie Banks
Junior Gilliam
Roy Face
Don Larsen
Johnny Podres
Bob Buhl
Bobo Holloman
Bill Bruton

Nicknames
The Line, Six, Number Six

"The Line" was both a play on his last name and also a fitting commentary on his steady reliability.

Uniform Numbers
#25 (1953-1954), #6 (1954-1974)

Family Tree
Kaline's son Mike, was a successful ballplayer at the high school level but never pursued the game after that, preferring to go after a business degree in college. He hit close to .400 his senior year for Bloomfield Hills Lahser High School, where his coach said of him: "Mike is the fastest kid and the best base runner on our team."

Similar Players
If Dwight Evans had been a batting title contender every year, that would have been close to what Kaline was as a player.

Related Players
Ty Cobb, Mickey Stanley, Alan Trammell... Kaline, Cobb, and Trammell are the only men to play for the Tigers for at least 20 seasons.

Hall of Fame Voting Year Election Votes Pct 1980 BBWAA 340 88.3%

Post-Season Appearances
1968 World Series
1972 American League Championship Series

Post-Season Notes
Tiger manager Mayo Smith's gamble of playing Mickey Stanley at shortstop in the 1968 World Series, was motivated by the desire to ensure veteran Kaline would be in the lineup full-time. Kaline had approached Smith late in the regular season and offered to play off the bench, but Smith decided to try his daring switch instead. In Game Five, with Detroit trailing 3-2 in the seventh inning, Kaline delivered a two-run single that gave Detroit the lead in the pivotal game.

"I knew it was the perfect spot for him," said pitcher Mickey Lolich. "I wanted him to get a base hit, for my sake naturally, and for the team's sake. But not so much for myself and for the team, but for himself. If anybody would get that hit, I wanted it to be Al Kaline."

Awards and Honors
1957 ML Gold Glove
1958 AL Gold Glove
1959 AL Gold Glove
1961 AL Gold Glove
1962 AL Gold Glove
1963 AL Gold Glove
1964 AL Gold Glove
1965 AL Gold Glove
1966 AL Gold Glove
1967 AL Gold Glove

Feats
On April 17, 1955, in Detroit, Kaline belted three homers against the Kansas City Athletics. Two of the home runs came in Detroit's nine-run sixth inning, tying a record. The last American Leaguer to do it had been Joe DiMaggio.

Milestones
Kaline collected his 3,000th career hit on September 24, 1974, in his homewotn of Baltimore, against the Orioles. The hit was a double off Baltimore lefty Dave McNally.

Milestones

• August 11, 1959: 1000th Hit...


• September 20, 1962: 1500th Hit...


• June 15, 1966: 2000th Hit...


• June 5, 1970: 2500th Hit...


• September 24, 1974: 3000th Hit... Hit came against Dave McNally, in Kaline's hometown of Baltimore… The hit was a double.

Batting Feats

• April 17, 1955: 3 HR...

Notes
In 1955, Kaline hit .357 during the day (112 games), and .298 at night (40 games). He hit safely in 31 of the first 33 games of the 1955 season... In '55, Kaline batted .451 against the A's, .369 vs. the White Sox, .364 vs. the Senators, .333 against Cleveland, .305 vs. the Yankees, .274 vs. the Orioles, and .273 against Red Sox pitching... Kaline hit just .200 at Fenway that season, but hit a robust .467 in Memorial Stadium in Kansas City... At the age of 11, while attending Westport Grammar School, Kaline tossed a softball 173 feet, six inches, setting a Baltimore elementary school record... Kaline averaged 22.5 points per game in his senior year at Southern High in Baltimore, helping his team to the Maryland state basketball title.

Injuries and Explanation for Missed Playing Time
A chest cold limited his playing time and effectiveness at the end of the 1957 season... Fractured his cheekbone in June of 1959, missing nearly three weeks... Broke his collarbone while making a game-saving catch in Yankee Stadium on May 26, 1962. The injury kept him out of the lineup for two months. At the time of the injury, Kaline was leading the league in homers and RBI, and batting .345... Was shelved in September of 1963 with a nagging knee injury, and shut his season down. The injury had occurred in May, after he collidded with the outfield fence in Los Angeles. When he finally succumbed to the injury in September, Kaline was in the thick of a batting race with Carl Yastrzemski. He eventually finished second, nine points back... Suffered a rib injury in an attempt to make a diving catch on August 19, 1965, and missed 18 games... Underwent surgery on his left foot in October of 1965. The foot had been hampering him for more than two years. A bone disease in childhood had deformed Kaline's left foot, leaving him with constant nagging pain... In a game in June of 1967, Kaline struck out against Sam McDowell of the Indians. When he returned to the dugout, Kaline angrily slammed his bat into the rack and broke his thumb. He missed 26 games with the injury... In 1968, Kaline offered an explanation for his frequent battles with injury and need for more rest: "My fielding never suffers when I play doubleheaders, it's my hitting. My arms become heavy and I can't swing the bat." ... Early in his career, when he was a skinny outfielder just off the highs chool baseball team, Kaline was described most often as "speedy" and "quick." When he was younger he was very fast and a strong baserunner. As he grew older, his foot problems robbed him of much of his natural speed.

Hitting Streaks
22 games (1961)

Transactions
Before 1953 Season: Signed by the Detroit Tigers as an amateur free agent (bonus baby).

Kaline was signed by scout Ed Katalinas just a few hours after he graduated from high school. At the time he signed the contract he was wearing the suit he was going to wear for his graduation celebration.

All-Star Selections
1955 AL
1956 AL
1957 AL
1958 AL
1959 AL
1960 AL
1961 AL
1962 AL
1963 AL
1964 AL
1965 AL
1966 AL
1967 AL
1971 AL
1974 AL

Replaced
Bob Nieman and Don Lund had shared the Tigers' right field job in 1953, but Steve Souchock was scheduled to play there in 1954. Souchock hurt his wrist while playing winter ball in Cuba and the door was open for Kaline that spring.

Replaced By
In Kaline's final season he was used as a designated hitter. The following year, longtime teammate Willie Horton became the team's DH. Kaline thought he could have played longer, but business interests allowed him to retire when he did.

"I believe I could have played two more years without embarrassing myself," Kaline said.

Best Strength as a Player
His throwing arm. There are still people attending ballgames who can tell you stories about Kaline's arm. For every person in Pittsburgh who can tell tales of Roberto Clemente's arm, there's another guy in Detroit who can tell you about Kaline. In one of his first seasons in the majors, Dale Mitchell hit a liner to right that Kaline doive for and barely missed. The ball trickled away from Kaline as Mitchell dug for what he thought would be a sure double. Kaline grabbed the ball and fired it to second from a sitting position, retiring Mitchell by a foot. In a game against the White Sox in his second season, Kaline used his powerful right arm to thwart several rallies. The Sox were a running team, known for their aggresive style on the basepaths. Early in the game, Freddie Marsh came around from second base trying to score on a single to Kaline in right. Al threw him out at home plate. The following inning, Minnie Minoso attempted to stretch a single down the right field line into a double, but Kaline nabbed him at second with a perfect throw. Later in the contest, Chico Carrasquel tested Kaline's arm, trying to go from first to third on a single, but the young Tiger outfielder nailed him for his third assist of the game. The nine assists he recorded in 1954 were the most he ever had in his career. Essentially, opponents stopped running on Kaline's arm.

Largest Weakness as a Player
Inability to stay healthy.

Learn More about Al Kaline
Search Amazon.com for Books about Al Kaline ⇒
Search for Al Kaline at Google ⇒
View a map of his hometown at Mapquest ⇒