I have to tell you all about my experience at COMERICA 1968 Tigers reunion game!
KalineFan
Posts: 868
First, I know this really has nothing to do with the Set Registry, but, we all collect our hero's and hometown
players. Well, last night, I got to be a teenager again. A bunch of the 1968 Detroit Tigers came back for
the 40th reunion at Comerica and I could NOT have had a better seat or view as the players came out of
the tunnel to go to the Dugout for the presentation. It was the closest I have EVER been to my childhood
idol-AL KALINE! Bill Freehan, Dick McAuliffe, Mickey Lolich, Willie, Horton, Mickey Stanley, Don Wert, Jon Warden, Tom
Matchick and yes, even DENNY McLain! (hope I did not leave anyone out!)
While the game was a letdown as the Tigers lost (IRONICALLY, I might add!) to the St. Louis Cardinals, 8-4,
just being there and seeing the players I watched as a kid made those former moments in time come back
if only for just a short while. It would have been nice to get autographs, but, the lines were too long and
they were NOT signing once they got on and off the field, although one very lucky fan convinced Bill Freehan
to sign for him.
As I sit in Detroit Metro Airport right now, I can only hope that you all can have an experience with your hometown
hero's as I did last night and enjoy the moment and remember what it is that drives us-Those memories we can
never forget.
I'll be back home very very late tonight, but, for now, I sit here and cherish what I experienced last night from
my 1968 Detroit Tigers!
Tony
KalineFan
PS--To top it all off, I stopped in the "MOTOWN" store at Metro Airport. I spoke to one of ladies in there
and she said yesterday, Stevie Wonder was in there. But, the kicker for me, I MISSED BY TWO HOURS,
Otis Williams--Those of you familiar with the Temptations (Again, my favorite group growing up when
I was a kid!), he was the original founder of the group! ARRRRRRRRRRRRRGGG! Oh well!
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Comments
Cool! Thanks for sharing. Sounds like a great experience.
Those 1960's Tigers teams were fun to follow. I liked Al Kaline a lot too.
Spent his entire 22 year career with Detroit.
Never hit more than 29 HRs in a season, but back then he was considered a power hitter.
"How about a little fire Scarecrow ?"
It is a shame they invited that punk McClain to show up though.
<< <i>Cool! Thanks for sharing. Sounds like a great experience.
Those 1960's Tigers teams were fun to follow. I liked Al Kaline a lot too.
Spent his entire 22 year career with Detroit.
Never hit more than 29 HRs in a season, but back then he was considered a power hitter. >>
I missed the pre-game on FSN, but did get to hear Lolich in the booth. Wasn't Al Kaline one homerun shy of being the first person with 400 HRs and 3,000 hits??
I had the good fortune to meet Mickey Lolich and Al Kaline on separate occasions as a kid.
I met Mickey at his donut shop in Romeo, MI (I think that's where it was anyway) one night when he had the World Series or World Series MVP trophy with him. Got an autograph and talked for a minute or two. He was very nice.
Met Al Kaline at a bank where he was signing autographs. I was terribly nervous but managed to sputter a thank you
We in Detroit have had the good fortune to have had classy guys in our organizations that stuck around for their entire careers - Al Kaline, Alan Trammell, Steve Yzerman, Barry Sanders, Joe Dumars, Nicklas Lidstrom. All superstars on the field, all classy off the field!
Tabe
one capacity or another 55 years (1953-2008)!
Stingray....yes....Yaz ended up being the first american league player to do it
detroitfan2-Thanks for the picture! Were you there? And yes, It is a shame they
invited McLain. To show you what class Kaline has, after all the BS Denny wrote
about Kaline in his book, Kaline still shook his hand and somewhat gave him a
hug.....He should have punched him! LOL!
Tony
KalineFan
PS-I guess Bill Freehan is a coach at Michigan State?
Eyebone
I will tell you who I know-I will try to recall as the days pass and will come back and fill them in if/when I remember!
Back Row: I think Dick Tracewski/Doofus McLain/Dick McAuliffe/I believe Mickey Stanley/Mickey Lolich/Cant remember/Gates Brown/Willie Horton/Jon Warden/Jim Price
Front row: Darryl Patterson/I think Don Wert/cant remember/Bill Freehan/John Hiller/Tom Matchick/Al Kaline
Hope that helps!
I almost forgot to tell everyone--I saw Ernie Harwell there-The HOF broadcaster who was the voice of the Tigers for about 40 years!
Tony
KalineFan
Mickey Lolich had a Donut shop right outside the town to the east, but that was 30 years ago. He
might have had some in other places as well, though.
Tony
KalineFan
<< <i>wolfbear.....yes...22 years - he has now been in the organization in
one capacity or another 55 years (1953-2008)!
Stingray....yes....Yaz ended up being the first american league player to do it
detroitfan2-Thanks for the picture! Were you there? And yes, It is a shame they
invited McLain. To show you what class Kaline has, after all the BS Denny wrote
about Kaline in his book, Kaline still shook his hand and somewhat gave him a
hug.....He should have punched him! LOL!
Tony
KalineFan
PS-I guess Bill Freehan is a coach at Michigan State? >>
He is/was the coach at U of M.
invited McLain. To show you what class Kaline has, after all the BS Denny wrote
about Kaline in his book, Kaline still shook his hand and somewhat gave him a
hug.....He should have punched him! LOL!>>
Tony, unfortunately I did not get to go. The photo is from the Detroit Free Press web-site.
Here's another that shows Denny in all his glory (i.e. blowing off a fan):
I'll tell you the funny thing.......If you look close enough, you can
see Denny has a black eye (his right eye) ! We were all joking
that before the ceremony all the rest of the players kicked his
a.... ! LOL!
Actually, I noticed that they have the names on there of all the
players on the web site, except it seems the guy in middle kind
of in the back row, no one seems to know who the heck he is.
Also, that tunnel is right where I wuz at! You could actually come
right down to the end of the tunnel and see them all very well!
Tony
KalineFan
from the collar, I believe that is Wayne Comer.
Too bad Jim Northrup couldn't attend.
I had heard he has health issues.
<< <i>If you are talking about the guy in the back row with a black shirt on and sun glasses hanging
from the collar, I believe that is Wayne Comer.
Too bad Jim Northrup couldn't attend as he was such a big part of that awesome 68 club.
I had heard he has health issues.
Maybe in the AL
I think Mays had done it before Al could have.
Aaron too.
Steve
Yaz ended up being the first.
<< <i>PS-I guess Bill Freehan is a coach at Michigan State? >>
He is/was the coach at U of M. >>
Was - 1989 to 1995. His tenure was a flop on the field. However, he was brought in to clean up the program more than anything else. Michigan baseball was a scandalous mess before Freehan got there.
Tabe
Website
I have a few hundred extra PSA graded 1971 Kellogg's cards. E-mail for price list. Looking for 1970 Topps Supers in PSA 9 too.
I have a few hundred extra PSA graded 1971 Kellogg's cards. E-mail for price list. Looking for 1970 Topps Supers in PSA 9 too.
<< <i>As a 10 year old, I got to see game one of that series in St. Louis when Gibson struck out 18. Would love to see those Tiger players again. >>
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As a kid, I found a copy of "The Year of the Tiger" in a used bookstore. I couldn't have been more than 7 or 8 at the time, which would make it around 1980. I must have read that book at least 15 times. I never got tired of reading about Denny winning 31, Mickey playing shortstop so Kaline could play, the comebacks, and the ultimate victory. I think I still have that book somewhere...
Tabe