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Happy 77th Birthday Al Kaline!

KalineFanKalineFan Posts: 868
in Sports Talk
December 19, 1934

He started in 1953 but.............................................

With the Tigers in EVERY spring training since 1954 (that's 57 years!)

3000 Hit Club
399 HR's
.297 Lifetime
15 All Star Games
10 Gold Gloves
Never Played in the Minors

Ok, Ok, I'll stop now ... heh heh

Tony
KalineFan

Comments

  • WondoWondo Posts: 2,916 ✭✭✭
    Should be a national holiday - I picked this up a bit ago:Kaline High School Yearbook
    Wondo

  • PowderedH2OPowderedH2O Posts: 2,443 ✭✭
    I am a high school chemistry teacher. Every time I introduce the term "alkaline" for the first time I show a photo of Al Kaline. And the kids say "Who?".
    Successful dealings with shootybabitt, LarryP, Doctor K, thedutymon, billsgridirongreats, fattymacs, shagrotn77, pclpads, JMDVM, gumbyfan, itzagoner, rexvos, al032184, gregm13, californiacards3, mccardguy1, BigDaddyBowman, bigreddog, bobbyw8469, burke23, detroitfan2, drewsef, jeff8877, markmac, Goldlabels, swartz1, blee1, EarlsWorld, gseaman25, kcballboy, jimrad, leadoff4, weinhold, Mphilking, milbroco, msassin, meteoriteguy, rbeaton and gameusedhoop.
  • coinkatcoinkat Posts: 23,114 ✭✭✭✭✭
    great player as well as a great person

    Experience the World through Numismatics...it's more than you can imagine.

  • KalineFanKalineFan Posts: 868
    Wondo, I saw that as well, but boy after a while I ask myself
    just how far I want to take it...I have one of the ORIGINAL
    Basketball pictures from the yearbook and paid very little for it.

    Now, thats not to say I wouldn't mind owning it!

    Tony
    KalineFan
  • greencrowgreencrow Posts: 867
    On Al Kaline's 40th birthday, the greatest QB was born. Jake Plummer.
  • vladguerrerovladguerrero Posts: 4,077 ✭✭✭
    A coworker of mines daughter is named Kaline after big Al. That's love!
  • KeepItWarmKeepItWarm Posts: 579 ✭
    Kaline = Class
    South of Heaven...North of Canada
  • GoldClauseGoldClause Posts: 838 ✭


    << <i>I am a high school chemistry teacher. Every time I introduce the term "alkaline" for the first time I show a photo of Al Kaline. And the kids say "Who?". >>




    image
  • DboneesqDboneesq Posts: 18,219 ✭✭


    << <i>I am a high school chemistry teacher. Every time I introduce the term "alkaline" for the first time I show a photo of Al Kaline. And the kids say "Who?". >>


    ....................Happy Birthday Mr. Kaline!....................
    image
    STAY HEALTHY!

    Doug

    Liquidating my collection for the 3rd and final time. Time for others to enjoy what I have enjoyed over the last several decades. Money could be put to better use.
  • fiveninerfiveniner Posts: 4,111 ✭✭✭
    Al is my Favorite Tiger of All Times.It just dawned on me I am getting old.I can remmember the days at Briggs Stadium / Tiger Stadium watching my hero play.I seen my first game on May 20 1959 against Boston in a double header and Al was playing Centerfield and Charley Maxwell was in Left and Neil Chrisley was in Right.Rocky Colovito was benched that day.We were sitting in the bleachers in Centerfield.Tigers won both games as Jim Bunning won game #1 and Hank Aguirre won game #2.I also had the thrill of seeing Ted Williams play in his last season,and former Giant standout Bobby Thompson was also ending his career.

    Al my Freind hope you have many more Birthdays #6.
    Tony(AN ANGEL WATCHES OVER ME)
  • halfcentmanhalfcentman Posts: 1,498 ✭✭✭
    Al Kaline (Alkaline as I liked to call him when I was a kid), holds the distinction of having the greatest number of career HR's (399) without having a season with 30 or more HR's.
  • TabeTabe Posts: 6,064 ✭✭✭✭✭


    << <i>I am a high school chemistry teacher. Every time I introduce the term "alkaline" for the first time I show a photo of Al Kaline. And the kids say "Who?". >>


    To this day, my wife calls alkaline batteries "Al Kaline" batteries. image

    Kaline was before my time, retiring when I was just 2, but he's definitely high on the list of my favorite Tigers (Trammell being #1). I got to meet him when he was doing a signing at a bank when I was very young and he was very, very kind to me. I was absolutely terrified at meeting him, I can tell you that much image He's a purely class act and has always carried himself with dignity and serves as a fabulous representative of the Tigers and the city of Detroit.

    On a side note, as a Detroit fan, it's remarkable how many classy, long-term guys the city has seen over the years - guys who spent their entire careers in Detroit:

    - Al Kaline
    - Steve Yzerman
    - Joe Dumars
    - Alan Trammell
    - Barry Sanders

    4 HOF'ers and a should-be. Not bad.

    Tabe
  • ebaytraderebaytrader Posts: 3,312 ✭✭✭
    One of my heroes.


    I remember, as a teen, being shocked, SHOCKED!, when, late in his career, Al broke his hand slamming a bat into the bat rack after striking out. I held him in such high esteem that it was difficult comprehending him having normal emotions.
  • JoeBanzaiJoeBanzai Posts: 11,804 ✭✭✭✭✭
    In the book "The Umpire Strikes Back" former Major League umpire Ron Luciano tells a story about Kaline.

    Luciano was quite the blabbermouth, arguing with the managers, talking to the players and even between innings chatting with the fans. He was a little confused when Al Kaline never really responded when spoken to. A nod or a very brief "hi" was about it. Luciano figured Al must be very shy.

    After several years after umpiring in the American League, Al spoke to Ron as he was jogging out to Right Field, saying "Hi Ron, how's it going?" Luciano did a double take and then ran out to ask Al "You never said a word to me for years why are you talking to me now?" demanded the Umpire. Al grinned and said "I wanted to see if you were going to stick around".

    I though that was a neat story. Happy Birthday Al, thanks for sticking around!

    Joe
    2013,14 and 15 Certificate Award Winner Harmon Killebrew Master Set and Master Topps Set
  • WondoWondo Posts: 2,916 ✭✭✭


    << <i>Wondo, I saw that as well, but boy after a while I ask myself
    just how far I want to take it...I have one of the ORIGINAL
    Basketball pictures from the yearbook and paid very little for it.

    Now, thats not to say I wouldn't mind owning it!

    Tony
    KalineFan >>



    Tony,

    The real reason I pulled the trigger is that my aunt was a music teacher in the high school that year. I never really believed her that she taught Kaline of all people - but i got the proof. Mrs. Grace Bair is pictured in the music department. I'll send it to her husband; Aunt grace passed away quite a few years ago.
    Wondo

  • KalineFanKalineFan Posts: 868
    Those are all very cool stories and such.

    Believe it or not, I have NEVER met my childhood baseball hero.

    When I went back to Comerica Park in 2008 for the 40th Anniversary
    Reunion of those great 1968 Detroit Tigers, I had a birds eye view of
    the players as they came out of the tunnel to head over to the dugout
    on the third base side.

    It was a great experience for me, and sad at the same time. I realized
    that it was so long ago, those glory days and here it was, 40 years later.

    I have a friend that owns a store in Kalamazoo, Michigan....some of you
    may know him-Scott Hocevar (Scott's !). He keeps saying for years that
    when he does get Kaline back in his store to sign autographs that he is
    going to reserve me a seat right next to him for the signing. He is on
    Derek Jeter's Foundation and has had Derek in his store many times.
    I only hope this will come true, sitting next to Kaline, not just to meet
    him, but, to actually maybe chat with him about his family, his mom and dad
    that kind of stuff because I am sure he has been asked the other same questions
    a million times over!

    I have my share of cool stuff, including 1st Generation wire photos, the usual
    cards and such. But, I also have in my collection PROOFS of the cards and that
    type of material. I find it so much more interesting to own the stuff that MADE
    the cards! I have cartoons from the backs of his cards. I have a letter from
    1953 on PHILADELPHIA ATHLETICS stationery with them talking about signing
    the "KALINA" boy, but not paying him more than $4,000 to sign!

    Tony
    KalineFan
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