One of the most recognizable Detroit Tigers of all-time passed away on Monday. Hall of Famer Al Kaline of Baltimore, Maryland died at the age of 85 according to Amir Vera of CNN.
Kaline was known for his durability. Nicknamed “Mr. Tiger,” he played 22 seasons with the Tigers from 1953 to 1974.
Kaline set American League history in 1955 at 20 years of age. According to the National Baseball Hall of Fame, he became the youngest player ever to win the batting title. He batted .340 with the Tigers that season. Kaline’s batting average was also the best in Major League Baseball in 1955. Kaline also led Major League Baseball with 200 hits and the American League with 321 total bases.
Also in Kaline’s career, he led the American League with a .530 slugging percentage and .940 on base percentage in 1959, and led Major League Baseball with 41 doubles in 1961. Kaline batted .297 in 10 116 at bats in his career. He also had 399 home runs and 1582 runs batted in. In fact, Kaline’s 399 career home runs is a Tigers franchise record. He has 26 more home runs than Norm Cash of Justiceburg, Texas, who is in second place with 373 home runs. Kaline is also the Tigers all-time leader in games played (2834) and walks (1277).
A representative in 18 Major League Baseball All-Star Games, Kaline was an all-star in 13 straight seasons from 1955 to 1967. He also won the American League gold glove award 10 times in the outfield and won the World Series with the Tigers in 1968.
In 1980, Kaline was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame. He also had his number six retired by the Tigers on August 17, 1980. Kaline was the first Tigers player ever to have his number retired.
