Lest we forget: Al Kaline

April 9, 2020

Mr. Tiger passed away Monday at the age of 85.

22 Al Kaline Baseball Cards You Need To Own | Old Sports CardsKaline, who made his debut with the team in 1953 at the age of 18 without ever having spent a day in the minors, was an 18-time All-Star, a 10-time Gold Glove recipient, a batting champion at the age of 20, and was elected to the Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility in 1980.

You can find all the stats on Baseball-Reference, but Kaline was one of those players whose contributions were more than just numbers. He was my favorite kind of athlete, one who spends an entire career with a single franchise, becoming a cornerstone for fans of several generations to build around.

Here are a few tributes for the late, great Kaline, including this piece from the Detroit Free Press on why his death stings than most legends we’ve lost during this especially dark time. 

One thing I notice is that there are fewer contemporary sportswriters who actually saw Kaline and his peers as active players. So while they can say the words, I wonder about the personal feelings behind them.

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