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Al Kaline was just 18 years old when he played his first big league game. His debut came on June 25, 1953 as a defensive replacement for Tiger centerfielder Jim Delsing.

A 10-year MLB veteran, Delsing was also involved in one of the most outlandish moments in big league history. On August 19, 1951 the shortest player in baseball history made his lone big league appearance.

In a publicity stunt, three-foot-seven-inch Eddie Gaedel pinch hit for Frank Saucier of the St. Louis Browns. Sporting an impossible strike zone, Gaedel drew a four-pitch walk from Tigers pitcher Bob Cain.

Once Gaedel reached first base, he doffed his cap and returned to the dugout for a pinch runner. Delsing ran for Gaedel and made his way to baseball history.

Shown here is a 3×5 signed by Delsing who has added, “Pinch runner for Eddie Gaedel”.

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“Kaline becomes youngest bat champ,” proclaims this 1959 Topps card. The Detroit right fielder was just 20 years old when he finished the 1955 season with 200 hits and a .340 batting average.

Kaline was just 20 years old at season’s end. Though his average never reached that height again, Kalaine did produce eight more .300+ campaigns.

By the time he called it quits, Al Kaline had 3,007 hits, 399 homers, and 1,582 runs batted in. He was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1980 in his first year of eligibility.

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Al Kaline batted .288 in 1966, seemingly a pedestrian season for the Hall of Famer. The mark however was the third highest in the American League that season, trailing only Frank Robinson (.316) and Tony Oliva (.307).

Winner of the 1955 batting crown, Kaline finished in the top 10 of the league 11 times and the top three six times.

The ’66 title was the only batting championship of Robinson’s career. It was a magical season for Robby as he won the Triple Crown, AL MVP, and World Series MVP.

Shown here is a Topps batting leaders card autographed by the top three finishers, Robinson, Tony Oliva, and Kaline.

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In the collection is this limited edition Upper Deck collectors series tribute to the 1971 Tigers signed by Al Kaline, Mickey Lolich, Bill Freehan, and Willie Horton.

All four players were on the Tigers 1968 championship team and the 1971 team that won 91 games. In ’68, Kaline failed to make the All Star team after 13 straight appearances; the next Mid-Summer Classic he played in was in ’71.

Both Kaline and Horton have the number retired by the Tigers though many fans believe Lolich and Freehan are also deserving of the honor.

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By 1974 Al Kaline’s career was winding down. Though he made the All Star team for the 18th and final time, the ’74 season would be his last.

In the collection is this endorsement questionnaire in which Kaline is asked to identify all of the companies that employ him to sell their products. Kaline responds to the affirmative in only two categories, endorsing Wilson Sporting Goods, and Ford Motorcars.

The MLBPAA sent out these questionnaires to determine the off-field earning power of the players.

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The 1974 season was special for Al Kaline. Playing his final big league season he made the last of his 18 All Star teams and recorded his 3,000th hit.

Coming into the year Mr. Tiger was 139 hits shy of the milestone safety. It felt like a tall task for Kaline who hadn’t recorded that many hits in any of the previous six seasons. Indeed it had been 13 years since Motown’s main man last played in as many as 150 games.

This year was different for Kaline. A year after the designated hitter rule was enacted in the AL, Kaline found his niche. Without needing a glove, Kaline played only as a DH and pinch hitter.

Shown here is a letter from Commissioner Bowie Kuhn dated August 1, 1974. At the start of that day Kaline was 50 hits away from the magical milestone. Kuhn replies to an inquiry from a fan regarding the legitimacy of Kaline joining the 3,000-hit club with the aid of the new designated hitter position.

“The circumstances today in the American League are different,” Kuhn writes. “This becomes a matter of judgement whether the difference is enough to warrant special treatment. In this instance, I would not think so and Kaline’s achievement, if he makes it, would be without an asterisk.”

Kaline did indeed make it to 3,000. Playing in 147 contests – his most since 1961 – Kaline tallied his 3,000th hit on September 24th. By season’s end the lifetime Motown man had 146 hits on the year – all coming as the team’s designated hitter.

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Al Kaline finished his career with 3,007 base hits. Hall of Fame shortstop Cal Ripken surpassed that total on April 25, 2000 thanks to a single off Mike Sirotka of the White Sox.

Shown here is the manager’s lineup card from that day filled out and signed by Oriole skipper Mike Hargrove. The game was played at Comiskey Park II and with just 11,658 fans in attendance.

Kaline remains ahead of Ripken on another all-time list. Among players who wore just one team’s uniform, only five men surpassed Ripken’s 21 seasons with the Orioles. One of those five is Al Kaline, with 22 years as a Tiger.

Only the 23 seasons by Boston’s Carl Yastrzemski and Baltimore’s Brooks Robinson surpass Kaline’s 22 years with Detroit.