Al Kaline
| Birthdate | 12/19/1934 |
| Death Date | |
| Debut Year | 1953 |
| Year of Induction | 1980 |
| Teams | Tigers |
| Positions | First Base, Right Field |
Al Kaline spent his entire 22-year playing career with the Detroit Tigers. He made 18 All Star games and won ten Gold Glove Awards.
In the collection:
1959 Topps card signed by Al Kaline
1959 Topps card signed by Al Kaline
“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. Though he would never hit that high again, he 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.
Endorsement questionnaire from 1974
Endorsement questionnaire from 1974
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.
Kaline finishes 3rd in the batting race
Kaline finishes 3rd in the batting race
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). It was Robinson’s only batting championship in 1966, a year in which 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.
A pair of autographed Al Kaline Topps card
A pair of autographed Al Kaline Topps card
Shown here are a pair of Topps cards autographed by Al Kaline. The card on the left — a 1974 production — shows Kaline at first base, a position he took up after 15 years in the outfield. The other card is from 1966 a year in which Kaline finished in the top ten in the American League in runs, doubles, RBI, and batting average.
Al Kaline autograph with those of Lolich, Freehan, and Horton.
Al Kaline autograph with those of Lolich, Freehan, and Horton.
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.
