A buddy just called me - Al Kaline passed away hours ago. Wow - this hits me like a ton of bricks. He was out in right field all through most of my childhood - he had an arm like a cannon & was an all-star. RIP Mr. Kaline - you were a real beauty.

https://www.wxyz.com/sports/detroit-tigers-legend-al-kaline-dies-at-the-age-of-85

One of my favoirtes, I got to meet him when I was a kid back in about 1993 at a golf course my dad worked at, can't find my autograph I got from him anywhere.

I remember him well.. seen him in lots of games.. never meet him in person.. RIP

Little known fact that he went from high school to the Tigers, never played in the minors.

Such a sad day for Detroit baseball, and a sad day for all of Mr. Kaline's multitude of fans. I remember the day he retired, in Sept.of '74...I was sitting in my
4th grade class that afternoon, and the teacher telling us he had just announced his retirement. R.I.P. Al, you will be missed by all.

Yep 19 years old playing for Tigers. I'm a HUGE Tigers fan. My dad too, and he always talked about the great Al Kaline, so of course I learned about him. Yes cannon in Right Field, and a great hitter!

I grew up loving Trammell, Sweet Lou, Gibson, Parrish, Jack Morris, Dan Petry, Senor Smoke. What a great team the '84 Championship team was. As a kid I was so ate up with baseball and the Tigers.

1-Whitaker

2-Trammell

3-Gibson

4-Parrish

5-Evans

6-Larry Herndon

7-Chet Lemon

8-Tom Brookens

9-Johnny Grubb

My heydey following the Tigers was mid-60's to the mid-70's. Right off memory, here was our typical lineup:

Catching: Bill Freehan (he was my favorite Tiger)
First base: Norm Cash (RIP)
Second base: Dick McCauliffe (RIP)
Shortstop: Ray Oiler
3rd base: Don Wert
Left field: Willie Horton
Center field: Jim Northrup (RIP) or Mickey Stanley
Right field: Al Kaline (RIP)
Pitching: Denny McClain, Mickey Lolich, Earl Wilson, etc.
Pinch Hitting: who could forget Gates Brown - "The Gator"

They were bigger than life. I miss those guys.

He was the only sports figure in history that I can remember, that turned down a raise. He felt he did not deserve it by his own performance expectations. They forced him to take pay raises in the early years, No man ever loved to play the game of baseball more than Al Kaline. RIP Mr Baseball.

The only new baseball bat I ever got was when I played little league. It was a Wurth Al Kaline, man I was in hog heaven.

Those days are gone. Played for the love of the game, not a premadonna like the majority today.

Did you know Alan Trammell never had an agent? I remember reading, when his contract was expiring, he would walk into the office, and ten minutes later he'd have a new contract. Another true gentleman.

Last night I watched Game 1 of the 1984 World Series (tonight I'll watch 2), and a couple things I immediately recalled; The lack of advertisements plastered all over the stadium necessary to pay the bloated salaries in today's game. Just a nice clean baseball stadium. Next is the players looking uniform, hence the expression uniform. Nowadays, everyone has to do something with their uniform, hair, tatts, piercings, whatever, to stand out and look "cool" in their eyes. Then they have to figure out a way to flip the bat, dance around the bags, congratulate themselves after a homerun, and all kinds of other circus b.s. To me they look like jackasses. It's such a me me me attitude now. We need more Al Kalines and Alan Trammells.

Sunroofcuda, only two names in your lineup I must admit I don't recognize; Ray Oiler and Don Wert. Every one of the others I know very well! All great players! Freehan, better than Parrish really, although I loved Lance growing up. Northrup - stud, as was Willie Horton. I loved Gates Brown too because he ended up Sparky's hitting coach! And those pitchers, wow. Really only Jack Morris could match up with some of them.

Mr. Kaline had missed several weeks with a broken arm, but had come back late in the season. Mayo Smith had 4 outfielders but only 3 could play, so he moved Mickey Stanley to shortstop in place of Oyler (who could barely break the Mendosa line) and had Jim Northrup and his left handed bat (against Bob Gibson) in center. Stanley ruined his arm throwing sidearm from short and was out of baseball shortly thereafter.

One of the things I always loved about Trammell was his over the top throw from shortstop, and no side arming.

Watching Game 1 last night, I replayed that great defensive play (sixth inning I believe) several times in which Kurt Bevacqua hit a ball hard into the corner in Right Field that rattled around in the corner. Gibson grabbed it and while losing his balance fired to the cutoff man Whitaker, who turned and fired a laser to Castillo at third, cutting down Bevacqua. It was a thing of beauty!

Found it on youtube

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PuB_H19cPZM

A true gentleman of the game. Thanks for the memories Al - you will never be forgotten.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nSyJ-VwoesA

This is very cool - never saw it before - home run derby: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bvP5SII1zwU