Al Kaline is a member of the Baseball Hall of Fame. Kaline was active from 1953 through 1974, playing his entire Major League career with the Detroit Tigers. Because of his lengthy career and longtime association with the Tigers organization, Kaline's nickname is "Mr. Tiger."
Kaline is the probably most popular player ever to play for the Tigers, and possibly the most popular athlete in Detroit history, as he is remembered as much for being a true gentleman as he is for being a superb athlete.
On September 24, 1974, Kaline became the 12th player in Major League Baseball history to reach the 3000 hit plateau. At the time of his retirement, Kaline finished with 3,007 hits, 399 home runs (a Tigers record and 43rd on the all-time list) and 1583 RBIs. He batted over .300 nine times in his career to finish with a lifetime batting average of .297 and, while never considered a true power hitter, he hit 25 or more home runs seven times in his career.
Cherry Street, which ran behind the left-field stands at Tiger Stadium, was renamed Kaline Drive in his honor.
Al Kaline was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1980, becoming the tenth player in history to be inducted in his first year of eligibility. Kaline was honored by the Tigers as the first of their players to have his uniform number (6) retired. Versatile and well-rounded, he won ten Gold Glove Awards (1957-59 and 1961-67) for excellence in the field and appeared in fifteen All-Star games (1955-67, 1971, 1974).
