Kaline, Albert W.
Baseball
b. Dec. 19, 1934, Baltimore, MD
In only his second major league season, 1955, Kaline became the youngest player ever to win a batting title, finishing the season at .340 just two months before his twenty-second birthday. He also led the AL in hits that season with 200.
That was his only batting championship, but Kaline hit over .300 or better in 8 other seasons, and he was an outstanding defensive player with a strong throwing arm.
Kaline joined the Detroit Tigers in 1953, playing in just 30 games, primarily as a late-inning defensive replacement and pinch-hitter. He became the team's starting right-fielder in 1954. He led the league in slugging percentage at .530 in 1959 and in doubles with 41 in 1961. Kaline was also the AL leader in outfield assists with 18 in 1956 and 23 in 1958 and he led the league's outfielders in fielding percentage with .993 in 1966 and 1.000 in 1971.
As he slowed down in his later years, Kaline was often used at first base to get his bat into the lineup. He spent 22 seasons in the major leagues, all with the Tigers. Soft-spoken and modest, he was extremely popular with Detroit fans and he joined the team as a broadcaster when he retired as a player after the 1974 season.
In 2,834 major league games, Kaline had 3,007 hits, including 498 doubles, 75 triples, and 399 home runs. He scored 1,622 runs and drove in 1,583.