He was the most popular Tiger in history I think, at least for our generation.

He had one of the longest careers in Tiger history, starting as the youngest ever and ending close to the oldest ever.....with the same team!

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Al Kaline

https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/k/kalinal01.shtml

One stat that is probably not as well known is that outside of the great Ty Cobb, no other Tiger was got more votes, the first time they were on the Hall of Fame ballot. Not even Hank Greenburg(one of dads favorites)

https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/k/kalinal01.shtml

Al Kaline Stats | Baseball-Reference.com Note, this is done in an automated way, so we apologize for any errors, & please report any suggested corrections. "Statistics" is included to allow non-English speakers to find our pages. www.baseball-reference.com

https://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/DET/hof.shtml

Ty Cobb got 98.2% of the votes his first time on the ballot.

Our 2 favorite players were hometown hero Willie Horton(who grew up in my dad's old neighborhood in the inner city/ghetto of Detroit) and Al Kaline.

The day Willie Horton saved Al Kaline’s life

https://www.vintagedetroit.com/blog/2015/05/27/the-day-willie-horton-saved-al-kalines-life/

Our favorite team was the World Champion 1968 Tigers.

During the July 1967 riots, my dad and the neighbor across the street thought that the riots, several miles away would spill out into our neighborhood.

So they took turns driving to the periphery of where the riots were for several days to see if there was any movement towards our neighborhood.............nope.

How 1968 Detroit Tigers soothed a rebellious city's racial tension

https://www.freep.com/story/sports/mlb/tigers/2018/09/07/1968-detroit-tigers-riots-1967/1206273002/

How 1968 Detroit Tigers soothed city's racial tension How 1968 Detroit Tigers soothed a rebellious city's racial tension. Black men hugged white men in the streets of Detroit after the Tigers won the pennant and later the World Series in 1968, a year ... www.freep.com

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N4TyqqoDA8Q

A CITY ON FIRE: THE 1968 DETROIT TIGERS A CITY ON FIRE: THE 1968 DETROIT TIGERS www.youtube.com

https://www.hourdetroit.com/community/50-years-later-a-look-back-at-the-tigers-1968-world-series-win/

50 Years Later: A Look Back at the Tigers’ 1968 World Series Win - Hour Detroit Magazine Two Tycoons, But No Millionaires. T his year, the average major leaguer will make $4.52 million in salary, not including any postseason checks. Ballplayers 50 years ago could only dream of such riches, but they still did OK. “When you make $65,000 a year,” The Sporting News noted in 1968, “you tend to be classified as a tycoon.” By that yardstick, the ’68 Tigers had two “tycoons.” www.hourdetroit.com

Freehan’s block of Cardinals speedster Lou Brock at home plate in Game 5 was considered the Series’ turning point for the underdog Tigers. // Photograph Courtesy of the Richard Bak Collection. 

Willie Horton is known most for his incredible throw to nail the fastest man in baseball, Lou Brock who should have scored easily from 2nd base on that hit. Brock has the 2nd most career stolen bases in MLB!!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Major_League_Baseball_career_stolen_bases_leaders

List of Major League Baseball career stolen bases leaders - Wikipedia In baseball statistics, a stolen base is credited to a baserunner when he successfully advances to the next base while the pitcher is throwing the ball to home plate.Under Rule 7.01 of Major League Baseball's (MLB) Official Rules, a runner acquires the right to an unoccupied base when he touches it before he is out. Stolen bases were more common in baseball's dead-ball era, when teams relied ... en.wikipedia.org

My one and only "real" baseball glove as a kid was  Al Kaline endorsed.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Al_Kaline

John,

He was especially known defensively for his strong and accurate throwing arm!

'Albert William Kaline (/ˈkeɪlaɪn/; December 19, 1934 – April 6, 2020), nicknamed "Mr. Tiger", was an American professional baseball right fielder who played 22 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Detroit Tigers.^[1] For most of his career, Kaline played in the outfield, mainly as a right fielder where he won ten Gold Glove Awards and was known for his strong throwing arm.^[2] He was selected to 18 All-Star Games, including selections each year between 1955 and 1967. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1980.

One of the most amazing facts about Kaline:

"After hitting .294 in 1971, Kaline became the first Tiger to sign a $100,000 ($631,306 in today's dollars) contract. He had turned down a pay raise from $95,000 to $100,000 the previous year, saying he did not feel like he deserved it after hitting .278 with 21 home runs in 1970.^[29][30"

^{metmike: Who turns down pay raises because they feel they didn't earn it??????}

^{Humble guy with an amazing ethical belief system and work ethic!!}