Al Kaline

High school

Southern High School

Pro team(s)

Detroit Tigers

Hall of Fame

⭐ Baseball Hall of Fame

Al Kaline was born on December 19, 1934, in Baltimore, Maryland, and attended Southern High School, where he was a standout athlete in baseball, basketball, and football. He never spent a day in the minor leagues: signed by the Detroit Tigers as an 18-year-old "bonus baby" in 1953, Kaline went directly to the major league roster and never left. At 20 years old in 1955, he became the youngest batting champion in American League history, hitting .340. A right fielder of breathtaking grace and a laser-accurate arm, Kaline was the gold standard for his position for two decades — a complete player who hit for average and power, ran the bases intelligently, and covered the outfield like no one else. He was an 18-time All-Star, won 11 Gold Glove Awards, and batted .379 in the 1968 World Series as Detroit defeated the St. Louis Cardinals in seven games. Kaline retired in 1974 with 3,007 hits and 399 home runs, having spent his entire 22-year career in Detroit. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility, 1980. Attended Southern High School in Baltimore, Maryland.