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Al Kaline: The Biography of a Tigers Icon
For more than a half century, as a superstar ballplayer, television broadcaster, and front office executive, Al Kaline has personified the Detroit Tigers like no one else. In the Tigers' clubhouse of today, stars such as Miguel Cabrera and Justin Verlander—neither of whom were even born when he played in the major leagues—respectfully address him as "Mr. Kaline." Tigers fans around the country of every generation refer to him simply as "Mr. Tiger." Now, for the first time, the life and career of this remarkable individual are presented in this compelling new biography. Learn how the skinny, shy youngster with a deformed foot and an undying love for the game of baseball went straight from high school and the sandlots of Baltimore to the big leagues where, at the age of 20, he became the youngest batting champion in baseball history. That achievement marked the start of a first-ballot Hall of Fame career that would carry him to 3,000 hits and a plaque on the hallowed wall at Cooperstown.
288 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2010
18 people are currently reading
71 people want to read
About the author
Jim Hawkins
11 books1 followerLibrarian Note:
There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
April 1, 2011
I grew up in the 1960s and followed the Detroit Tigers and the second half of Al Kaline's career. I attended, with my dad, the game against the New York Yankees in 1968 during which, with Detroit comfortably ahead, Denny McLain served up a blooper for Mantle to hit out of the yard. I recall watching one of the World Series games that year at my grade school. Kaline was my boyhood idol and I wanted to play major league baseball, too.
For me, this biography was a romp through the past. There was little presented, other than Kaline's youth prior to becoming a Tiger and how he became a Tiger, that I didn't already know. But that didn't prevent me from enjoying the read from cover to cover.
If you're looking for an exposé in which Kaline shovels dirt on former teammates or confesses to an off-the-field life of hard drinking and womanizing, you won't find it. As great a ballplayer as Kaline was--and he was the greatest I ever saw play--he's an even better human being: humble, a gentleman, still married to his childhood sweetheart, and still in the Tigers organization, a great ambassador for the game.
In Al Kaline: The Biography of a Tigers Icon, Kaline is perhaps hardest on himself--the injuries that plagued his career, that his career numbers could've been better had he played harder during the lean years when the Tigers were struggling to finish at .500. He never blames the organization for not surrounding him with better talent; he merely states his heart wasn't in it when the team was out of the hunt by the All Star break. That's not to say he dogged it; but he yearned for the thrill of being in a pennant race in September, when the games meant something. Kaline played in the days before divisions and playoffs, when the team with the best record in the American League played the team with the best record in the National League for all the marbles--a time when baseball was pure.
Kaline played in the era before big contracts (he once turned down $100K for playing a kid's game, which angered many of his teammates). He doesn't begrudge the millions today's players make; but he's outspoken against those player who take it for granted, who he thinks demean the game.
Some might say Kaline doesn't belong in the Hall of Fame--he was the tenth player ever to be inducted in his first appearance on the ballot. After all, he played for a small market team during a time when Mantle and Mays were receiving all the accolades as outfielders.
Kaline might not have been born with great athleticism, but he was born to play the game of baseball. He may have hit only .297 lifetime and hit only 399 homeruns; but he won the batting title in only his second year as a major leaguer at an age younger than Ty Cobb. He won 10 Gold Gloves and was voted into the All Star game 18 times over a 22-year career. He also won the Roberto Clemente award, the Hutch award and the Lou Gehrig Memorial award. He had a cannon for an arm and got a better break on balls hit his way than anyone I've ever seen play the game. He roamed right field like a demon--not the fleetest of foot, yet he seemed to glide on rails to get to balls other outfielders, faster, would charge after, elbows flailing and caps flying off, only to misplay or play on one hop.
His workmanlike ethic made him a fan favorite, and he never brought shame to himself, his family, or the game of baseball, the way Cobb and Mantle and many others have.
In short, I can't heap enough superlatives on this gentleman of the game, a gentleman who, in my own youth, I wanted to emulate on the field.
My only criticism of the book is of an editorial nature: there seemed to be several needless repetitions of events and several annoying typos.
A fine read and recommended--you don't have to be "always a Tiger" to enjoy it.
For me, this biography was a romp through the past. There was little presented, other than Kaline's youth prior to becoming a Tiger and how he became a Tiger, that I didn't already know. But that didn't prevent me from enjoying the read from cover to cover.
If you're looking for an exposé in which Kaline shovels dirt on former teammates or confesses to an off-the-field life of hard drinking and womanizing, you won't find it. As great a ballplayer as Kaline was--and he was the greatest I ever saw play--he's an even better human being: humble, a gentleman, still married to his childhood sweetheart, and still in the Tigers organization, a great ambassador for the game.
In Al Kaline: The Biography of a Tigers Icon, Kaline is perhaps hardest on himself--the injuries that plagued his career, that his career numbers could've been better had he played harder during the lean years when the Tigers were struggling to finish at .500. He never blames the organization for not surrounding him with better talent; he merely states his heart wasn't in it when the team was out of the hunt by the All Star break. That's not to say he dogged it; but he yearned for the thrill of being in a pennant race in September, when the games meant something. Kaline played in the days before divisions and playoffs, when the team with the best record in the American League played the team with the best record in the National League for all the marbles--a time when baseball was pure.
Kaline played in the era before big contracts (he once turned down $100K for playing a kid's game, which angered many of his teammates). He doesn't begrudge the millions today's players make; but he's outspoken against those player who take it for granted, who he thinks demean the game.
Some might say Kaline doesn't belong in the Hall of Fame--he was the tenth player ever to be inducted in his first appearance on the ballot. After all, he played for a small market team during a time when Mantle and Mays were receiving all the accolades as outfielders.
Kaline might not have been born with great athleticism, but he was born to play the game of baseball. He may have hit only .297 lifetime and hit only 399 homeruns; but he won the batting title in only his second year as a major leaguer at an age younger than Ty Cobb. He won 10 Gold Gloves and was voted into the All Star game 18 times over a 22-year career. He also won the Roberto Clemente award, the Hutch award and the Lou Gehrig Memorial award. He had a cannon for an arm and got a better break on balls hit his way than anyone I've ever seen play the game. He roamed right field like a demon--not the fleetest of foot, yet he seemed to glide on rails to get to balls other outfielders, faster, would charge after, elbows flailing and caps flying off, only to misplay or play on one hop.
His workmanlike ethic made him a fan favorite, and he never brought shame to himself, his family, or the game of baseball, the way Cobb and Mantle and many others have.
In short, I can't heap enough superlatives on this gentleman of the game, a gentleman who, in my own youth, I wanted to emulate on the field.
My only criticism of the book is of an editorial nature: there seemed to be several needless repetitions of events and several annoying typos.
A fine read and recommended--you don't have to be "always a Tiger" to enjoy it.
July 8, 2016
Al Kaline or Mr. Tiger as he is appropriately called. He played all his 22 seasons with the Detroit Tigers. He was just a shy, skinny kid from Baltimore, MD when he was drafted by the Tigers out of high school. He gave his all to every game, even though he was often injured. He was the first Tigers player to have his jersey (6) retired. He entered the Hall of Fame on the first year he was eligible. His lifetime batting average of .297, 3,007 hits, 399 Home Runs and 1,583 RBI's is remarkable and yet, he is often overlooked because he didn't want the glory. He wanted to do his best every game and he did.
June 19, 2019
A decent biography of a great ballplayer. Not outstanding, but a Tiger fan will enjoy.
October 20, 2018
Author Jim Hawkins who has covered the Detroit sports beat for decades says that the Al Kaline book
for him was a difficult write. Kaline is one of those genuine heroes who is as he appears. He could
have come from one of those Chip Hilton sports books I read as a kid.
Baseball was everything to Kaline. He came from a working class family in Baltimore and maybe had
the Orioles been in Baltimore he might have signed with them. A lot of teams wanted him, but the
Detroit Tigers made the best offer sweetened with a bonus. Which in those days carried a price.
Kaline went from high school right on the Tiger bench without spending a day in the minor leagues,
one of a very few who did that, only Mel Ott is the other that comes to mind.
Kaline could after two years have gone to the minors for seasoning. But he stayed with them and
rewarded their faith with the 1955 American League batting championship. He stayed with the Tigers
until 1974 and manage to collect 3007 hits and a .297 lifetime batting average.
Those 3007 hits topped what Mickey Mantle accumulated in his career and he was the contemporary that Kaline was most often compared with. Mickey finished one point ahead in
lifetime average and in power 536 to 399 lifetime homers gives advantage Mantle. Kaline was
probably Mantle's superior defensively, he was more like Joe DiMaggio in the outfield making it
look easy as he was always where the ball seemed to be.
As we know Mantle was quite the party animal. Kaline on the other hands never made the news
in that way. Married to the same woman for over 50 years, two sons, a few grandkids he never
made any headlines other than the sports page. One of the reasons Hawkins says this was a
difficult story, nothing juicy.
Still and all a genuine sports hero.
for him was a difficult write. Kaline is one of those genuine heroes who is as he appears. He could
have come from one of those Chip Hilton sports books I read as a kid.
Baseball was everything to Kaline. He came from a working class family in Baltimore and maybe had
the Orioles been in Baltimore he might have signed with them. A lot of teams wanted him, but the
Detroit Tigers made the best offer sweetened with a bonus. Which in those days carried a price.
Kaline went from high school right on the Tiger bench without spending a day in the minor leagues,
one of a very few who did that, only Mel Ott is the other that comes to mind.
Kaline could after two years have gone to the minors for seasoning. But he stayed with them and
rewarded their faith with the 1955 American League batting championship. He stayed with the Tigers
until 1974 and manage to collect 3007 hits and a .297 lifetime batting average.
Those 3007 hits topped what Mickey Mantle accumulated in his career and he was the contemporary that Kaline was most often compared with. Mickey finished one point ahead in
lifetime average and in power 536 to 399 lifetime homers gives advantage Mantle. Kaline was
probably Mantle's superior defensively, he was more like Joe DiMaggio in the outfield making it
look easy as he was always where the ball seemed to be.
As we know Mantle was quite the party animal. Kaline on the other hands never made the news
in that way. Married to the same woman for over 50 years, two sons, a few grandkids he never
made any headlines other than the sports page. One of the reasons Hawkins says this was a
difficult story, nothing juicy.
Still and all a genuine sports hero.
April 13, 2020
A good book on one of the best Detroit Tigers of all time, Al Kaline. Kaline played rightfield and centerfield for Detroit from about 1953 to 1974. In this book, Jim Hawkins does a good job of chronicling Kaline's career, spending a good deal of time on his rookie year, his batting title and 1968-the year the Tigers won the World Series. Hawkins doesn't get into too much detail about games and how Detroit would win or lose, so the book goes pretty quick and never lulls. I kind of wish there was a little more detail in some parts, but overall a well written and well researched book. Any fan of the Tigers or Kaline should read this. I have a lot of more respect now as I didn't realize Kaline had played his whole career for the Tigers. You don't see that as much anymore.
Update: Read again in 2020 just after Kaline passed. Still a great read.
Update: Read again in 2020 just after Kaline passed. Still a great read.
April 16, 2023
RICK “SHAQ” GOLDSTEIN SAYS: “”ONE TEAM… ONE WIFE… ONE LIFE… #6 HALL OF FAMER AL KALINE”
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Where were you one week after your high school graduation? Future Detroit Tiger Hall Of Famer Al Kaline was playing the first of what would eventually be 2,834 Major League games of which *ALL* were with the Detroit Tigers. No Tiger has ever played more games before or since. (And that includes the legendary Ty Cobb who holds the record for the highest lifetime batting average in Major League history.) His career statistics will continue to speak loudly for this ever humble low-key icon. 3,007 hits… 399 home runs… 1,583 runs batted in… 1,622 runs scored… 10 gold gloves as the best fielding right fielder in the American League… 15 All Star games… and in 1955 he became the youngest batting champion in league history when he hit 340 three months before his twenty-first birthday.
There are many plusses and minuses in this book… the positives are presented by the rich detail of Al’s childhood (Believe it or not even though Kaline first entered the big leagues over fifty-years ago… this is his first biography.) growing up in Baltimore to very humble parents. His Father worked in a broom factory and his Mother had multiple menial jobs. Despite the need for additional income in the family… they would not allow Al to work. His Dad told him there will be plenty of time throughout the rest of his life to work… he should go ahead and follow his dream… and his passion… playing baseball. That’s all Al cared about and that’s all he did. Kaline admits to being a lousy student because he believed he’d one day play big league baseball. His teachers believed it also and let him skate by. During the summer Al would play on four to five teams at a time. His Father and his Uncle’s would arrange to pick him up from one game and bring him to the next. There were times on a hot sweltering summer day that Al would play in three games in one day. His childhood heroes were Ted Williams and Stan Musial and there are some interesting tidbits regarding Kaline and Williams years later when Al plays in the big leagues.
Highlighted along with his Hall Of Fame statistics is Kaline’s innate shyness which at times was taken to be aloofness by the sportswriter’s. The constant management changes in Detroit… would result in Kaline playing for fourteen different managers in twenty-two years. His feelings towards each manager are interspersed in the telling of his story. I feel bad having to point out what I feel are the shortcomings in this book since Al Kaline was one of my childhood heroes… and I actually wore an Al Kaline glove in Little League… but the negatives have absolutely nothing to do with Kaline himself. He still remains *FIVE-STAR-AS-A-PLAYER-AND-AS-A-PERSON*… the author has what eventually becomes an annoying habit of constantly repeating the same information over and over again in different parts of the book. Additionally the author may be in the midst of one season’s story and then starts talking about another season… and then goes back again to the earlier season… not only within the same chapter… but back and forth in subsequent chapters. It becomes very confusing and at times dulling when you hear the same story again. Here’s a couple of examples:
On page 4 and 5 the author quotes manager Charlie Dressen when asked to name the greatest player he had ever managed says: “JACKIE ROBINSON WAS THE MOST EXCITING RUNNER I EVER HAD,” DRESSEN DECLARED. “HE COULDN’T BE EQUALED ON THE BASES. HE COULD ROB A TEAM BLIND. PEE WEE REESE WAS THE GUTSIEST LITTLE INFIELDER I EVER HAD. I’D HAVE TO PUT ROY CAMPANELLA IN A CLASS WITH MICKEY COCHRANE, GABBY HARNETT, AND BILL DICKEY. AND HANK AARON IS THE BEST HITTER I EVER HAD. BUT IN MY HEART, I’M CONVINCED KALINE IS THE BEST PLAYER WHO PLAYED FOR ME. FOR ALL-AROUND ABILITY-I MEAN HITTING, FIELDING, RUNNING, AND THROWING-I’LL GO WITH AL.” Very fine praise indeed… but the exact same speech in full is on page 103-104. On page 92-93 the story about the game on May 26, 1962 when Al broke his collarbone on a catch of a ball hit by Elston Howard is told in detail… and the same story is told again on page 120-121. There are numerous other examples of this duplication. Then… really hard to understand is why in Chapter 14 you’re told who won the 1968 World Series… the averages in the series of Kaline and Cash… how many RBI’s they had… about Lolich’s three victories and his winning the World Series MVP… etc. and then chapter 15 tells you about each game of… “you guessed it”… the 1968 World Series.
The only thing I can guess is that this lack of good editing relates to the following: For months this book was presented as being released on April 15, 2010. Then out of nowhere I got an email that it was being shipped on March 29, 2010. I have experienced this “phenomena” before. A book seems to be rushed out ahead of schedule to beat some “new” deadline (Perhaps the baseball season starting this weekend?) and true professional editing is dropped by the wayside.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Where were you one week after your high school graduation? Future Detroit Tiger Hall Of Famer Al Kaline was playing the first of what would eventually be 2,834 Major League games of which *ALL* were with the Detroit Tigers. No Tiger has ever played more games before or since. (And that includes the legendary Ty Cobb who holds the record for the highest lifetime batting average in Major League history.) His career statistics will continue to speak loudly for this ever humble low-key icon. 3,007 hits… 399 home runs… 1,583 runs batted in… 1,622 runs scored… 10 gold gloves as the best fielding right fielder in the American League… 15 All Star games… and in 1955 he became the youngest batting champion in league history when he hit 340 three months before his twenty-first birthday.
There are many plusses and minuses in this book… the positives are presented by the rich detail of Al’s childhood (Believe it or not even though Kaline first entered the big leagues over fifty-years ago… this is his first biography.) growing up in Baltimore to very humble parents. His Father worked in a broom factory and his Mother had multiple menial jobs. Despite the need for additional income in the family… they would not allow Al to work. His Dad told him there will be plenty of time throughout the rest of his life to work… he should go ahead and follow his dream… and his passion… playing baseball. That’s all Al cared about and that’s all he did. Kaline admits to being a lousy student because he believed he’d one day play big league baseball. His teachers believed it also and let him skate by. During the summer Al would play on four to five teams at a time. His Father and his Uncle’s would arrange to pick him up from one game and bring him to the next. There were times on a hot sweltering summer day that Al would play in three games in one day. His childhood heroes were Ted Williams and Stan Musial and there are some interesting tidbits regarding Kaline and Williams years later when Al plays in the big leagues.
Highlighted along with his Hall Of Fame statistics is Kaline’s innate shyness which at times was taken to be aloofness by the sportswriter’s. The constant management changes in Detroit… would result in Kaline playing for fourteen different managers in twenty-two years. His feelings towards each manager are interspersed in the telling of his story. I feel bad having to point out what I feel are the shortcomings in this book since Al Kaline was one of my childhood heroes… and I actually wore an Al Kaline glove in Little League… but the negatives have absolutely nothing to do with Kaline himself. He still remains *FIVE-STAR-AS-A-PLAYER-AND-AS-A-PERSON*… the author has what eventually becomes an annoying habit of constantly repeating the same information over and over again in different parts of the book. Additionally the author may be in the midst of one season’s story and then starts talking about another season… and then goes back again to the earlier season… not only within the same chapter… but back and forth in subsequent chapters. It becomes very confusing and at times dulling when you hear the same story again. Here’s a couple of examples:
On page 4 and 5 the author quotes manager Charlie Dressen when asked to name the greatest player he had ever managed says: “JACKIE ROBINSON WAS THE MOST EXCITING RUNNER I EVER HAD,” DRESSEN DECLARED. “HE COULDN’T BE EQUALED ON THE BASES. HE COULD ROB A TEAM BLIND. PEE WEE REESE WAS THE GUTSIEST LITTLE INFIELDER I EVER HAD. I’D HAVE TO PUT ROY CAMPANELLA IN A CLASS WITH MICKEY COCHRANE, GABBY HARNETT, AND BILL DICKEY. AND HANK AARON IS THE BEST HITTER I EVER HAD. BUT IN MY HEART, I’M CONVINCED KALINE IS THE BEST PLAYER WHO PLAYED FOR ME. FOR ALL-AROUND ABILITY-I MEAN HITTING, FIELDING, RUNNING, AND THROWING-I’LL GO WITH AL.” Very fine praise indeed… but the exact same speech in full is on page 103-104. On page 92-93 the story about the game on May 26, 1962 when Al broke his collarbone on a catch of a ball hit by Elston Howard is told in detail… and the same story is told again on page 120-121. There are numerous other examples of this duplication. Then… really hard to understand is why in Chapter 14 you’re told who won the 1968 World Series… the averages in the series of Kaline and Cash… how many RBI’s they had… about Lolich’s three victories and his winning the World Series MVP… etc. and then chapter 15 tells you about each game of… “you guessed it”… the 1968 World Series.
The only thing I can guess is that this lack of good editing relates to the following: For months this book was presented as being released on April 15, 2010. Then out of nowhere I got an email that it was being shipped on March 29, 2010. I have experienced this “phenomena” before. A book seems to be rushed out ahead of schedule to beat some “new” deadline (Perhaps the baseball season starting this weekend?) and true professional editing is dropped by the wayside.
September 9, 2024
The writing of this book is well done. Hawkins does a fine job of describing games and situations and thoughts from Kaline, other players and managers.
However, the structure of the book is confusing and, in my opinion, earns the three-star rating. Rather than a straight chronological look at Kaline's career, Hawkins often repeats some events in various chapters. Injuries are repeated, exact quote about him from others appear in different places. The 1968 World Series is a prime example. In one chapter, Hawkins tells the reader that Mickey Lolich won three games and Al hit a couple of home runs. Then, in a few chapters later, Hawkins goes into detail about those games.
Also, some of the quotes sound like they came from the 1940s style of newspaper writing. You know managers didn't really say something because the grammar is all the same style in every quote.
Still, this is a fun book and if you're a Detroit Tigers fan, it is probably akin to the holy torah of sports. I always liked the Tigers as a kid when Kaline played. My neighbor friend's father was a college classmate of Eddie Brinkman, who was the Tigers' shortstop, so I had that type of connection with rooting for Detroit.
However, the structure of the book is confusing and, in my opinion, earns the three-star rating. Rather than a straight chronological look at Kaline's career, Hawkins often repeats some events in various chapters. Injuries are repeated, exact quote about him from others appear in different places. The 1968 World Series is a prime example. In one chapter, Hawkins tells the reader that Mickey Lolich won three games and Al hit a couple of home runs. Then, in a few chapters later, Hawkins goes into detail about those games.
Also, some of the quotes sound like they came from the 1940s style of newspaper writing. You know managers didn't really say something because the grammar is all the same style in every quote.
Still, this is a fun book and if you're a Detroit Tigers fan, it is probably akin to the holy torah of sports. I always liked the Tigers as a kid when Kaline played. My neighbor friend's father was a college classmate of Eddie Brinkman, who was the Tigers' shortstop, so I had that type of connection with rooting for Detroit.
December 29, 2023
I’m a big Tigers fan, but Kaline was never a favorite. I heard a story about him being surly with an awe struck fan and this soured my feelings. I also thought he was a mediocre at best TV broadcaster. He played a little before my time and I identify more with the 84 champs than the 68 team. I received this book as a Christmas gift. I thought the book was well formatted and it stuck to baseball. I didn’t like Kaline any more or less after reading this story but I did respect him more. He was my mom’s favorite player and I can see why. He lived and breathed Tiger baseball. I would have enjoyed more details about his upbringing and more stories of teammate shenanigans, but the story hits the high notes. It kept me interested and anxious for the next chapter which is what a book should do.
January 23, 2022
As a kid and avid baseball fan I worshipped Al Kaline, I wore his number and always pretended to be him. As an adult I still am a fan of Al Kaline but realized I don’t really know why. He was close to retirement when I was a teenager and didn’t go to a lot of Tiger games and they weren’t on TV all the time like now. So it was great to read this biography and see what all the fuss as about. It was very eye opening to understand what a rare athlete he was. Very consistent at a very high level. A little surprised there aren’t more books about him. Great read
May 17, 2020
Al Kaline was my childhood hero. I was sad to hear of his passing a few weeks ago so I decided it was time to read this book from my collection. The only complaint I have about the book is there are parts that are repetitive. Not as well-written as biographies of Ted Williams, Joe DiMaggio and others, the book still enlightens you to the greatness of this Hall of Fame player.
February 21, 2023
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. As a Tiger's fan, it was informative and entertaining. There are points where the author repeats himself in different chapters, and sometimes it feels like there's not a consistent flow. But still, I'm glad I read it. Al Kaline is an impressive man and ball player.
June 13, 2024
The reason I gave it 3 stars is because there were parts of this book that were boring. The biggest thing I got out of it is the ego Mr. Kaline had. He made a lot of harsh remarks about people/players that was blown off as Al being Al.
December 3, 2016
3000 hits, world champion (in the last pure, pre-playoff season), first ballot hall of famer, Mr. Tiger.
April 27, 2020
A well written biography
This complete biography is a great tribute to Al Kaline and is well-written. It reads well and is a wonderful addition to the library of any baseball fan.
This complete biography is a great tribute to Al Kaline and is well-written. It reads well and is a wonderful addition to the library of any baseball fan.
April 28, 2024
Very good book at a tigers legend. Plenty of his voice in this book. A little bit older, and Al is no longer with us but it was good to learn more about what made him tick and about his career.
June 22, 2025
Great book about a Tigers hero
November 7, 2011
Growing up in Grand Blanc Michigan born in mid 1990's I did not know a lot about Al Kaline. I felt obligated as a tiger's fan to pick up his biography and do my homework on the history of "Kaline's Korner" in right field of Comerica Park. I do not regret picking up this book from my school library and I most definitely feel more informed on the tiger's great Al Kaline, and many other players who played in the tiger's long history. I thought it was especially interesting that he was so successful despite a birth deformed foot, which hindered his ability to run bases and track down fly balls. He did it with the best of them though and it shows how far your mind can take you regardless of setbacks. I also learned a lot about his generation and how it was for him growing up which was especially interesting to me because he was born the same year my grandpa was. I learned a lot about that time period. I look back and wish I would have asked my grandpa a lot more questions about what it was like when he was growing up, and some of my questions were answered in the reading of this biography. The book taught me so much about Al Kaline and his career and also helped me understand how others handled their situations to getting into professional sports, which is also something I am interested in. This book was especially good for me because it taught me a lot with the literal meaning of the black and white pages, but it also helped me read between the lines and make connections to my real life.
July 7, 2015
When I lived in the midwest in the mid-1990s, I caught a Detroit Tigers game at its old palace at the corner of Michigan and Trumbull. So much baseball history lay within its walls. Some of that history -- indeed magic -- was made by No. 6, Al Kaline. I first heard his name while watching a MLB game of the week as a kid. With my interest in the Tigers, I found this biography of probably the greatest living Tiger of all. Al Kaline didn't need to hit a home run every time he came to bat. He'd smoke a single or a double and that'd be enough. He wasn't a power hitter. But he was a power presence for his team, over the course of 20+ seasons. As I began and got deeper into Hawkins' book, it felt like Al Kaline's life as told to Jim Hawkins, with all unpleasantness seemingly air brushed out. Refreshingly, that wasn't the case. With AL KALINE, I rode the roller coaster that's the big league ballplayer's life. I witnessed his slumps and his successes, the weathering of the Tigers' lean years and the uproarious championship season of 1968. Through it all, Al Kaline was class, and not a curmudgeon. " .. [I]'ve always served baseball to the best of my ability," Al Kaline said at his Baseball Hall of Fame induction in 1980. After reading Jim Hawkins' account of Kaline's life and career, Al served the national past time in spades. And he was royalty in the palace at Michigan and Trumbull.
June 11, 2010
Ernie Harwell considered this book important enough to contribute a forward, which he submitted after telling the world of the incurable cancer that eventually killed him. That should be enough reason for any Tiger fan, or Kaline fan, to find a copy and read it.
The Kaline story is a compelling one, the Baltimore kid who signed out of high school and became a Detroit legend. Many people know the basics, that he won a batting title at age 20, in his second full season in the big leagues, that he once turned down a $100,000 contract because he didn't really think he deserved it (Hawkins tells the whole story, which is slightly different), and that he was a first-ballot Hall of Famer. Another generation of Tiger fans know Kaline as the team's long-time television announcer. But there's plenty in this book that you don't already know.
Hawk is a good friend, and I was privileged to get to know Al during my years in Detroit. No writer knows Kaline better than Hawkins does, and it's appropriate that Hawkins wrote this biography.
The Kaline story is a compelling one, the Baltimore kid who signed out of high school and became a Detroit legend. Many people know the basics, that he won a batting title at age 20, in his second full season in the big leagues, that he once turned down a $100,000 contract because he didn't really think he deserved it (Hawkins tells the whole story, which is slightly different), and that he was a first-ballot Hall of Famer. Another generation of Tiger fans know Kaline as the team's long-time television announcer. But there's plenty in this book that you don't already know.
Hawk is a good friend, and I was privileged to get to know Al during my years in Detroit. No writer knows Kaline better than Hawkins does, and it's appropriate that Hawkins wrote this biography.
May 24, 2016
I enjoyed this book. Al Kaline was the man on the tigers team when I was growing up. It was good to read this book to compare what my memories of him were to how he was presented in this biography. The book covered Al`s life as a kid till the end of his career. Jim Hawkins, the author, covered the tigers history, ownership, management, teammates as well as the teams he was on. From my youth, I didn`t realize he played on so many losing teams. The 1968 team is the one I remember.
Anyway, the book was a very good read, as I found out much I did not remember of this time period. And I have been a big baseball fan my whole life. If ya love baseball, and Al Kaline, pick this one up. It is a good read.
Anyway, the book was a very good read, as I found out much I did not remember of this time period. And I have been a big baseball fan my whole life. If ya love baseball, and Al Kaline, pick this one up. It is a good read.
March 26, 2013
I enjoyed this book simply because there is a need for a biography on the longtime Tigers icon, on the other hand, there wasn't much here that had not already been covered. Kaline is presented as the classy, dignified man and ballplayer that he is, but there isn't a whole lot of depth to the things happening around him while he was playing.
Nonetheless, I enjoyed reading about Kaline - a quick and easy read.
Nonetheless, I enjoyed reading about Kaline - a quick and easy read.
August 13, 2013
A nice biography of a great Hall of Fame ball player (inducted on the first ballot)and a real gentleman. As an eighteen year old skinny kid from Baltimore he started playing in the major leagues. At 20 years old he won the batting title in 1955 . Twenty two years as a Detroit Tiger and the first to have his number retired. Helped the 1968 Tigers win the World Series against St. Louis after being down three games to one. Those were some good old days.
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August 8, 2011As spots biographies go, it was fine. I'm a big Kaline fan, so I enjoyed the book. I recall listening to the 1968 World Series on my transistor radio during school and also watching the Tigers and the Cardinals on the TV sets set up in certain rooms at Robert H. Goddard Jr. High School. What fun we had !
June 10, 2011
Great trip down memory lane for those of us who watched this Tiger great. I didn't realize just how much Al had to fight through injuries in his career. Great biography of a Tiger great.
October 18, 2015
One of the best athletes in Detroit sports' history!
April 1, 2017
Previous to this read, I was not a huge Al Kaline fan. His life / career just seemed so, so...vanilla. Well, I was wrong. The "Line" is vanilla in all the right ways. He was a class act, the kind of guy you'd want your son to grow into and this pleasant, but not earth shattering or controversial biography has secured number 6's place as my favorite Tiger. A very enjoyable read.
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April 3, 2019Jim Hawkins' book, Al Kaline: The Biography of a Tigers Icon, is the best Kaline biography in print. Any baseball fan from Michigan who grew up during the 1950s or 1960s is familiar with the Tigers' excellent right fielder, who years later became a Hall of Famer on the first ballot. Growing up in Flint, I was playing ball in the eighth grade and collecting baseball cards when Kaline came on the scene in 1953 as a "bonus rookie" out of high school in Baltimore. Over the years his feats with the glove and the bat inspired thousands of kids playing ball on sandlots and on school teams. In 1955 at age 20, Kaline won the American League batting title with a .340 mark, a league-high 200 hits, 27 homers, and 102 RBIs. Despite ups and downs and some injuries, the longtime Tiger hero (he starred for 22 seasons) continued to make outstanding plays with his golden glove and his rifle arm. Al made typically stellar contributions to the 1961 Tigers, who finished second to the New York Yankees (as profiled in my book, The Tigers and Yankees in '61), and to the 1968 Bengals, the memorable ball club which won the World Series.
Where Hawkins shines is the longtime sportswriter saw Kaline play and knew him firsthand. Hawkins covered the Tigers from 1970 to 1974 (and beyond), Al's final five seasons. The writer's interviews with Kaline offer useful insights into the life and times of the quiet hero, who hated being the center of attention. More than a fine person and a great player, Kaline became the face of the Tigers. He is still part of the organization. No one who ever saw him play will forget him. In addition to being an excellent biography, Hawkins' book is a very good read.
Where Hawkins shines is the longtime sportswriter saw Kaline play and knew him firsthand. Hawkins covered the Tigers from 1970 to 1974 (and beyond), Al's final five seasons. The writer's interviews with Kaline offer useful insights into the life and times of the quiet hero, who hated being the center of attention. More than a fine person and a great player, Kaline became the face of the Tigers. He is still part of the organization. No one who ever saw him play will forget him. In addition to being an excellent biography, Hawkins' book is a very good read.
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