Al Kaline gave his best during his 22 year career with the Detroit Tigers. Coming from a sports family, Al's father and two uncles played semi-pro baseball. Young Al possessed a powerful throwing arm, was a disciplined hitter with great determination. Kaline has said, 'When I first came up to the Tigers I was scared stiff, but I had desire. Desire is something you must have to make it in the majors'. Baseball historians have often stated, 'Al Kaline was not spectacular, but was as close to perfect as a ballplayer could be'. Al Kaline collected 3,007 career hits along with 399 home runs. baseballhistorian.com archives