28 replies to this topic

[Dr. Hibbert]

Great trade for my beloved Tigers. Bandido, I may not be the oldest poster on this site!!! You mentioned some great names from past Tigers teams. My favorite was "Stormin' Norman Cash. Remember when he took a table leg to the plate against....I can't remeber! LOL. Al Kaline personified class. I remember him saying how he got ejected from a game one time in his career & was so embarressed that he sought out the umpire and apologized to him. Another great story was after he had a bad year and his contract was up he told the G.M. that he didn't deserve a raise and actually took a cut. Can you see that happening now?! I spent many summer nights as a kid listening to Ernie Harwell and Paul Carey...priceless.

[slice slice baby]

You mean everyone doesn't know who all Kaline is???

[ADog]

I was such an Al Kaline fan that when alkaline batteries came out-I thought they were named after him.

PRICELESS........

[Bandido]

Great trade for my beloved Tigers. Bandido, I may not be the oldest poster on this site!!! You mentioned some great names from past Tigers teams. My favorite was "Stormin' Norman Cash. Remember when he took a table leg to the plate against....I can't remeber! LOL. Al Kaline personified class. I remember him saying how he got ejected from a game one time in his career & was so embarressed that he sought out the umpire and apologized to him. Another great story was after he had a bad year and his contract was up he told the G.M. that he didn't deserve a raise and actually took a cut. Can you see that happening now?! I spent many summer nights as a kid listening to Ernie Harwell and Paul Carey...priceless.

Doc,

Cash took that table leg to the plate to face Nolan Ryan in a game in which the Ryan Express was at the top of his game. I think he whiffed 16 or 17 Tigers that day so Cash thought what the heck if I can`t hit him with a bat, so I`ll try something else.

I can honestly say that I`ve spent more nights in my lifetime falling asleep listening to Ernie Harwell`s voice than my wifes. LOL

By the way, as far as raises for Kaline goes, in the final years of his career the Tigers offered him $100,000 a year contract. Which at the time there may have been maybe 15 players making 6 figure salaries. Kaline said no because he didn`t think he was worth that kind of money. And no you wouldn`t see a player say no today.
People talk about professional athletes being role models, but I have to believe that many of my moral thoughts today were formed not only by great parents, but by the athlete of whom I always looked up to. Albert Kaline......

Oh yeah Wally, you like that number 6 huh?
I wore good old number 6 all the way through until my softball days were over. That was the only number I`d ever wear.

[Dr. Hibbert]

Bandido, great memories indeed...waxing nostalgic about the good ol' days! LOL

[Coffeecreek]

Always a Yankee fan...still am. But you have to admire a player like Al Kaline. Never played for anyone other than the Tigers.....that doesn't happen much these days either. I remember the story of a young fan who asked Kaline for his autograph. He, of course, gives it to him and the little punk says, "You know Mr. Kaline, you're not half as good as Mickey Mantle". To which Kaline responds, "Son, no one is half as good as Mickey Mantle".

I always wore #7 in my playing days. Lots of kids did. The world needs more #6's. Never liked the Tigers but you had to love Al Kaline.......

[Bandido]

Nice post Mr. Coffee, oh sorry that was Joe DiMaggio right? LOL


Your story about the kid getting Kaline`s autograph was quite humorous.

Reminded me of a story my brother-in-law told me about when he was a kid. While attending a game in Cincinnati Joe Torre was playing for the Cardinals. Before the game Torre was signing autographs and my brother-in-law only about 9 or 10 at the time came running up behind Torre and yelled "Torre you`re a bum" He said Torre turned around and gave him the meanest stare he`d ever seen. So the little squirt ran as fast as he could back up the aisle and out of Torre`s view. So every once in a while I`ll ask him do you think Torre remembers you? And we just laugh. Can`t beat those old time childhood memories.

Edited by Bandido, 09 December 2007 - 07:09 PM.

[Coffeecreek]

Bandido - All these years I thought Torre never smiled because he was working for Steinbrenner. Turns out he was deeply scarred by your brother-in-laws insult!!

Coffeecreek