[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.

[1][3] Near the end of his career, Kaline also played as first baseman and, in his last season, was the Tigers' designated hitter.

[8] Kaline attended Baltimore's Southern High School, where he starred in basketball and also played football until he sustained a cheek injury.

[9] At the time of Kaline's signing, the bonus rule implemented by Major League Baseball was still in effect.

[10] As Kaline had received a bonus of $15,000 ($205,000 today), he bypassed the minor leagues and joined the Tigers directly from high school.

"[13] He made his major league debut on June 25, 1953 in Philadelphia as a late-inning replacement for outfielder Jim Delsing.

[1] Kaline followed in 1956 with a .314 batting average, 27 home runs and a career-high 128 RBIs, finishing third in the AL MVP voting.

By the time of his 26th birthday, Kaline had accumulated 1,200 hits, the third highest total by a 25-year-old player in MLB history, behind only Ty Cobb (1,433) and Mel Ott (1,249).

[20] Following the departure of Harvey Kuenn, Kaline played the entire 1960 season in center field, the only time of his career he would do so.

In 1961, Kaline led the majors with 41 doubles and hit .324 to finish second in the AL batting race (behind teammate Norm Cash).

On May 26 of that season, he sustained a broken collarbone while making a game-ending catch on a ball hit by New York's Elston Howard.

[21] In the 1963 regular season, Kaline hit .312 with 27 home runs and 101 RBIs, finishing second to Elston Howard in the American League's Most Valuable Player Award voting.

[23] Sportswriter Milton Gross described Kaline's deformed foot, saying, "The pinky and middle finger don't touch the ground.

It is hard to believe, but for all of his career with the Tigers while he has been called the perfect player, Kaline has bordered on being a cripple.

When he returned, the Tigers were in a four-team pennant race, but the team finished the season one game behind the first place Boston Red Sox.

[25] Kaline missed two months of the 1968 season with a broken arm, but he returned to the lineup when Tiger manager Mayo Smith benched shortstop Ray Oyler and sent center fielder Mickey Stanley to play shortstop to make room for Kaline in the outfield.

Kaline fell to the warning track and immediately began to choke; on impact, his jaw had gotten locked and his tongue obstructed his breathing.

Alertly, left fielder Willie Horton rushed over and pried opened Kaline's mouth, clearing his airway and likely saving his life.

[38] In March 1973, Kaline won the Roberto Clemente Award in recognition of the honor he brought to baseball on and off the field.

Among position players, Kaline ranks 29th all-time (15th among outfielders) in Wins Against Replacement (WAR) with a career mark of 92.8.

[1] In his first full season (1954), he recorded 16 outfield assists, including three in one game (July 7 against the Chicago White Sox).

Kaline was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1980, becoming the tenth player in history to be inducted in his first year of eligibility.

[50] Versatile and well-rounded, he won ten Gold Glove Awards (1957–59 and 1961–67) for excellence in the field and appeared in the All-Star game 15 times (1955–67, 1971, 1974).

[53] In 2020, The Athletic ranked Kaline at number 51 on its "Baseball 100" list, complied by sportswriter Joe Posnanski.

[55] Cherry Street, which ran behind the left-field stands at Tiger Stadium, was renamed Kaline Drive in his honor in 1970.

He does it all — hitting, fielding, running, throwing — and he does it with that extra touch of brilliancy that marks him as a super ballplayer... Al fits in anywhere, at any position in the lineup and any spot in the batting order.

"[57] The 1993 Major League Baseball All-Star Game was dedicated to Kaline on the occasion of the 35th anniversary of his hometown's only other Midsummer Classic.

Kaline's ceremonial first pitch was caught by future Detroit Tiger Ivan Rodriguez, who was starting his All-Star debut.

[26] Starting in 2003, Kaline served as a special assistant to Tigers President/CEO/General Manager Dave Dombrowski,[26] and his duties included coaching/mentoring outfielders during spring training.

[58] Former Tigers teammate Willie Horton also holds this position, and the two threw out the first pitch of the 2006 World Series at Comerica Park.