The Swamp

(This one really hurts. Fuckin’ A. Mr. Tiger is gone.)

I saw this, but was leaving it for you. Of course I don't recall him playing, but he was one of those names that just kept showing up for a baseball nerd reading record books and all that. I think he may have been on the old home run derby some as well, and I ate that shit up.

I just saw a couple days ago that he played against both Satchel Paige (who began his career in 1927) and Robin Yount (who ended his career in 1993).

I’ll say growing in Detroit it was easy to be spoiled at not only how incredible of athletes some of the legendarily great pros were but how great they were as humans. Kaline was always a gentleman to the press and I never heard a person say anything negative about him. Same with Gordie Howe, Alan Trammell, Barry Sanders, Joe Dumars, Steve Yzerman, etc.

Those guys are all among the best to ever play their sport and never wore another team’s jersey (except Howe, but he’s a beast) and were always incredible to the public from everything I know. Could even include some more recent players like Calvin Johnson and Nicklas Lidstrom in same group.

Fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuck

I was just becoming sentient when he retired, but it's hard to explain how much of presence he was as a Tigers fan and a Michigander. The fact that this is even a gut punch for me and I never actually saw him play live says a lot.

RIP, Mr. Tiger.

Feels like he had about every post-playing career job for the Tigers that wasn't in the dugout. Stumbling onto a Tigers game called by Kaline and George Kell that had been picked up by the Toledo independent station was always a bonus on a summer night.