Today, Al Kaline, who played his entire 22-year career with the Detroit Tigers, died at the age of 85. While he never donned the Baltimore Orioles uniform, he was born in Baltimore on December 19, 1934.
Affectionately known as Mr. Tiger by fans of all stripes, Kaline began his illustrious career at age 18 as the iconic “bonus baby” of the 1950s. The Tigers signed him right out of high school for $35,000. He played his first game in June of 1953 where he was a pinch runner; his first complete game was in September of that year.