Detroit — Christopher Ilitch was just 3 years old when Al Kaline and the Tigers won the 1968 World Series.
But through his 54 years — and through his Tigers fandom, then ownership — Ilitch became a fan, and later a friend, of legendary No. 6.
This week, Ilitch, now chairman and CEO of the Tigers, penned a letter to Tigers fans about Kaline, who spent 67 years with the Tigers, first as a Hall of Fame player, then broadcaster, and then as a front-office executive.