Barry Sanders Tweets Tribute to Late Fellow Detroit Sports Legend Al Kaline
By Michael Luciano
The baseball world suffered a truly shocking loss when Detroit Tigers legend Al Kaline passed away suddenly at the age of 85. Detroit's most respected athletes are all deeply shaken by the sudden death of one of the MLB's greatest right fielders of all time, as Lions legend Barry Sanders took the time to honor Kaline on Twitter.
Sanders called Kaline's death "devastating" while mentioning how much he meant to the city of Detroit.
I am sorry to hear of the passing of Detroit sports legend, Al Kaline. It is always devastating to lose someone who means so much to the city. Rest easy, Mr. Tiger.
— Barry Sanders (@BarrySanders) April 6, 2020
Kaline joined the Tigers straight out of high school at the age of 18, and played with them until he retired at age 39. Kaline led the Tigers to a World Series title in 1968, all the while picking up 3,007 hits, 399 home runs, 18 All-Star game appearances, and ten Gold Gloves during his pro career. He was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1980 alongside Duke Snider.
Kaline, regarded as one of the great all-around outfielders to ever play the game, still holds several Tigers franchise records. His No. 6 is one of the few numbers Detroit has decided to retire.
R.I.P. Al Kaline. Mr. Tiger had the kind of career we are not likely to ever see again. Signed by the Tigers the day after he graduated high school, he went right to the big leagues. Never played in the minors or for any other MLB team.https://t.co/HW3WmSXA7t
— Baseball Reference (@baseball_ref) April 6, 2020
Like Sanders in football, Kaline's name has become synonymous with pro sports in Detroit. Mr. Tiger's death will be felt hard by many not just in Detroit, but across the entire sports world.