Baltimore native and Detroit Tigers legend Al Kaline passed away April 6 at the age of 85, leaving a Hall of Fame legacy on and off the field. Former right-handed pitcher Phil Regan, Kaline’s teammate from 1960-1965, joined Glenn Clark Radio April 7 to discuss his memories of Kaline. Regan, 83, managed the Orioles in 1995 and is currently a coach in the New York Mets’ organization.
Kaline signed with the Tigers out of Baltimore’s Southern High School in 1953, starting a 22-year run with Detroit. He got 30 plate appearances at the big-league level in 1953, then hit .276/.305/.347 with three homers during his first full season in 1954. He had his breakout season in 1955, hitting .340/.421/.546 with 27 homers. His .340 average led the major leagues.
Regan, a Michigan native, recalled Kaline’s competitive nature.
Phil Regan: … I’ll tell you a little bit about the competitor that he was. In spring training, we were in Orlando and we were playing the Minnesota Twins. A pitcher by the name of Lee Stange was pitching and he threw a pitch and it knocked Kaline down. And then all the sudden it rained. After that pitch, it started raining and they delayed the game. Kaline came into the locker room and he was fuming. He was just fuming. They delayed the game for maybe 15 minutes and he went back out there. First pitch, he hit a home run. That tells you a little bit about what he was.
