Al Kaline went from high school to MLB in six days

One of the most remarkable things about Al Kaline, known to Detroit fans as Mr. Tiger, is that he never played a day in the minor leagues. In fact, the same day Kaline graduated from high school he signed a contract with the Tigers and made his major league debut six days later.

In his second full season, Kaline batted .340 with 27 home runs and 102 RBI. He was an 18-time All-Star, a 10-time Gold Gove Award winner and helped lead the Tigers to the 1968 World Series title.

Not surprisingly, he was a first-ballot selection for the Baseball Hall of Fame. Kaline passed away earlier this season. He had been with the Tiger organization in some capacity for 67 years. Ronnie Joyner features Kaline in a bio-illustration: