Posts about Al Kaline
Al Kaline and Willie Horton were teammates for 12 seasons. In the history of major league baseball no player has died on the field during a game, but in 1970, Tiger legend Al Kaline nearly earned that distinction but for the heroics of teammate Willie Horton.
On May 30, 1970, at County Stadium in Milwaukee, with the bases loaded, and the scored tied 2-2, the Brewer’s light hitting infielder Roberto Pena connected on a serving from Tiger hurler Les Cain and sent it deep to right center field.
In full flight, center fielder Jim Northrup and right fielder Al Kaline both converged on the ball and collided as the ball glanced off Northrup’s glove and rolled to the wall. As Pena sprinted around the bases for what became the only inside-the-park grand slam in the ballpark’s history, Kaline lay flat on the ground, motionless.
Brewer’s bullpen coach Jackie Moore — a friend and former teammate — raced to Kaline’s side and later told the papers, “I could hear him gasping for air, he was choking and turning blue. I realized he had swallowed his tongue and I tried to pry his jaw open but the best I could do was get two fingers between his teeth.” Racing over from his left field position, Willie Horton brushed everyone aside, and with his brute strength, pried open Kaline’s clenched jaw and pulled his teammates’ tongue out of the way. But Horton’s heroics didn’t occur before Kaline’s jaw clenched again on Willie’s hand that created a scar that he still has today. Kaline took two deep breaths and opened his eyes not realizing what had happened before being taken to an area hospital where he was observed overnight.
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