Autograph Letter Signed to Al Kaline
Price: $2,750.00
Michigan: 4 November 1983. Fine.
Two pages, written over two leaves of Hank Greenberg personalized letterhead, with the original envelope addressed in Greenberg's hand. Fine letter, with just a touch of creasing to the envelope. Both Hank Greenberg and the recipient of the letter, Al Kaline, were Hall of Fame players with strong associations to the Detroit Tigers. Greenberg played the first twelve (1930, 1933-41, 1945-46) of his thirteen seasons in the MLB with the Tigers. Kaline, nicknamed "Mr. Tiger," spent his entire 22-year playing career with the team (1953-1974), and he continued to work within the organization until his death in 2020. During their time in the league, Greenberg was the AL home run leader four times and he won the AL Most Valuable Player Award twice, while Kaline won ten Gold Gloves and earned a spot on eighteen All-Star teams. Kaline passed Greenberg on the Tiger all-time leader list for home runs in 1968, and still sits atop the list today with 399 (Greenberg is in fourth place with 306). The All-Star game mentioned in this letter is almost certainly the one hosted by the Chicago White Sox in July of 1983, four months prior to the date of the letter. The "Merkle and Snodgrass incidents" are two famous MLB plays featuring critical mistakes by Fred Merkle and Fred Snodgrass, known respectively as "Merkle's Boner" and "Snodgrass's Muff." Transcription: Dear Al - You will recall our discussion at lunch in Chicago during the All-Star game. I finally got the tape I referred to and had it put on a betamax. I think you will find the tape interesting, both from the a [sic] view of baseball, as well as what the country was like in those days. I found the Merkle and Snodgrass incidents quite different from what I was led to believe when I started in baseball. I trust all goes well with you. All the best, Hank. Item #HGAK001
