If you’re anything like me, when I would come home from school there was an old baseball program on television called “Home Run Derby.” It isn’t like what we witness each July during the All-Star festivities; it featured two ballplayers, competing head-to-head for home runs. Each got three outs per inning and the game lasted a typical nine innings.
This show became the precursor to the beloved event each summer, running in 1960 which pitted two players against each other. While one hit the other was in the press box talking to host Mark Scott. There were bonuses for consecutive home runs, with the winner walking away with a cool $2,000.
In the first season, episode 10 our very own Al Kaline took on Hammerin’ Hank Aaron in this format. Watch and enjoy.
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WATCH: A tribute to Tiger Stadium
The old corner. The cathedral to baseball fans from Detroit. Tiger Stadium. Growing up a Tigers fan you know of the old white box of a stadium that was situated on the corner of Michigan and Trumbull. Even with obstructed views from the beams that held the roof up, no other stadium quite had the romance of Tigers Stadium. Sure, the new parks are flashy and updated; but Tiger Stadium was baseball.
The corner saw the likes of Ty Cobb, Babe Ruth, Ted Williams, Al Kaline, Hammerin’ Hank Greenberg, and a slew of other greats. Watch below as tribute is paid to the stadium, the greats who have dug cleats into its grass, and even a broadcaster who made some pretty memorable calls. To watch the tribute, click the link above.