Remembering Mr. Tiger, Al Kaline

Al Kaline takes a swing courtesy Baseball Hall of Fame

“I owe everything to baseball. Without it, I’d probably be a bum.”
-Al Kaline

Yesterday, the Detroit Tigers Detroit Tigers and all of us lost #6 Al Kaline. From his playing days in the 50s & 60s to a broadcasting career that spanned decades, “Mr. Tiger” was a fixture, bringing dedication and a simple love of the game in good times and bad.

The National Baseball Hall of Fame entry for Al Kaline says in part:

The 18-year-old Kaline came to the Tigers in 1953 directly from high school, having never spent a day in the minors, and by the next season established himself as one of the game’s bright new talents. By 1955, at age 20, he became the youngest player to win a batting title when he hit .340. That same year the youngster became only the fourth American League player to hit two home runs in a single inning.

Offensive consistency became Kaline’s hallmark over the years, hitting at least 20 home runs and batting .300 or better nine times each. A superb defensive outfielder with a strong throwing arm, he also collected 10 Gold Glove awards. In the 1968 World Series, Kaline’s only appearance in the Fall Classic, he batted .379, hit two home runs and drove in eight to help Detroit knock off the St. Louis Cardinals in seven games.

“You almost have to watch him play every day to appreciate what he does,” said veteran pitcher and former Tigers teammate Johnny Podres. “You hear about him, sure, but you really can’t understand until you see him. He just never makes a mistake.”

By the time Kaline’s 22-year big league career ended in 1974, the lifelong Tiger and 18-time All-Star had collected 3,007 hits, 399 home runs and a .297 career batting average.

“People ask me, was it my goal to play in the majors for 20 years? Was it my goal to get 3,000 hits someday? Lord knows, I didn’t have any goals,” Kaline once said. “I tell them, ‘My only desire was to be a baseball player.’”

Read more in the Hall of Fame and please share memories or links to articles you enjoyed in the comments!

Sunset Sunday from Fishtown

Fishtown Sunset by Gary Ennis

The folks @PureMichigan on Twitter thought that this photo of a summer sunset in Leland’s Fishtown by Gary Ennis was a perfect fit for their #SunsetSunday hashtag! I can’t help but agree!!

If you’ve got a soft spot in your heart for this historical treasure, I urge you to check out the Fishtown Preservation Association’s Campaign for Fishtown to raise the funds to resolve critical infrastructure and drainage issues & rehabilitate three shanties: The Village Cheese Shanty, Carlson’s Fishery and the Morris Shanty as well as to replace all docks,  address accessibility, and other site issues. The high water has exacerbated an already desperate situation – click through to see how you can help!

You can follow Gary on his Instagram for more great shots!

Great Lakes on the Rise in 2020

Precarious by Mark Swanson

mLive reports that the six-month water level forecasts show a high-end forecast that could surpass all other modern water levels for some of the Great Lakes:

For the last three months, Lake Michigan and Lake Huron (which shares the same lake water level because they are linked) have set monthly record water levels. The monthly record water levels are expected to continue into summer. If we get significantly higher than usual precipitation, the water levels could slosh over the highest level ever recorded since good water level measurements began back in 1918.

…The upper end of the possible outcomes would take Lake Michigan and Lake Huron 5 inches higher than October 1986, the highest water level recorded since records began in 1918. July or August of this coming summer would be the months that could happen.

That would be a devastating high-water level for cities and beaches along the Lake Michigan and Lake Huron shoreline.

Remember one inch of water on Lake Michigan and Lake Huron is 800 billion gallons of water. If this summer’s water level reaches that upper end, Lake Michigan and Lake Huron would have 4 trillion gallons more water than the highest water level recorded by in the fall of 1986.

Read on for more about Lakes Superior (probably not dangerously high) and Erie & Ontario (also likely to be dangerously high).

Mark took this in February near Stevensville on Lake Michigan. See more in his Final 60 album.

Into the Distance

James L Oberstar leaving Marquette by Thom Skelding

“I don’t cry because we’ve been separated by distance, and for a matter of years. Why? Because for as long as we share the same sky and breathe the same air, we’re still together.”
― Donna Lynn Hope

Thom got this sweet photo of the James L. Oberstar leaving Marquette Harbor last night, downbound with a load of iron ore pellets. Stay strong everyone, and look to those you share a sky with who may be struggling right now.

Check his photo & more out on Flickr & dive into almost 100 more photos of this Michigan freighter in the Absolute Michigan pool!

Socially Distanced Photography Bringing a Community Together

Socially Distanced Superhero by Exposures by Rah / Sarah Armstrong

Like most people these days, professional photographers are struggling as their livelihood vanishes down a Covid-19 rabbithole. One of my photographer friends in Traverse City came up with a cool way to continue working responsibly AND add to the community. Northern Michigan Porch-raits is a social distancing photography project from the safety of your home. 100% of the proceeds from each session fee will be donated to the amazing hometown heroes working tirelessly for the community at Munson Medical Center. Sarah writes:

I want people to feel good about supporting this project, and I really want to do my part to safely join the fight. As an artist and small business owner, I’ve felt pretty helpless and limited in how I can make a difference. I’m not good at sewing like all the wonderful people who are making masks, so this is my socially distanced creative way of giving back to the fight while also bringing joy to my community. It’s such a scary and uncertain time for everyone. My friends and family members are healthcare workers and have weakened immune systems. This is my way of feeling like I can make a difference.

Session fees will be waived for healthcare workers!

There’s no better time than now to have some photos of you and your quarantine crew using a telephoto lens from my car (seriously! I never even get out of my vehicle). Since everyone is home, many with their families, why not use this time to support a local art, give back to Munson AND receive a beautiful portrait to commemorate this extremely weird time This is not just for families! Have you ever had a nice photo taken of you and your dog? This is your chance to do it for a fraction of the normal price! When you sign up for this service from Exposures by Rah, you’ll pay a $20 fee to reserve your date/time. I will arrive with my telephoto lens to snap a handful of photos at a safe distance from my car.

You can check out the photos in her editorial gallery called Northern Michigan Porch-raits: The COVID-19 Sessions.

Detroit’s TCF Center Becomes an Emergency Hospital

Detroit’s TCF Center Becomes an Emergency Hospital by Chad Livengood/Crain’s Detroit Business

If you want to get an idea of the enormity of the threat of Covid-19 to Michigan, I encourage you to follow Crain’s Detroit Business Senior Editor Chad Livengood on Twitter. He & Crain’s are sharing some jaw-dropping photos and reporting on the nearly completed 1000 bed hospital at Detroit’s TCF Center (formerly Cobo Hall). He adds that Lt. Col. Greg Turner, commander of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Detroit district expects Gov. Whitmer to ask them to build a second field hospital inside the Suburban Showplace convention hall in Novi.

Here’s a link to free Covid-19 coverage from Crain’s. I also encourage you to take a look at #DetroitLooksLikeThis for a peek into life in Michigan’s largest city as we prepare for the fallout of being on the leading edge of the pandemic. Stay strong everyone.

Waving at April Fools

Wave by Ryan Munson

Those who know me or are longtime Michigan in Pictures fans know that April Fools Day is something near & dear to my heart (click that link for some of the best). It’s one of the many comforting things that are sliding away and I hope that all of you find new comforts & new ways of thinking about happiness.

You can view Ryan’s photo and more on Flickr & also check out the Ann Arbor Festifools group on Flickr for more from this A2 tradition!

PS: Shoutout to the folks who’ve tossed me a couple of dollars for Michigan in Pictures as well as all of you who are reading & sharing my posts. Feel free to email me a link to your Instagram or other photo page if you want me to check out your own photos for sharing and STAY SAFE!!