▁arm . ▁He ▁was ▁selected ▁to ▁ 1 8 ▁All - Star ▁Games , ▁including ▁se lections ▁each ▁year ▁between ▁ 1 9 5 5 ▁and ▁ 1 9 6 7 . ▁He ▁was ▁elected ▁to ▁the ▁Baseball ▁Hall ▁of ▁Fame ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 0 . ▁ ▁Near ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁his ▁career , ▁Kal ine ▁also ▁played ▁as ▁first ▁bas eman ▁and , ▁in ▁his ▁last ▁season , ▁was ▁the ▁Tig ers ' ▁designated ▁h itter . ▁He ▁retired ▁soon ▁after ▁reaching ▁the ▁ 3 , 0 0 0 ▁hit ▁mil estone . ▁Im medi ately ▁after ▁ret iring ▁from ▁playing , ▁he ▁became ▁the ▁Tig ers ' ▁TV ▁color ▁comment ator , ▁a ▁position ▁he ▁held ▁until ▁ 2 0 0 2 . ▁Kal ine ▁worked ▁for ▁the ▁Tig ers ▁as ▁a ▁front ▁office ▁official ▁until ▁his ▁death ▁in ▁ 2 0 2 0 . ▁ ▁Early ▁life ▁ ▁Kal ine ▁was ▁born ▁and ▁raised ▁in ▁Baltimore , ▁Maryland , ▁the ▁son ▁of ▁Na omi ▁( M organ ) ▁and ▁Nicholas ▁Kal ine . ▁His ▁family ▁was ▁poor . ▁Several ▁of ▁his ▁relatives ▁played ▁semi - prof essional ▁baseball , ▁but ▁no ▁one ▁in ▁the ▁family ▁had ▁graduated ▁from ▁high ▁school . ▁When ▁he ▁was ▁eight ▁years ▁old , ▁Kal ine ▁developed ▁o ste omy el itis ▁and ▁had ▁two ▁inches ▁of ▁b one ▁removed ▁from ▁his ▁left ▁foot . ▁The ▁surg ery ▁left ▁him ▁with ▁sc arring ▁and ▁permanent ▁de form ity , ▁but ▁he ▁was ▁an ▁out