There seems to be quite some affinity for Al Kaline among members of a certain generation. Before baseball in Canada and Toronto, were the Detroit Tigers popular in Ontario?
Yes, the Tigers were very popular in the Windsor, Essex County, Kent County area. Prior to the Expos and Blue Jays, there was nothing else. Tiger Stadium was ten minute ride on the tunnel bus from downtown Windsor, a wave through at US Customs, get back on the tunnel bus to Kennedy Square, stop in front of the National Bank of Detroit and a fifteen minute walk to the ballpark along Michigan Avenue. Tickets were $4 maximum for box seats and $1 for the bleachers. We usually got reserved lower deck seats for $3.50.
I liked most of the Tigers, especially Earl Wilson and Mickey Lolich. They were true gentlemen. I hated Denny McLain, especially after he was banned for a while for gambling by Commissioner Bowie Kuhn. He was a thoughtless self-centred clod who pulled mean pranks in the dressing room. Later in life, he served two terms in Federal Prison and even got recharged with his buddy, John Gotti, Jr, for telephone ripoffs while still in the Pen. Some years later, while chatting with Earl Wilson one day, he indicated that he, and many of the other Tigers, did not like McLain at all and that "he was not a nice man." We were friends. I miss Earl Wilson.
Also, the Red Wings were very popular in Windsor. There was a great rivalry with Leaf fans, and one bar in Windsor even flew both Red Wing and Maple Leaf banners. It was a friendly rivalry.
I was partial to the Red Wings, after meeting many of them personally and helping them with their tax situations.