On this day in 1893, a tidal wave swept St. Joseph, Michigan, extending 600-700 feet over the beach. In 1955, Al Kaline became the youngest player to win the league batting title, playing 22 seasons with the Tigers and hitting 399 home runs. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1980.
TRANSCRIPT
In 1893, a tidal wave swept St. Joseph Michigan. As the New York Times wrote: “A tremendous tidal wave, the first known here for several years, swept in over the beach from Lake Michigan about 9 o'clock Thursday morning, the water extending back over the sand a distance of 600 or 700 feet. The water in the river also rose to a height of 4 to 5 feet above the normal stage.”
In 1955, Al Kaline who had signed with the Tigers the day after graduating from high school just two years earlier, became the youngest player to win the league batting title. Playing with the Tigers for twenty-two seasons, hit 399 home runs, finishing his career with a .297 batting average, and was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1980. Kaline passed away on April 6, 2020.