My first ever ballgame -- Aug 9th, 1971, Tigers vs Red Sox at Fenway Park. Jim Lonborg pitching. Third man up is Horton. Boom! A majestic fly over the Green Monster. I was in awe that a baseball could be hit that far. Then to prove it was no fluke, Boom! Another home run over the same wall later in the game against Bobby Bolin. Red Sox won the game, but Willie Horton won my respect. So glad he experienced a World Championship in 1968. What a great team they had that year!
Abandoning that ballpark was a huge mistake. They could have renovated it the way they just spent five years renovating Wrigley Field. Now they play in a frying pan.
Comerica is ALL bells & whistles, no class, no substance, bare minimal history. (Pun alert) A copycat of the gimmicky trend in MLB parks since the 90s, instead of investing into the old ball park, which had become a one of a kind CLASSIC.
First live AL home run I ever saw--April 30, 1971 vs. Angels, Anaheim Stadium. First inning three-run shot off Rudy May ruined Bat Night commemorating Alex Johnson's 1970 batting title 😞
Thanks for the memories. Willie was my coach at the first-ever Field of Dreams in August 1994. I was the starting pitcher and caught, as well. Willie was really into it and wanted to win - and, win we did all 3 games of the weekend series. A highlight of my life and will be posting videos of the event when I get the old VHS tapes digitized, which are in-process now.
As a little kid in Spokane, WA, I loved Willie even though I didn't know anything about him before he joined the Mariners. He was the M's big gun in '79. Chants of "Wil-lie! Wil-lie!" were plenty common when he came to bat. It was only after he was announced as the AL Comeback of the Year Award winner that I realized that he'd been a star player for years. Great to see that he still gets lots of love in Detroit and elsewhere!
Detroit Tigers baseball to me is something different when it comes to baseball history, Players like Willie Horton, Bill Freehan, Norm Cash, Mickey Lolich, Al Kaline and countless others going all the way back to Ty Cobb and Hank Greenberg, There's nothing like Detroit Tigers baseball.
What a great Series that was. My Yankees were painful to watch in those days, so I was glued to the TV hoping the Tigers would beat the hated Cardinals!
Met Mr.Willie Horton at a signing with my 2 daughters...the man is a gem !!! The pictures of us together with one of my heroes are treasured to this day.. We grew up in a magical tine.
What a team those 68 Tigers!! SUCH an all around human being was Mr. WILLIE Horton. "The Man" From Detroit, to the Tigers! A community, caring individual!! Any MLB club would have loved Willie:-). One of my hero's!!!!!
Willie Horton...from hitting bombs out onto Grand River Ave, while playing baseball at Northwestern high school...to going just a few miles...to Michigan and Trumbull:) Thanks for the memories!! WILLIE THE WONDER:)))
My favorite player while growing up. Every morning for many summers I would wake up and go right to the sports section of the news paper and check the box scores to see how Willie did the night before. That is, of course, if Ernie's broadcast of the game did not come through clearly here in Chicago.
Baseball back then was baseball it's not like the water down stuff today I live here in Baltimore and I'll see Willie Horton play at Memorial Stadium many times the thing I remember about him is he had a quick bat and was a good left fielder
He missed quite a few games during his career I don't know if it was because he was injured or some me as he was not a regular player but if he gets a plane and all the games he was supposed to and stayed injury-free he definitely going to hit 480 home runs look for the games he played in in the time frame eat quite a few home runs 325 325 is pretty good for a limited time playing great Slugger great player maybe somewhat underrated the great Willie Horton
As a Yankee fan who grew up during the 60’s, the Detroit Tigers , though they only won one pennant during that decade, symbolized baseball royalty : their uniforms, their long list of classy players ( Kaline, Horton, Bunning, Cash, Lary, Colavito, McAuliffe, Gates Brown, Northrop et al.)………and especially Tiger Stadium. My biggest sports regret is having never seen a game there. ⚾️🇺🇸👍
I remember the lower deck columns. A few minutes into the game, I’d adjust and they wouldn’t bother me a bit. Lost sight of a few home runs with that upper deck overhang, but the wicked noise of a blast and the cheers told me all I had to know!
Yes sir, Willie "The Wonder" Horton Willie "The Throw" Horton Willie "Deetroit4Life" Horton Willie "Class" Horton Willie "Leave the Stadium Still in My Uniform Cuz My City is THAT CRUCIAL" Horton William Wattison Horton, love that guy.
Amazing career 👏 🙌 👌. Great man, soul, player. Thank you for all you Hard week and dedication to the sport and your life. You can't help but cry or almost cry to this. Thank you for sharing this
I’ve got Cash and then Cobb in 4th and 5th. The more I learn about Cobb, the more I like him. Thankfully, I’m not old enough to have actually seen him play. I’m just old.
It was a great throw and a great World series. It was Willie Horton who threw Lou Brock out at the plate. One of several great plays in the 68 World Series
He meant so much more to Detroit then people will understand. He was a poor kid growing up in Detroit. He walked down the streets of Detroit during the riots trying to get them to stop. The Tigers in 1968 brought the city back together again & his throw that got Lou Brock out at home in 1968 WS when tigers were struggling was the key to the whole series. If Brock Slides he is probably safe.
Willie Horton was a great ballplayer, and it is sad he isn't more highly regarded. Very underrated as a ballplayer, and maybe more so as a husband and father.....
Northwestern high-school my old coworker father Mr legear played baseball at northwestern high school in that era;; my late father told Willie Horton hit a homerun out of tiger 🐅 stadium in high school
For all the memories of him on the field it is actions in the Detroit riots of 1967. That i remember the most. He put on his Tiger uniform and drove into the heart of that chaos trying to talk the people he loved out of wrecking the city he loved.if remember right he did it a couple of times.simply one helluva human being.god bless you Willie Horton
Helluva ballplayer.
An even better man.
God Bless You, Willie.
- Lifetime Yankees fan
Al Kaline was Mr Tiger, Willie Horton was Mr Detroit
Great man. Great player.Great memories.
He was born in the same town as me, Appalachia, Virginia. God Bless Willie Horton from a life long Baltimore Orioles fan.
Thank you Willie Horton for sharing your gift with the City of Detroit and The Detroit Tigers.
My first ever ballgame -- Aug 9th, 1971, Tigers vs Red Sox at Fenway Park. Jim Lonborg pitching. Third man up is Horton. Boom! A majestic fly over the Green Monster.
I was in awe that a baseball could be hit that far.
Then to prove it was no fluke, Boom! Another home run over the same wall later in the game against Bobby Bolin.
Red Sox won the game, but Willie Horton won my respect. So glad he experienced a World Championship in 1968. What a great team they had that year!
Abandoning that ballpark was a huge mistake. They could have renovated it the way they just spent five years renovating Wrigley Field. Now they play in a frying pan.
At least they could have kept up enough to be museum of history Rather than tear down, but I think it was better to move on to new stadium.
Totally agree
@@kevinflaherty6028 Yeah sure. It’s only your tax money.
Comerica is ALL bells & whistles, no class, no substance, bare minimal history. (Pun alert) A copycat of the gimmicky trend in MLB parks since the 90s, instead of investing into the old ball park, which had become a one of a kind CLASSIC.
What a moment. Willie: Detroit Icon
Made me cry then. Makes me cry now.
Much Love and Respect Willie.
That ball park was magical the new one sucks commercialized!
My love of the Tigers and baseball stem from Willie !!!
325 Home Runs, 1,163 RBI's. Hit 36 home runs, drove in 85 runs, hit .285 for 1968 World Champion Tigers ⚾
Plus his throw to get Brock in game five was epic. He also set the table for Northrup's winning triple in game seven
My dad always said, Willie is a sucker for a curve.
First live AL home run I ever saw--April 30, 1971 vs. Angels, Anaheim Stadium. First inning three-run shot off Rudy May ruined Bat Night commemorating Alex Johnson's 1970 batting title 😞
I was at this game. One of the best memories in my life.
Thanks for the memories. Willie was my coach at the first-ever Field of Dreams in August 1994. I was the starting pitcher and caught, as well. Willie was really into it and wanted to win - and, win we did all 3 games of the weekend series. A highlight of my life and will be posting videos of the event when I get the old VHS tapes digitized, which are in-process now.
As a little kid in Spokane, WA, I loved Willie even though I didn't know anything about him before he joined the Mariners. He was the M's big gun in '79. Chants of "Wil-lie! Wil-lie!" were plenty common when he came to bat. It was only after he was announced as the AL Comeback of the Year Award winner that I realized that he'd been a star player for years. Great to see that he still gets lots of love in Detroit and elsewhere!
Detroit Tigers baseball to me is something different when it comes to baseball history, Players like Willie Horton, Bill Freehan, Norm Cash, Mickey Lolich, Al Kaline and countless others going all the way back to Ty Cobb and Hank Greenberg, There's nothing like Detroit Tigers baseball.
Willie was always my favorite my the start ot his career, he symbolized positivety in Detroit for black athletes on and off field.
A key to their victory in 1968.
What a great Series that was. My Yankees were painful to watch in those days, so I was glued to the TV hoping the Tigers would beat the hated Cardinals!
Dear political junkies well before the criminal Willie Horton this was the Willie Horton baseball fans of the 1960's and 70's remember.
I was going to say. That's the only Willie Horton in existence I ever knew of. I guess I need to know by Tigers baseball better.
It's no use convincing these far-right lunatics that they're mistaken. To them, one black Willie Horton is the same as the next!
Right, THE Willie Horton, the one with THE throw...
Met Mr.Willie Horton at a signing with my 2 daughters...the man is a gem !!! The pictures of us together with one of my heroes are treasured to this day..
We grew up in a magical tine.
What an absolute legend. Thanks Willie. Much love from a Reds fan
Willie was one of my favorites of all time
Just like willie horton, my grandpop cried when they tore down tiger stadium, and so did i😩
Loved Willie Horton...
What a team those 68 Tigers!! SUCH an all around human being was Mr. WILLIE Horton. "The Man" From Detroit, to the Tigers! A community, caring individual!! Any MLB club would have loved Willie:-). One of my hero's!!!!!
Beautiful sight! That's raw emotion coming from a excellent baseball player. Ya did a good job Willie! Thanks for the memories. GOD Bless You!!
The most beloved Tiger of them all!!
I saw him hit a home run in Tiger stadium when he was playing for the Mariners
Willie the Wonder!
Willie Horton...from hitting bombs out onto Grand River Ave, while playing baseball at Northwestern high school...to going just a few miles...to Michigan and Trumbull:) Thanks for the memories!! WILLIE THE WONDER:)))
One of the greatest Tiger in my book. Loved Willie Horton.
For some reason I love all Detroit old ball players and that old voice calling them games
Nickname was "willie the wonder. " ,
Loved watching Willie play growing up, every chance I got. Willie had heart. Lifelong Braves fan here.
My favorite player while growing up. Every morning for many summers I would wake up and go right to the sports section of the news paper and check the box scores to see how Willie did the night before. That is, of course, if Ernie's broadcast of the game did not come through clearly here in Chicago.
Baseball back then was baseball it's not like the water down stuff today I live here in Baltimore and I'll see Willie Horton play at Memorial Stadium many times the thing I remember about him is he had a quick bat and was a good left fielder
He was at today's 2018 Hall of Fame.
What a wonderful man
He missed quite a few games during his career I don't know if it was because he was injured or some me as he was not a regular player but if he gets a plane and all the games he was supposed to and stayed injury-free he definitely going to hit 480 home runs look for the games he played in in the time frame eat quite a few home runs 325 325 is pretty good for a limited time playing great Slugger great player maybe somewhat underrated the great Willie Horton
Your reaching!
As a Yankee fan who grew up during the 60’s, the Detroit Tigers , though they only won one pennant during that decade, symbolized baseball royalty : their uniforms, their long list of classy players ( Kaline, Horton, Bunning, Cash, Lary, Colavito, McAuliffe, Gates Brown, Northrop et al.)………and especially Tiger Stadium. My biggest sports regret is having never seen a game there. ⚾️🇺🇸👍
It was a great place to watch a game, no frills, just baseball. Upper deck was great
I remember the lower deck columns. A few minutes into the game, I’d adjust and they wouldn’t bother me a bit.
Lost sight of a few home runs with that upper deck overhang, but the wicked noise of a blast and the cheers told me all I had to know!
Don't forget Stanley, and Hiller.
I know Al is the man but Willie will always be my favorite
was a kid in 68 and saw him crush one out to deep center at old municipal stadium against the indians. was cub scout and indian guides day...
The MAN.....legendary
Great moment
Yes sir, Willie "The Wonder" Horton
Willie "The Throw" Horton
Willie "Deetroit4Life" Horton
Willie "Class" Horton
Willie "Leave the Stadium Still in My Uniform Cuz My City is THAT CRUCIAL" Horton
William Wattison Horton, love that guy.
Amazing career 👏 🙌 👌. Great man, soul, player. Thank you for all you Hard week and dedication to the sport and your life. You can't help but cry or almost cry to this. Thank you for sharing this
One of my favorite Tiger growing up.
My top 5 no order al kaline,wille horton, mark fiydrich, gates brown, ron leflore
I’ve got Cash and then Cobb in 4th and 5th. The more I learn about Cobb, the more I like him. Thankfully, I’m not old enough to have actually seen him play. I’m just old.
What about Hank Greenberg?
Watched him playing several seasons in Puerto Rico winter league , Dennis McLain, Jim Northrup in the 60s great memories
It was a great throw and a great World series. It was Willie Horton who threw Lou Brock out at the plate. One of several great plays in the 68 World Series
I wish the tigers still played there …
What character would I buy Switcher or Subject Alpha(Trixy)?
I always loved Willie even as a Yankees fan. This shows why. Great, great guy.
Willie Horton. A King!
Fortunately got to see him with the Portland Beavers. I remember one colossal home run.
A solid major league player. Good for Detroit.
He meant so much more to Detroit then people will understand. He was a poor kid growing up in Detroit. He walked down the streets of Detroit during the riots trying to get them to stop. The Tigers in 1968 brought the city back together again & his throw that got Lou Brock out at home in 1968 WS when tigers were struggling was the key to the whole series. If Brock Slides he is probably safe.
Pride of detroit& northwestorn high school : Willie Horton
Willie was one far out cat ! (Even when he was up close)
A Detroit Icon!
Loved willie
Thanks for all the memories Willie!
Is one of my favorite players
Great 👍👍 Player 🙂🥰🥰😊
One of my boyhood heroes.
Willie Horton was a great ballplayer, and it is sad he isn't more highly regarded. Very underrated as a ballplayer, and maybe more so as a husband and father.....
Who says there's no crying in baseball. -mikenotpaula.
Willie was my hero growing up
still is for me. I was 12 during the series. my pops, brothers, hell, even my mom were absolutely insane during that season.
Northernwestern high school
@@loydkline Willie Horton & John Mayberry both. One of my high school coaches coached both of them at 1 time.
Northwestern high-school my old coworker father Mr legear played baseball at northwestern high school in that era;; my late father told Willie Horton hit a homerun out of tiger 🐅 stadium in high school
@@loydkline Yes my junior high coach for baseball was there when it happened he said he hit it off the facing of the upper deck and right field.
Sorry, it was Al Kaline who threw Lou Brock out at the plate.
It was Willie.
ua-cam.com/video/wr4J3gLhL0k/v-deo.html
Definitely Willie Horton.
You're a little off Todd.
❤️ willie Horton my her0
My childhood favorite
The wonder
Hard to believe that Michael Dukakis released Willie Horton on furlough
Wrong Willie idiot
That’s what liberals do.
For all the memories of him on the field it is actions in the Detroit riots of 1967. That i remember the most. He put on his Tiger uniform and drove into the heart of that chaos trying to talk the people he loved out of wrecking the city he loved.if remember right he did it a couple of times.simply one helluva human being.god bless you Willie Horton