Tigers.mlb.com

LAKELAND, Fla. -- Jim Leyland won't have a lot of authority on naming All-Stars as the American League manager. But he can bring former All-Star Al Kaline back to the Midsummer Classic.

Leyland announced on Wednesday that he has invited Kaline to be the honorary captain for the American League squad at this year's edition at San Francisco.

The honorary position has been a way for Major League Baseball and All-Star managers to honor people who have had a significant impact on their career or on the game in general. In Kaline's case, it's a little bit of both.

The 72-year-old Kaline is known as Mr. Tiger, not only for a Hall of Fame playing career, but for 55 years and counting with his involvement in the organization. Currently a special assistant to president/CEO/general manager Dave Dombrowski, he has been a significant advisor to the club in its rebuilding process from the 100-loss seasons of 2002 and 2003 to the American League pennant last year.

Kaline is one of three Tigers to play at least 20 years in the organization, and his number 6 is retired by the club. He still holds the franchise records for games played and home runs.

"I called him the honorary manager," Leyland joked, "because there was no way I thought that Al Kaline would ever coach for me."

On a personal level, however, he has also been a friend to Leyland, who remembers idolizing him when Leyland was a Minor Leaguer in the organization in the early 1960s. At that point, Kaline was a perennial All-Star and Gold Glover, but he was also approachable to younger players in Spring Training.

"I remember him because when I was a kid in the organization," Leyland said, "I used to come over and throw batting practice or he'd be around. You looked at Al Kaline in those days, if you were a young kid like I was, and you were star-struck. And Al Kaline, from the first day I ever met him, he always went out of his way to say hello, [was] always respectful, always asked how you were doing, always made a point to be a real professional. And it made a heck of an impression. That was 40 years ago. That's not today. So I knew this would be a treat."

That approachability continues these days.

"He handles everything like a Hall of Famer," Leyland said. "In here, he never steps on anybody's toes. He doesn't come in with all the answers. He sits, he listens. If you ask his opinion, he gives it. He never interferes with anything. He's an absolute prince, and it's an honor for me to take him."

It'll be the second time Kaline has served as an honorary member of the All-Star coaching staff. He was part of the American League staff in 1980, the year he was inducted into the Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility. That game, played at Dodger Stadium, was the only All-Star Game he had attended since his retirement as a player until the 1999 game at Fenway Park as part of the All-Century Team festivities. He also attended the 2005 game at Comerica Park.