MICHIGAN SENIOR OLYMPICS CELEBRATION OF ATHLETES DINNER Guest Speaker: Willie Horton Willie Horton– 1968 Detroit Tiger 1968 World World Series Champion “Willie-the-Wonder” flashed across the Series television screens of millions of homes during the Major League career of Willie Champion Horton. Born William Wattison Horton on October 18, 1942 in Arno, Virginia, Willie was the youngest of 21 children. Celebration of Raised in a Detroit housing project, Willie Athletes Dinner overcame adversity to become a Tiger

Thursday, hometown hero and a major league baseball legend and ambassador.

August 13th Willie’s Major League Baseball career 6:00 PM spanned 18 years. The first 14 years were spent with the Detroit Tigers.

Steiny’s Restaurant & As a Tiger, Willie was selected to seven All-Star teams, but due to injury, Banquet Center he played in four, and was fourth on the Tigers’ all-time homerun list with 262 in 1977. He had a string of seven consecutive seasons with 20 Cost: or more homers. His best year was l968 when he hit 36 homeruns. He is $17 - MSO Members tenth on the Tigers’ all-time RBI list with 886. He was also the second player $20- Non-MSO Members in Tiger history to produce back-to-back 100 RBI seasons: 104 in 1965 and 100 in 1966. PUBLIC WELCOME He was a member of the Detroit Tigers’ 1968 World Series Championship TO ATTEND!!! Team, and hit .304 during the Series. He was also a member of the I972 Eastern Division winning team. He was both the Tigers’ Triple Crown To purchase tickets Winner and the Sports Writers’ “Tiger of the Year” in 1975. During 1975 and 1979, he won the American League Designated Hitter award as well as please call the MSO the American League Come-Back Player of the Year Award. office at 248-608-0252 On April 8, 2004 Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm Signed the Horton Bill making the Willie Horton Day (October 18th) official.

Willie Horton was immortalized on July 15, 2000, when the Detroit Tigers Organization bestowed the highest honor of the Tigers Hall of Fame on Willie Horton: they retired his # 23, and in his honor, they unveiled the Willie Horton statue, the 6th statue in the new Comerica Park.