Happy Willie Horton Day!

"Willie Horton Day" Celebrated in Michigan Oct. 18

Thu, 10/18/2007 - 15:15 — admin
10/17/2007, DETROIT -- For the fourth consecutive year, the state of Michigan will recognize one man's ability to overcome obstacles and achieve a lifetime of a success when "Willie Horton Day" is celebrated on Thursday, Oct. 18.

Willie Horton, who serves as a Special Assistant to Tigers President, CEO & General Manager David Dombrowski, received this honor in 2004 when Governor Jennifer Granholm signed House Bill No. 5200, which declares Oct. 18 of each year to be known as "Willie Horton Day." The legislature chose to recognize the seven-time All-Star for his humanitarian efforts in the city and the state. The date of the honor also coincides with his birthday.

The youngest of 21 children, Horton was born on Oct. 18, 1942 in Arno, Virginia. At the age of nine, Horton's family moved to Detroit. By 13, he was turning the heads of area baseball scouts and on Aug. 6, 1961, he became a member of his hometown team when he signed his first professional contract with the Tigers after an outstanding career at Detroit's Northwestern High School.

His 18-year big league career included 14 seasons with the Tigers and he was an important part of the 1968 World Championship team. A lifetime .273 hitter, Horton had 1,993 hits, 325 homers and 1,163 RBI over 2,028 games.

Among the many honors he has received in his lifetime, Horton's uniform number 23 was retired and a Comerica Park statue in his likeness was unveiled by the Tigers on July 15, 2000. On Aug. 6, 2004, Detroit Northwestern High School named their newly constructed baseball and softball fields as the Willie Horton Baseball and Softball Diamonds. A monument in Horton's honor was installed at the fields in 2005.

On Oct. 26 and 27, Venezuela will be celebrating the 90th anniversary of the Magallanes club and recognizing Horton as part of those festivities. Horton guided the 1978-79 Magallanes team to a Caribbean World Series championship.

Hey, it's my mom's birthday :haha: