Yesterday evening, Detroit Tigers fans, really all of baseball, lost a long time friend. Ernie Harwell the, voice of the Tigers for over 40 years, succumbed to cancer at the age of 92. Not only is it a loss for Detroit, and the organization, but it is a loss for many of us who grew up listening to him calling the games on those summer days and evenings.
Back when most home games were not televised, we would look forward on those days to hearing his partner Paul Carey say "and now with the play-by-play, here is the voice of the Tigers, Ernie Harwell." The greeting was always the same "Thank ya Paul, and good afternoon/evening Tiger fans." You knew all was well even when the team was lousy, because he Ernie was at the mic.
Many will remember how gracious he was and that he was one of the good guys when it came to sports and life. No one could find a negative thing to say about him.
I will remember his phrases, for a called third strike where he would say, "He stood there like a house by the side of the road." Of course any home run hit by the Tigers be it a 400 foot blast or one that barely made it over the fence was always "Looong Gone!"
What also stood out for me were his what we call "shout outs" today not only to the metro Detroit area but the state of Michigan. When a foul ball would go into the stands at home games he would always say that "A lucky fan from (whatever city or even neighborhood in Detroit) got that ball." He of course had no way of knowing, but he not only made the broadcast interesting that way but also showed his support for the region and the state.
That legacy lives on as I have played whiffle ball with my sons. I say the same thing when a foul ball is hit. Then when watching a Tigers game on TV, my 9 year old who is too young to remember ever hearing him broadcast, saw a foul ball go into the stands and asked "who got that one dad."
Ernie's legend will live on and will still shape the lives of millions of Tigers fans, and baseball fans for years to come. Well done Ernie, you will be missed but never forgotten.
Steve,
ReplyDeleteI remember coming back up north from grandparents in OH and FL, and we knew we were so much closer to home when we heard Ernie's voice calling the game. There was no one like him, and shall never be again. God rest ye, Ernie Harwell.
Thanks for the post Steve. My best memories are listening to games with my Dad, sitting on the front porch in the evening while it was getting dark. Glad you are sharing your Ernie memories with your kids. If you haven't gotten it, I would suggest the "Ernie Harwell's Audio Scrapbook", a 4 cd set of Ernie Harwell going over his life (with Duke announcer Bob Harris) and his career highlights. YOu'd love it.
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