Goodbye, Ernie Harwell

By Blaidd Drwg

Today, one of the truly great voices in baseball has gone silent for the last time. Ernie Harwell, longtime brodcaster for the Detroit Tigers, passed away this afternoon at age 92 after a short battle with cancer.

When I think about who are the greatest baseball broadcasters I have heard, it is a short list – Harwell, Jack Buck and Vin Scully. Buck passed a few years ago and now Scully is the only one left. If you have never heard him call a Dodgers game, you should go online and listen to one before his voice too signs off – he is an artist with words and brings you into the stadium with his descriptions. The added bonus – he has no color commentator calling the game with him. You just don’t see a one man broadcast booth anymore outside European soccer.

There are a lot of tributes to Harwell being written and I feel compelled to write mine, with tears streaming down my cheeks as I type this. I have never lived in Detroit, but I remember listening to a number of Tigers games in the mid-80’s with my dad’s short wave radio. On a good night, you could pick up the Tigers. I was struck by the descriptions of the game given by Harwell and I think he contributed to my love of Alan Trammell. My most memorable moment though occurred on September 29th, 2002. I was in Montreal watching what I was sure was going to be the last game for the Expos and it also happened to be the last regular broadcast for Harwell. I went back to the hotel after the game and logged onto the internet to listen to the rebroadcast of the game. I will let Harwell take it from there:

“The Tigers have just finished their 2002 season. And I’ve just finished my baseball broadcasting career, and it’s time to say good-bye. But I think good-byes are sad, and I’d much rather say hello. Hello to a new adventure.

“I’m not leaving, folks. I’ll still be with you, living my life in Michigan, my home state, surrounded by family and friends.

“And rather than good-bye, please allow me to say thank you.

“Thank you for letting me be part of your family. Thank you for taking me with you to that cottage up north, to the beach, the picnic, your work place and your backyard.

“Thank you for sneaking your transistor under the pillow as you grew up loving the Tigers.

“Now I might have been a small part of your life. But you have been a very large part of mine. And it’s my privilege and honor to share with you the greatest game of all.

“Now God has a new adventure for me. And I’m ready to move on. So I leave you with a deep sense of appreciation for your longtime loyalty and support.

“I thank you very much, and God bless all of you.”

I wish I could find the audio, but I have had no luck as of yet.

Goodbye, Mr. Harwell, and to use your words it has been my privilege and honor to share with you the greatest game of all, thank you for that.