Ernie Harwell passes away

[DeToxRox]

He's 91 years old and the best that ever called a game if you ask anyone in Detroit. It's a shame but he is handling it amazingly. I mean the guy was fired and the public outrage and subsequent boycotts got him his job back. Just truly a class act and I hope everyone is able to enjoy how ever much time he has left.

My favorite Ernie memory was him coming back and calling an inning during the 2006 World Series.

Not a good year for MLB announcing greats.

[Gary Gorski]

Wow that sucks - my brother just got into a job with a sports station out in Grand Rapids and one of his first assignments was to interview Ernie just a few weeks ago. It will be a sad day when he passes

[Schmidty]

That stinks. I love Ernie. When I think of summer and baseball, I think of him.

I don't think there was a better announcer that has called a game. I know others will disagree, but I've listened to all the greats, and even though I'm a homer, he was the king. Not only that, he was one of the nicest men ever and really cared about Michigan and contributed so much to the community.

I met him him on 4 occasions, and he was one of the most gracious people I have ever spoken with. I hope every person in Michigan remembers him as not only a great broadcaster, but also as a great person.

[Schmidty]

Oh, and as I always say - fuck cancer.

[Matthean]

Originally Posted by DeToxRox

My favorite Ernie memory was him coming back and calling an inning during the 2006 World Series.

I remember that and wished they just let him call the game.

[Mota]

I still have fond memories for Baseball For Windows with Ernie Harwell. What a great announcing voice he has. It'll be a real loss when he is gone.

[SirFozzie]

Originally Posted by Mota

I still have fond memories for Baseball For Windows with Ernie Harwell. What a great announcing voice he has. It'll be a real loss when he is gone.

Co-sign, completely.

[M GO BLUE!!!]

dammit dammit dammit dammit dammit.

I LOVE ERNIE!

Originally Posted by Ernie Harwell

"We don't know how long this lasts, It could be a year. It could be much less than a year, much less than a half a year. Who knows?

"Whatever's in store, I'm ready for a new adventure. That's the way I look at it.

I think that when I heard the news -- that I had this cancer -- that I had a feeling of security and serenity, but I had a feeling of acceptance because of my belief in Jesus and the Lord."

God bless the man...

[DeToxRox]

Ernie Harwell dies at 92 | freep.com | Detroit Free Press

In Ernie Harwell’s voice, the South rose again and conquered Michigan in a way no one else ever has.

When Harwell arrived in Detroit to join the Tigers radio broadcast team in 1960, he was an unknown to Tigers fans.

When he died Tuesday night at his home in Novi, at 92, after nearly a year-long bout with cancer, he had a strong case as the most beloved figure ever in Michigan.

He rose to that cherished place through the combined power of radio and baseball and just as importantly his own charm and warmth, which were as steady through the decades as his unchanging Georgia accent.

Harwell did Tigers radio from 1960 through 1991, then — after an ill-conceived dismissal by the Tigers that lasted only one season — he did a combination of Tigers radio and TV from 1993 through 2002.

He ended his 55-year big-league career at the end of 2002 season. At that time, Dodgers broadcaster Vin Scully — like Harwell, a baseball broadcaster who is a cherished, unmatchable and forever enchanting Old Master — summed up his Tigers cohort: “He’s such a lovely man. He loves baseball, and he treats it with great respect and dignity.”

On the final day of the ’02 season, during post-game remarks on his farewell broadcast, Harwell almost choked on his own tears because, he said, “I felt so much affection for the fans.”

It continued to be reciprocated. When Harwell retired, he didn’t flee to the warmth of his native South, but lived year-round in Michigan, winter and all, his home having become the state where his voice was a welcome sound in any home.

RIP Ernie.

[MrBug708]

Sucks and RIP. One of the better announcers out there

[Schmidty]

The voice of summer is gone. What a great man. I hope he didn't suffer too much. I'll miss him.

[M GO BLUE!!!]

Sippin' the Blue Label now. Rest in peace, Mr. Harwell. You were a true gentleman.

11 Track 11.mp3 - 0.82MB

edit: I don't know why the track will not play, but it's worth the download (it's from his Audio Scrapbook set.)

[k0ruptr]

RIP, as a White Sox fan I will always remember his calls, and especially after the firing and rehiring. Will always be missed, one of my favorite voices of baseball.

[Chief Rum]

My condolences to Tigers fans. Always hard to lose a long time voice like Harwell, but especially when it's someone as high quality as I understand he was.

RIP

[M GO BLUE!!!]

My favorite story of Ernie's...

When they remodeled Tiger Stadium & replaced all the green seats with the blue plastic ones, the Tigers gave Ernie a pair of seats. A few years later he comes home one day and looks at these seats on the back porch. They were now black. He asked his wife what happened to the seats. "Oh, they were fading and the paint was chipping, so I painted them." All he could do was laugh.

[Ksyrup]

I caught a few minutes of ESPNews' coverage of his death, and they were interviewing Denny McClain. The best part of the interview was when Denny contrasted Ernie's game-calling abilities with the Yankees' current announcer by calling Sterling out (not by name) for his ridiculous, shticky calls that were an obvious attempt to generate a catch phrase for himself rather than one happening organically. That was awesome.

[Galaril]

Gods speed Ernie.

[Schmidty]

Here's a great article in tribute to Ernie:

Joe Posnanski » Blog Archive » Ernie (1918-2010)

[JediKooter]

Never heard of the guy, but, definitely a sad day when an icon like him passes away.

[TLK]

Mitch Albom column on Ernie