Baseball broadcaster Harwell dies at 92
From the sandy shores of Lake Michigan to the rugged streets in Flint, they listened to Ernie Harwell tell the Tigers' tales for more than 40 years.
Beloved by generations of baseball fans who grew up enraptured by his rich voice, Southern cadence and quirky phrases on the radio, Harwell died Tuesday after a months-long battle with cancer. He was 92.
The longtime Detroit Tigers broadcaster died about 7:30 p.m. in his apartment at Fox Run Village and Retirement Center in the Detroit suburb of Novi, said his lawyer and longtime friend, S. Gary Spicer.
His wife of 68 years, Lulu, and his two sons and two daughters were at his side, Spicer said.
Harwell was 'Mr. Everything'
"Ernie Harwell, it goes without saying, was one of the greatest in the history of our profession. More important than that, however, he was one of the finest people I've ever known."
— Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame broadcaster Marty Brennaman
"A writer, a poet, a songwriter. He was a man of many talents and many interests. He had 92 full years. He always had something going. He wasn't just a baseball broadcaster. Ernie was involved in many charitable affairs. He was well-rounded and a very generous, kind gentleman."
— Hall of Fame broadcaster Denny Matthews
"He never looked at the wrong side of things. There was always the silver lining and he would never, ever, ever not represent that in any human being on the face of this earth. … He was Mr. Everything. He was an icon."
— Former Tigers slugger Kirk Gibson
"It's extraordinarily sad for anybody in baseball, anybody who knew Ernie, and yet Ernie was the one who was out front, telling everybody that it was inevitable, it was about to happen. He had such a strength and grace in talking about it as just being the next great adventure. He's one of the all-time great broadcasters and great human beings that I've ever had the great pleasure to know."
— San Francisco Giants, ESPN broadcaster Jon Miller
"Ernie was so engaging. He had such a genuine gift of making people feel like he was your friend. Ernie made you feel good about life and brought a smile to everyone he knew."
— Tigers GM Dave Dombrowski
"He was Tiger Stadium — I grew up there. He's old school. I grew up here and I left and came back and Ernie was still here. There'll never be another one like him."
— Tigers fan Rob Santoni
"We'll miss you, Ernie Harwell. You'll forever be the voice of summer," Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm tweeted.
A Hall of Fame announcer who was acquired by the Brooklyn Dodgers for a catcher in 1948, Harwell revealed in September that he'd been diagnosed with inoperable cancer of the bile duct. He took the news with characteristic poise, saying he planned to continue working on a book and other projects.
"Whatever happens, I'm ready to face it," Harwell told The Associated Press on Sept. 4, 2009. "I have a great faith in God and Jesus."
Harwell's body will lie in repose at Comerica Park on Thursday beginning at 7 a.m. and "until the last person who wishes to pay their respects" has done so, Spicer said.
"It might be an all-night vigil," he said.
There will be no public memorial service and the family will hold a private funeral service at a location Spicer declined to disclose.
Standing ovation
The Tigers were in Minnesota on Tuesday night. During the seventh-inning stretch, the Twins announced Harwell had died, and fans honoured him with a standing ovation.
"All of Major League Baseball is in mourning tonight upon learning of the loss of a giant of our game," commissioner Bud Selig said. "This son of Georgia was the voice of the Detroit Tigers and one of the game's iconic announcers to fans across America, always representing the best of our national pastime to his generations of listeners.
"Without question, Ernie was one of the finest and most distinguished gentlemen I have ever met."
Shortly after Harwell announced that he was ill, the Tigers honoured him during a game against Kansas City, showing a video tribute and giving him a chance to address the crowd at Comerica Park.
"In my almost 92 years on this Earth, the good Lord has blessed me with a great journey," Harwell said at a microphone behind home plate. "The blessed part of that journey is that it's going to end here in the great state of Michigan."
Harwell spent 42 of his 55 years in broadcasting with the Tigers, joining Mel Allen, Jack Buck, Harry Caray and others among the game's most famous play-by-play voices.
He announced Detroit games on radio from 1960-1991, again in 1993 and from 1999-2002. He broadcast games on over-the-air and cable television from 1960-64 and 1994-98.
Hall of Fame announcer Vin Scully began broadcasting Brooklyn Dodgers games in 1950, the season after Harwell left.
"Probably the best word, he was gentle. And it came across. He just cared for people and he loved baseball," Scully said. "You can understand how the people in Detroit just loved him. I followed him into Brooklyn, and then I followed him into the Hall. He was such a lovely man. However that word is defined, that was Ernie."
The Tigers and their flagship radio station, WJR, allowed Harwell's contract to expire after the 1991 season in what became a public relations nightmare. Then-Tigers president Bo Schembechler, the former Michigan football coach, took the blame. WJR general manager Jim Long later took responsibility for the unpopular move.
When Mike Ilitch bought the franchise from Tom Monaghan, he put Harwell back in the booth in 1993. Harwell chose to retire after the 2002 season.
A legend in Michigan
"Ernie Harwell was the most popular sports figure in the state of Michigan," said Ilitch, who also owns the Detroit Red Wings.
Harwell's big break came in unorthodox fashion.
Brooklyn Dodgers radio broadcaster Red Barber fell ill in 1948, and general manager Branch Rickey needed a replacement. After learning that the minor league Atlanta Crackers needed a catcher, Rickey sent catcher Cliff Dapper to Atlanta and Harwell joined the Dodgers.
Harwell said his most memorable game was the 1951 playoff between the Dodgers and New York Giants for the NL pennant, which Bobby Thomson won with a walk-off home run, but few if any people remember his account of the "Shot Heard 'Round The World?" at the Polo Grounds that day.
By his own count, Harwell called more than 8,300 major league games, starting with the Dodgers and continuing with the Giants and Baltimore Orioles before joining the Tigers. He missed two games outside of the '92 season: one for his brother's funeral in 1968, the other when he was inducted into the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association Hall of Fame in 1989.
His easygoing manner and love of baseball endeared him to generations of Tigers fans, enhancing the club's finest moments and making its struggles more bearable.
The Baseball Hall of Fame honoured Harwell in 1981 with the Ford C. Frick Award, given annually to a broadcaster for major contributions to baseball.
A life-sized statue of Harwell stands at the entrance to Comerica Park and its press box is called "The Ernie Harwell Media Center."
"I think we all know where he's heading," Trammell said. "What a gentleman, what a great person. It's a sad day for baseball."
He took pride in making rare visits to the ballpark and for not doing much play-by-play work as a retiree. But he did make a guest appearance for ESPN Radio during the fourth inning of the 2005 all-star game in Detroit. He also presented the ceremonial first ball to Tigers greats Al Kaline and Willie Horton before Game 1 of the 2006 World Series when Detroit hosted the St. Louis Cardinals.
Harwell's survivors also include seven grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.