The Voice of the Detroit Tigers – Ernie Harwell is Gone

opinion | 04-May-2010 | brianbaldwin

[Brian_Baldwin]

We often hear from our favorite radio hosts “You’re a Great American”. Well, a legend is gone, and he was a Great American. How often would he say “God Bless You” ? What was it, about him, and his voice? Sort of like a little bit of God was in his voice. What a heart and what a good man. He said in regards to his 92 years that “the good Lord has blessed me with a great journey”.

Play by play from 1960 to 1991, and then again from 1993 to 2002 for the Tigers … When I heard he was gone, I thought of the days of Denny McClain and his 31-win season in 1968. In that year, when the Tigers won 103 games, can you imagine listening to the play by play and the calls over a small transistor radio made in Japan – the voice of Ernie Harwell and Ray Lane? WJR 760.

The voice from Georgia for Motor City. Goodbye, we all love you. For so many, your voice will live in our minds like little cracks in a very hard stone. Like the grooves in a vinyl record. The voice of your calls are still moving father into space, farther out and farther still. To another Universe. One day there will be this living being far away on another planet, tuning into some box like contraption – trying to tune into space to hear something. And then will come a voice, which the language will not be understood … but the tone of that sound will strike a chord to the alien ear. “LOOOOOOOONG GONE!”

[mlocher]

Ernie Harwell's favorite saying of mine was, "Strike 3! He stook there like the house on the side of the road!"

Ernie made any game better and exciting on radio. His games never were simpley "the house by the side of the road."

[mrsixpack36]

RIP. What a great announcer and a great man. It was such a privilege to hear him call a game. Words cannot describe it.

[Lando Lincoln]

I couldn’t agree more. Growing up in Milwaukee, I was crushed when the Braves moved to Atlanta. I checked out a book on Al Kaline who became my favorite player - and I adopted the Tigers. Especially when the Tigers were playing on the west coast, I could pick up WJR 760 on my little GE radio as the signal skipped across Lake Michigan and (I guess) they could boost the signal.

God, I was riveted by the pennant race... the Red Sox, the Angels. And then the Series. And Ernie Harwell brought it all to me. I can still remember Gibson vs Lolich in game 7. That was baseball.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=paWJl3qpUIM

[Chuzzlewit]

Ernie ... we miss you !! I spent my childhood in Detroit, listening to Ernie doing the play by play of my Tigers.

[Jazz1968]

Found out while watching the Tigers tonight.

What a special and kind man.
So many special memories of those summer evenings with Ernie on the radio in my youth.
The world just felt right back then.

RIP Ernie
And my prayers to Lulu.

[PGalt]

Thanks for the post. Very nice tribute. R.I.P. Mr. Ernie Harwell. Thank you, sir.

[gigster]

Growing up in Detroit, Ernie Harwell was the voice of the Tigers, and Detroit.

A truly great American, who can never be duplicated.

[marine86297]

R.I.P. Ernie, Baseball has lost another one of its best.

Imagine what baseball must sound like in Heaven. We've lost quite a few of the greats over the past few years.

[j_tull]

In that year, when the Tigers won 103 games, can you imagine listening to the play by play and the calls over a small transistor radio made in Japan – the voice of Ernie Harwell and Ray Lane? WJR 760.

I did just that, I was 12 that year. RIP Ernie.