Ernie Harwell

Each new baseball season announced by Ernie Harwell was kicked off with this quote from the Bible.

For, lo, the winter is past,
The rain is over and gone;
The flowers appear on the earth;
The time of the singing of birds is come,
And the voice of the turtle is heard in our land.

Listen to this legendary broadcaster welcome in the new baseball season here.

The audio is from Ernie Harwell's Audio Scrapbook which is a 4-Disc treasure trove for Detroit Tiger fans. I listen to my copy all of the time.

Thank you, folks. Thank you very much. We don't want to be penalized now for delay of the game. But I do want to express my feelings here.

It's a wonderful night for me. I really feel lucky to be here, and I want to thank you for that warm welcome. I want to express my deep appreciation to Mike Ilitch, Dave Dombrowski and the Tigers for that video salute and also for the many great things they've done for me and my family throughout my career here with the Tigers. In my almost 92 years on this Earth, the good Lord has blessed me with a great journey, and the blessed part of that journey is that it's going to end here in the great state of Michigan.

I deeply appreciate the people of Michigan. I love their grit. I love the way they face life. I love the family values they have. And you Tiger fans are the greatest fans of all, no question about that. And I certainly want to thank you from the depth of my heart for your devotion, your support, your loyalty and your love. Thank you very much, and God bless you.

In 1960 Ernie Harwell became the radio announcer for the Detroit Tigers. He became a local legend, if not a national legend.

Except for the one year (1992) away after being fired (forced retirement - call it what you want) at the end of the 1991 season. After coming back to the Tigers organization in 1993 he announced the games in the television booth until returning to the radio booth for the 1998 season.

Ernie officially retired at the end of the 2002 season. He was able to leave at a time of his choosing.

It was a thrill during the 2006 Divisional Series against the Yankees to have him in the ESPN television booth chatting and doing a little play by play. Oh how I wished one of the Tigers had hit a home run so we could hear "It's Looonnngg Gone!" one last time.

Over the years Ernie Harwell would develop a lot of signature calls. His calls were never forced, he let things come natural and it shows.

Two for the price of one - Double Play

Stood there like the house by the side of the road - Player looking/taking a called third strike

Called out for excessive window shopping - same as above

An umpire "gets the family look" from a player or manager - "like when you're a kid and someone takes the last biscuit, you give him/her the family look."

When the fans boo their disagreement with the umpires - "Some of the umpires who paid to get in disagreed with that call."

Caught by a man from Kalamazoo - Harwell began this tradition with the Tigers. When a foul ball went into the stands and was caught by a fan he would announce the town they were from (just a random Michigan town at home games) to make the game more intimate.

And of course -

That ball's Loooonnngggg Gone! Harwell's signature and beloved home run call.

Listen to these calls by Ernie here.

A legend is not fired. He is allowed to leave at a time of his choosing and on his terms. He is allowed that last ride into the sunset of his career.

In 1990 the Detroit Tigers made one of the biggest blunders in public relations when they forced Ernie Harwell to retire at the end of the 1991 baseball season.

Darker than the night the final game was played at the Green Cathedral, Tiger Stadium, was December 19, 1990. That was the day that Ernie Harwell announced that he wasn't retiring, but being forced out.

Here are the people who played a role in this preposterous episode whether they were directly involved or by doing nothing to stop this travesty:

Tom Monaghan - Tigers owner
Bo Schembechler - Tigers President
Jim Long - GM of WJR
Jeff Odenwald - Tigers Marketing Director
Jim Campbell - CEO of Tigers

After his "retirement" at the end of the 1991 season, Harwell obviously did not announce ballgames during the 1992 season. Thankfully, in the spring of 1993 new owner, Mike Ilitch, made the smart move and brought Ernie Harwell back.

Harwell would call the television games for the Tigers from 1994-98. He returned to the radio booth in 1999 and remained there until his official retirement in 2002.

"Tigers lead it 8-2. Two down in the 9th inning. Jones is ready. He delivers. Here's a swing and a miss.

The game is over and Tiger Stadium is no more."

Check out my Tiger Stadium lens for more coverage of the final game at Tiger Stadium and video footage of Ernie Harwell's Tiger Stadium Eulogy.

During the 1948 season while broadcasting for the Atlanta Crackers Ernie Harwell was traded for Brooklyn Dodgers catcher Cliff Dapper. The Crackers needed a manager (which Cliff became) and the Dodgers needed an announcer.

Ernie Harwell is the only announcer in baseball history who can say that he was traded for a catcher.

Bobby Thomson's 'Shot Heard 'Round the World' in the 1951 playoff for the National League pennant was called by Ernie Harwell on the television broadcast of the game.

The trouble is, hardly anyone knows or remembers his call.

It was Russ Hodges radio call of Bobby Thomson's home run that was made famous. The radio broadcast of the game was taped by a Dodgers fan who had hoped to taunt Giants fans by playing the game for them.

He ended up selling it to Hodges for $10.

You can listen to Hodges call via the Baseball Hall of Fame.

"The Tigers have just finished their 2002 season and I have just finished my baseball broadcasting career. And it's time to say goodbye, but I think goodbyes 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 goodbye, 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 workplace, 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've 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'll 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."