Detroit TV legend Bill Bonds reacts to the firing of Ernie Harwell in December 1990. Bill's commentary is as expected: exceptional. Detroit Tigers Bo Schembechler WXYZ Channel 7
I am now 68. He was one of, if not THE, greatest, sports announcers of all time, He had a calming, put you at ease, avuncular voice. That I grew up with. Back then, when the world was on the verge of whatever, hearing his voice, put you at ease, made you feel like you were in the ballpark. There is no announcer today anywhere near his caliber. All those that remember him know exactly what I mean. This humble man had a gift, That I miss.
Exactly!! I remember my parents driving home from the U.P. when we were kids and mom and dad dialed around until we heard Harwells voice!! It was relaxing to listen to!!
Bo wasn't good enough to shine Ernie's shoes. As far as I know, the SOB wasn't never enough of a man to apologize to Ernie in public. At least Ernie proved Bo wrong when Ernie made his comeback. Plus, who died first? :-) RIP Ernie
Bill used to tip me 50 bucks whenever he came into the Fox & Hound on Woodward back in the day. Loved to drink and tell stories. But after his poor daughter was killed I felt so bad for him he was a real man back in the day but it really crushed him inside and he started going off the rails after that but, damn I miss him and Ernie. I mean can you imagine this. it was akin to firing Vin Scully those where the two greatest play by play guys on the planet! Thankfully he came back. What a PR nightmare though.Then in 92 the Illitches by the team 👏
"It sure as Hell ain't baseball." You couldn't write it much better, and only one guy could've gotten away with that, live, on-air, lol. Love the sound of the typewriters, in the newsroom. Brings back memories, lol.
I'm 52 and grew up watching Bill Bonds. At dinner every night at dinner my family had channel 7 news on with Bill Bonds. It's almost like Bill was part of the family and I say this because I happened to be on vacation in Miami Florida and my mom called me all upset and I asked her what was wrong and she said that Bill Bounds had got a DUI and was fired by channel 7. Lol my was so upset she called me long distance (which in those days it cost a lot of money to call long distance) to give me the news. R.I.P. to my Mom and Bill Bonds!
Whenever there was a wrong decision made on something like the Firing of Ernie Harwell I was glad that Bill Bonds was the Voice for Detroiter’s. I am glad that Bonds fired back at Tom Monaghan. Bonds always stood up for Detroit.
It's true what Bonds said about hearing Ernie's voice. When I was in the service for 6 years, I never came home during baseball season. I could only swing leave during the Christmas season. When I finally got out, it was January and I waited for baseball season. So much of the old place had changed. Some things I didn't recognize. But when baseball season started, there was Ernie and Paul Carey calling the game just like they did before I left for the service. Like Bill said, I knew I was home. I habitually listened to the entire game on the radio and then to Paul's recap of scores around the majors that day. It was how I grew up listening to baseball. Now, with the death of Jim Price--another guy I watched as a player, a sportscaster and an announcer, a big era of Detroit sports that I was raised on has ended.
George Kell and Ernie Harwell were the best pair of baseball announces ever. Perfect for the game, no constant jabber and overanalysis. Hello again everyone this is George Kell and Ernie Harwell...
You can tell Bill was absolutely pissed at the start. Detroit lost real journalism the day he and Mort Crim of Channel 4 several years later in 1997 left the airwaves.
Wow, so forgot about this news event- loved Ernie for all my childhood life!!! Transistor radio underneath my pillow listening to Tigers baseball in the 70's, 80's. I'm 61 now and wish I could listen to Mr Harwell call a game 1 more time to say someone from Madison heights Michigan going home with a souvenir baseball tonight....
I will never forget what they did to Ernie Harwell. Thankfully common sense prevailed and Ernie went on to broadcast Tiger games nearly another decade when he retired on his own terms in 2002. There is two things that are unforgivable to me... #1. When they fired Ernie, and #2. When Mike Ilitch pulled the Tigers out of Tiger Stadium. There's some things you just don't do.
When I was a kid Tigers baseball was only on TV once or twice a week. Like thousands of other Detroiters, I had a transistor radio in my pocket or under my pillow listening to Ernie. And yes, I could see the game through Ernie's voice. Vin Scully may be the last of that breed of broadcasters - and he took the seat of Ernie when Ernie left the Dodgers to go to the Giants. Although it is an empty and meaningless protest, I will say that I have not had a Domino's pizza since.
I remember it all so well when I still lived in Detroit. Bo said the Ernie really wasn't Ernie anymore(?). Seriously? Ernie remained absolutely great throughout his entire career. I always felt this was a Monaghan/Bo power play, as they didn't like that Ernie was so much more popular than they were.
