Agreed, which is just a striking statement concerning a sports-crazy city like Detroit, with a lot of history. Kaline, Howe, Yzerman, Sanders, Thomas, Greenburg, Gehringer, Dumars, Anderson, Horton, Campbell...so many great talents, many of who were classy also. But, from my estimation of it anyway, we loved Ernie on another level, and deservedly so. Still do.
3 года назад
Being a lifelong Detroiter, there is no man more respected in Michigan that I can think of, than Ernie Harwell. My introduction to the Tigers was as a 7 year old kid riding with my grandfather in his green 1978 Ford F150, listening to Ernie call a game against Baltimore. This is baseball. A kid buying his first packs of baseball cards before seeing a game, only listening. This is baseball. Rest In Peace Ernie. Thank you so much for the memories.
One of the greatest baseball interviews of all time. Filled with humor, wisdom, nostalgic reminiscences, and a devotion to the game of baseball that'll break your heart for what once was.
One of the best interviews I’ve ever watched. I might be a little biased, but Ernie was the same person in the interview as he was on the radio. I enjoyed hearing him for more than 4 decades!
Listening to Mr Harwell with my transistor radio underneath my pillow back in the 70's when I was a teenager was the best part of my Tiger experience- love Ernie so much, their will never be anybody like him ever again!!!!
There was nothing so great as coming out of a typically rough 1970s Michigan winter, and hearing Ernie and Paul for the first time that season, broadcasting from Florida! I really hated winter, and those voices of summer, coming from some far-away nice warm location, was pure euphoria to my little kiddy ears, letting me know that nice weather was coming soon for us too... Just amazing to think about how the Tigers, and Ernie and Paul, were everywhere you went in Detroit, and it's suburbs back then. I'd walk down our street, and keep up with the game, as I moved from hearing it come out of one neighbor's house to another. They were synonymous with Michigan summers, just one reason they were so loved.
Ernie and I have something in common - we both arrived in Detroit in 1960. I was born there, and he drove from Baltimore. I grew up with a transistor radio in my pocket or under my pillow listening to him call Tiger's games for many years. I used to see him at Tiger stadium and he would always take time to respond if I said something to him. I moved from Detroit to Oregon in, of all years, 1984 for work. One thing I would have loved to do is go through the Hall of Fame with him - back then he knew almost everyone enshrined there! I can only wish/hope that I will be this accepting and calm when I know death is knocking at the door.
The finest announcer and a great person. I have a voicemail from him that I will never discard. Al Kaline once said that there is no perfect person, but Ernie was close. I wish I had met him, even for a minute. This interview will make you feel better and want to be a better person. Share this with everyone you know.
Great words, so true. Ernie was the real deal man of God, the guy most of us strive to be. I've heard so many accounts of people who met him, who were just struck at how incredibly kind and humble he was, many amazed at how much time he was willing to take with them. I know it's none of my business, but can I ask what he said to you in the voicemail?
What a humble man. Reminds me a bit of Vin Scully, another God-loving man who did it into his 90s practically. Jack Buck, Harry Caray, Bob Prince in Pittsburgh, Harry Calas in Philly. All the great ones who connected a city to their team... are gone now, but as long as we remember them in our hearts, they live forever. And this RU-vid allows us to reminisce with them the classic moments. Thanks Ernie for a life well lived.
Vin Scully replaced Ernie when Ernie moved from the Brooklyn Dodgers to the New York Giants. Ernie Harwell and I both arrived in Detroit in 1960. Ernie drove from Baltimore - I was born. I grew up with Ernie. As a kid I had a transistor radio under my pillow listening to Ernie every night the Tigers played. I saw Ernie at Tiger Stadium many times over the years, and he was just a great humble man who would talk to anyone. I remember the night I heard he passed. It sucked the wind out of me and I cried. I miss Ernie the same as I miss my Grandparents. I only hope when my end comes, I can be at peace with it as Ernie and my favorite Grandmother.
Simply the best. I'm not from Detroit but went there in my 20's for work. I quickly became a fan. He had a way of painting the picture of the game in such a beautiful way. Almost poetry.
Yup, as classy, kind, professional, personable, and so good at what he did as Ernie was, Paul was all those things too. I really prefer the style they did the games with over the modern play-by-play/color commentator format too. They didn't feel as though they had to have someone constantly talking, trading off innings, where one of them would do virtually the whole thing by himself, allowing the sounds and the feel of the game and stadium around them to come through. Loved that they refrained from being the huge homers pretty much all of them are today, also. You knew who they were broadcasting for, but it wasn't obvious. Class.
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
We were blessed in Detroit for so many years of 2 of the best play by play announcers baseball has ever known. Ernie on the radio and George Kell on TV, good men as well
Don't forget Paul Carey, no slouch himself. Yup, we were outright spoiled in that era. The Tigers were good for almost all of the 70s and 80s, adding to it. Man, what a great time that was to grow up in, SO grateful to God to have blessed us to do so.
@@johnboehmer6683 As a kid I was at a Tiger game getting a hotdog in the corridor, and the vendor said "There's Paul Carey" I turned around and was surprised to see him, and said "Hi" and in his monotone voice replied "Hi son" then joked with the vendor about it being a bad night for hot dogs, he was a good man / announcer too.
@@jimcoleman598 Thanks for your reply Jim, and that account. It just solidifies my image of Paul as a truly humble, kind man, like Ernie. For him to be willing to come down from the booth to be among the people (to get a hot dog?). I bet hearing "the voice of God", as they say, speak to you as a kid, was something!😁
Ernie....all of our's "Forever Tiger"; my earliest (and some of my most favorite) memories were sittin in my Dads backseat with Dad and Dzadzi up front with Ernie calling a game on the radio. Now all three have passed on. RIP Ernie, Dad, and Dzadzi
It’s a damn shame so many of his games are gone I’d rather listen to an old baseball game than watch hardly anything in tv Radio as an industry has nearly no impact anymore I spent many a night listening to wjr way back when baseball on tv especially a tiger game was a rare treat I lost interest in baseball after the central division was created but memories of tiger stadium and half of the stadium crowd had little radios w Ernie calling the game Ernie was the voice of the tigers
You may already know, but here on RU-vid they have about 20 recordings of full Tiger games, most are Ernie and Paul, a few are before Paul come on. I love listening to them, even though I know the outcome after the first listen! The nostalgia quality is strong. But more than that, it's just a beautiful thing to experience a thing done to perfection, like they did.
I used to listen to him on the CBS Radio Game of the 'Week. I think I was more interested in the broadcast than the game itself. To this day, I listen to a game based on the radio broadcast. Thanks to Ernie and Herb Carneal and John Gordon. To steal a comment aimed at Vin Scully from Kevin Costner, " You were a teacher, a historian, a storyteller and a friend." Thanks for the memories, Ernie. I know that angels gather around you to hear your stories.
Many people don't know or, at least it isn't spoken of much, but Vin Scully replaced Ernie when Ernie moved from the Brooklyn Dodgers to the New York Giants.
I got familiar with Vin when he did the nationally-televised games in the 80s, I think it was NBC. He had that kind of sing-song manner of speech, it kind of got on my nerves a bit. Also, he would fairly regularly give, what seemed to me, just inane little blurbs of info to fill the gaps that didn't seem to have relevance to the game. I didn't know until much later that he was considered a legend, and I was really surprised. He wasn't bad, I was just really surprised at how revered he was. I'll take Ernie any day.
Michigan and Trumbull ......... " that Fall Ball Was Caught ByA Young Man From Bad Axe Michigan " Simply The Best ............ thanks ernie ....for the memories
Paul Carey and Bruce Martin also. We were really spoiled to have so much class and talent then. Now, we've got guys that can't even refrain from fistfights in the booth, to broadcast for just a couple hours.
Bo Schembecler wasn't half the man Ernie Harwell was, and showed how small he was after the dust settled on that debacle. Bo was pure ego and Ernie was pure character...
I liked Bo Schembechler for the winner he gave us for many years with U of M (despite the woeful Bowl record), but wow, did he take a wrecking ball to his legacy in firing Ernie Harwell. The story Ernie tells here of trying to shake Bo's hand, and Bo just being dismissive, makes it even worse. By that time, Bo had been flooded by thousands of angry Detroiters voices because of his inexcusable, horrible decision. You would think he would have realized the terrible mistake he made as a result, and thus would have been anxious to be kind to Ernie, but no. He seems to have been the exact opposite of Ernie Harwell, classless and aloof.
An absolute annoying man who didn’t know when to leave. The tigers had to fire him because he was falling asleep in the announcers booth. A boring man who over stayed his welcome
I don't have the words to express how repulsive yours are. I'm guessing you're just desperate for attention, slinging mud to do so, on one of the kindest people to ever walk the earth. Why would you even check out this interview if you've got such disdain?
