Ernie Harwell has died

**daddeeo** · May-04-10, 11:07 PM

The guy was a class act in a town where they are sometimes hard to find.
He helped countless people start out in their careers with advice and a kind word.
I got to interview him for a book 6 years ago and he actually invited me to his house.
It was the fastest 40 minutes of my life.
I couldn't stop thinking [[while writing his responses), "I'm actually talking with Ernie Harwell."
I'm glad I recorded the session because I'm going to listen to it again tomorrow.
He was a true Christian who talked the talk and walked the walk.

**barnesfoto** · May-04-10, 11:17 PM

Never cared much for baseball, but had the good fortune to meet Ernie Harwell and take his picture. What a great human being! Detroit is a little emptier without his presence.

**Kathleen** · May-04-10, 11:19 PM

Tonight a little bit of Detroit's soul has left this earth! Ernie Harwell was a true gentleman, a real family man, and a friend.

I first heard Ernie on the air during the '67 Tigers run for the pennant. And in '68, the transistor radio and I were tight...as I lay in bed listening to Ernie call the game late at night...

Through the years listening to Ernie was like listening to a good friend!!

I always enjoyed how two of my great passions--the Detroit Tigers and Gone With The Wind, both of which I became acquainted with when I was in 6th grade--came together years later when I learned of Ernie's connection with Gone With The Wind.

Because of that, I had an opportunity to become acquainted with Ernie.
Now Ernie might not have recognized me if he passed me on the street, but he certainly knew my name as a Gone With The Wind fan when I reminded him from time to time.

I will always cherish my GWTW Ernie memories....

... Ernie walking in with Miss Lulu just before I was to give a GWTW talk at the Southfield Public Library. He had just flown home with the Tigers from Kansas City, and Miss Lulu and he headed to the library with some GWTW premiere mementos to share with me and the audience.

... Being summoned to the phone by one of my colleagues at the office. "It's Ernie Harwell, and he wants to talk to you!". Ernie was calling to ask if I had heard Lee Spence talking about "The Real Rhett Butler" on the Paul W. Smith show that morning on WJR.

... Chatting with Miss Lulu about a 1948 Atlanta Historical Society Open House hosted by Margaret Mitchell and her husband John Marsh that Lulu attended [[I saw her name in the Guest Register). She laughed about the fact that she and Margaret Mitchell were wearing the same "cheap dime store earrings" that day.

I shall always cherish these memories of Ernie.

My condolences to Miss Lulu and their children and grandchildren!!

**buildingsofdetroit** · May-04-10, 11:21 PM

I remember bumping into Ernie Harwell in the lobby of the Free Press a few years ago during the fight to save his beloved Tiger Stadium.
"It's an honor to meet you, sir," I said.
"The pleasure is all mine," Ernie replied with that warm smile, cupping my hand in a warm handshake.
He asked me my name, where I grew up and who my favorite Tiger was.
"Chet Lemon," I told him.
"Chester. Earl. Lemon," he said in the same delivery he had used 20 years earlier. That voice instantly transported me back to the summer of 1987, laying on my grandparents' floor listening to him on the radio.
Ernie had come there on business, but he made the time for me, just another fan, as I'm sure he had done thousands of times before. That's the kind of person Ernie was. That's the kind of person everyone should strive to be.
Looking back on it, when he asked me who my favorite Tiger was, I should have said: "Ernie Harwell."

**smogboy** · May-05-10, 12:13 AM

Originally Posted by buildingsofdetroit

Looking back on it, when he asked me who my favorite Tiger was, I should have said: "Ernie Harwell."

I doubt if he would've said "William. Earnest. "Ernie". Harwell." in response. He was by far one of the humblest kindest people on this planet.

We were all blessed to have had Ernie in our lives in some way, shape or form.

Ravine · May-05-10, 12:20 AM

Originally Posted by Ray1936

What a wonderful life he had, though, huh? RIP

Yup. What Ray said.
Don't be sad, gang; Ernie wouldn't want you to feel bad about this event. He lived a great life in a great way and had a great time doing it.
I adored Ernie Harwell, and my favorite part of Comerica Park is the statue of him.
The only thing he treated as being more important than the game itself was the people in, and of, the game, and in his broadcasting, he treated the moments themselves as being much more interesting than anything he might want to say about those moments.

There will be a body, available for viewing, at Comerica on Thursday, but Ernie won't be there; he will be busy, doing play-by-play for the Saints-Angels game.

Bye, Ernie. I love you

**Gistok** · May-05-10, 12:51 AM

I agree 100% Ravine... Ernie wouldn't want us to be sad in his passing, but to remember him in a happy way for the wonderful life that he lived.... RIP Ernie...

**EastsideAl** · May-05-10, 01:34 AM

In a way it's like mourning summer. You know the fall is coming, and the wind, but it's still sad.

Goodbye Ernie. You were the exciting, yet also the calming, sound of so many of our long sunny afternoons and too damn hot nights. And then you were among the best of us too.

I felt this picture from the News site today:

**rid0617** · May-05-10, 01:35 AM

It never gets any easier as you watch the people you grew up with one by one pass. You starting thinking your time is getting close. He will be missed.

**reddog289** · May-05-10, 01:59 AM

God Bless You Ernie, For all you have done.

**GMan** · May-05-10, 06:05 AM

Thanks for the memories of summer in the Motor City from Michigan and Trumbull.
Good Bye Ernie. R.I.P.

**luckycar** · May-05-10, 06:09 AM

A little boy sneaking a transistor radio under his pillow on a muggy summers night.The voice that sooths him to sleep,from places he hasn't yet seen.That is my most cherished memory of Ernie Harwell.We miss him,yet we don't.He will always be with us.God bless his family.

**DetroitScooter** · May-05-10, 06:28 AM

I'm going to head over to the museum at Tiger Stadium for a quiet cry. Wait.
You will be missed in a thousand ways, Ernie.

**Searay215** · May-05-10, 06:52 AM

Ernie....You were the best and will be missed!! We all loved you and you were baseball to all of us. God Bless and RIP

**sirrealone** · May-05-10, 07:21 AM

Wonder if it'd be possible to make the DYes banners Ernie-themed for a while?

**DetroitZack** · May-05-10, 08:44 AM

R.I.P. Ernie. You will never be forgotten.

**suitsoot** · May-05-10, 10:30 AM

We were lucky growing up with Ernie on the radio and George Kell on TV.

**gibran** · May-05-10, 10:51 AM

a summer night ...ciragrettes glowing on the front porches,,,,transistor radios breaking the sound of crickets...my uncle listening like many of my neighbors to the tigers games....what a peaceful time....God Bless you Ernie..now we all have a play by play announcer in heaven.

**sklingon** · May-05-10, 01:11 PM

...."he stood there like the house by the side of the road" ....
Only one of his many great ones ...

**dtowncitylover** · May-05-10, 02:23 PM

There's a Cause of Facebook, to change "Comerica Park" to "Harwell Field", while it may never happen with Comerica's permission, it would be nice.

**TenKGent** · May-05-10, 02:45 PM

another one of the GOAT in Detroit has gone the way of all the earth. i grew up listening to the TIGERS on my transistor in the 60's and 70's, and there was Ernie Harwell and George Kell and Paul Carey and Ray Lane and all the VOICES who told us who, what,where, how, and sometimes why. i'll miss the strength of his voice, and his presence.

**FerndaleDamon** · May-05-10, 06:24 PM

Ernie's voice was so connected to our childhoods. Waiting to hear in the spring, signaling warmer weather. Being on vacation up north & hearing the distant WJR radio signal. Warm summer evenings when your dad listened after cutting the grass. Just a few reasons why we feel so personal about the man. Any time a "constant" in your life is gone, it feels personal. I think we are the ones who were/are blessed by him. God bless you, Ernie Harwell. We will never forget you.

**CLAUDE G** · May-05-10, 10:42 PM

Why change the name of Comerica Park to Hawell Field.

The Old Tiger Stadium Conservancy has a 3.8 Million dollar federal earmark from Senator Levin to restore the field at the Old Tiger Stadium Site.

It would be more appropiate to use the federal earmark, turn the Tiger Stadium site into a park and rename the field, Harwell Field in Ernie's Honor.

**daddeeo** · May-05-10, 10:49 PM

Interesting that Ernie and Tiger Stadium both passed away within a year.
He really tried to preserve that place.
Whatever happened to all that development that supposed to happen after they tore it down?

**CLAUDE G** · May-05-10, 10:57 PM

I just went by there tonight and its another vacant lot at Michigan and Trumbull.

Atleast someone had the sense to raise the flag and put up a banner in memory of Tiger Stadium