Ernie Harwell Died at 92 years caused By Cancer on Hot Topics --- Ernie Harwell Died at 92 years caused By Cancer. Ernie Harwell, the long-time Detroit Tigers radio and TV announcer died tonight at age 92 after a battle with cancer. William Earnest "Ernie" Harwell was born on January 25, 1918. Ernie Harwell was an American sportscaster, known for his long career calling play-by-play of Major League Baseball games. For 55 years, 42 of them with the Detroit Tigers, Harwell called balls, strikes, and home runs on radio and television. In January 2009, the American Sportscasters Association ranked Harwell 16th on its list of Top 50 Sportscasters of All Time.
Baseball Commissioner Allan H. (Bud) Selig issued the following statement tonight regarding the passing of Hall of Fame broadcaster Ernie Harwell at age 92:
"All of Major League Baseball is in mourning tonight upon learning of the loss of a giant of our game, Ernie Harwell. This son of Georgia was the voice of the Detroit Tigers and one of the game's iconic announcers to fans across America, always representing the best of our national pastime to his generations of listeners.
"Without question, Ernie was one of the finest and most distinguished gentlemen I have ever met. On behalf of Major League Baseball, I extend my deepest sympathy to Ernie's beloved wife Lulu, his four children, his friends and his countless admirers throughout our game."
He was a good man who got to spend his life around the game he loved and was able to share it with all of us with humility, class, and an abundance of grace. If you didn't grow up within earshot of the 50,000 watts of WJR in Detroit, you probably can't quite understand this, but trust me when I say the man's voice simply WAS summer. It WAS baseball. It WAS childhood. It WAS Detroit. And it WAS innocence. And it was all of those things for several generations of Tigers fans.
No matter what was happening in my beleaguered hometown, from riots, to unemployment, to corruption, to an exodus, Ernie was the constant. And every year, spring came and anything was possible for Detroit when Ernie came on the radio to call a Tigers game. He stood above all the problems of that city with elegance, grace, class and never a nasty word for anyone.
Tags: ernie harwell death, detroit free press, ernie, detroit news, freep
Baseball Commissioner Allan H. (Bud) Selig issued the following statement tonight regarding the passing of Hall of Fame broadcaster Ernie Harwell at age 92:
"All of Major League Baseball is in mourning tonight upon learning of the loss of a giant of our game, Ernie Harwell. This son of Georgia was the voice of the Detroit Tigers and one of the game's iconic announcers to fans across America, always representing the best of our national pastime to his generations of listeners.
"Without question, Ernie was one of the finest and most distinguished gentlemen I have ever met. On behalf of Major League Baseball, I extend my deepest sympathy to Ernie's beloved wife Lulu, his four children, his friends and his countless admirers throughout our game."
He was a good man who got to spend his life around the game he loved and was able to share it with all of us with humility, class, and an abundance of grace. If you didn't grow up within earshot of the 50,000 watts of WJR in Detroit, you probably can't quite understand this, but trust me when I say the man's voice simply WAS summer. It WAS baseball. It WAS childhood. It WAS Detroit. And it WAS innocence. And it was all of those things for several generations of Tigers fans.
No matter what was happening in my beleaguered hometown, from riots, to unemployment, to corruption, to an exodus, Ernie was the constant. And every year, spring came and anything was possible for Detroit when Ernie came on the radio to call a Tigers game. He stood above all the problems of that city with elegance, grace, class and never a nasty word for anyone.
Tags: ernie harwell death, detroit free press, ernie, detroit news, freep
