It’s telling that most people reacting to the death of Ernie Harwell are not talking about baseball. The longtime radio voice of the Detroit Tigers was more than a sports figure.
Whether you met him in person or not, Harwell was a part of your life. He was a fixture, faithfully bringing you the story from the ballgame and telling his own yarns.
More than anything, people simply liked Ernie. And he responded in kind, always leaving the impression that he was humbled by the opportunity to be part of your life.
Fellow Tiger icon Al Kaline put it this way: “The fans in Detroit have never loved anyone like they do Ernie.”
We’d disagree with Kaline only slightly. The fans in Michigan feel that way, too.
— THE JACKSON CITIZEN PATRIOT