Anybody that knows me knows that I am a true Detroit Tigers' fan. The first memory I have was 1984 when they won the World Series. Names like Jack Morris, Alan Trammel, Darrell Evans, Milt Wilcox and Dan Petry were "Michigan Household Names" back then. Over the years, players like Cecil Fielder, Luis Gonzales and Hideo Nomo would come and go. They would "go" most often as the team faltered badly after about 1993 and went into tailspin for a decade.
There was one man that was there the entire way. Ernie Harwell would broadcast the games from the booth for WJR, which would be broadcast locally on 850AM - WKBZ. His broadcast partner for most of those years was Paul Carey. These guys were more to me than just broadcasters. They brought the games to me as early back as 10 years old. Most times during my childhood, we didn't have TV. My mom thought the TV made us lazy and broadcast filth that would send us to hell if we watched it.
When my mom took up running back in the early 1980's, she bought a little transistor radio. It was small enough where she could put it in the front pocket of a hooded sweatshirt. I suspect that it didn't work well for her, which is why she gave it to me. Mind you, this was before the days of the "Walkman" with headphones that weren't like wearing ear muffs.
It was AM and FM, but had pretty bad reception from its antennae that was about 5 times longer than the radio itself. It would pick up WTRU AM 1600 (which was THE station back then), WLCS "Magic 98" and of course WKBZ. This was about the time that I began calling the DJ's constantly to play "Thriller" or other Michael Jackson songs. Of course, these were at times that my mom wasn't around.
At night time during baseball season, I was forced to go to bed rather early. I figure maybe it was my ADHD, but I would lay in bed with one ear to that radio listening to the sounds of the ballpark. It just felt like I was there when I heard the "Charge" from County Stadium in Milwaukee or the ball hitting off the scoreboard at Fenway. When there was a break in the action, Ernie would tell us the story about how he almost got into a fistfight with Ty Cobb on a train, or how he was the only broadcaster ever traded by a team. One time, I remember a story about how he and his wife (Ms. Lulu) went to what I believe was an African safari. The guide recognized his voice before he had a chance to see his name. This guide was apparently awestruck and Ernie was almost embarrassed that someone so far from home recognized him by his voice alone. I remember that story because I always wished that I could be as lucky as that guy.
Over the years, I would practice becoming a baseball announcer, although I would never pursue it. I always modeled my style after Ernie Harwell and would steal his lines - like "two for the price of one" or "lonnng gone!"
In Ernie's last few seasons with teh Tigers, he would be back in the television booth, along side clumsy color men like Jim Price. As much as I don't care for Jim's style of announcing, I always remember the reverence he had for Ernie.
When Ernie finally did retire in like 2005, I remember wishing the Tigers could have won just one more World Series, or gave him a decent playoff run. In 2006, they did just that. ESPN would invite Ernie into the booth for a couple of innings to do the play-by-play. I remember not having a TV in my barracks so I had to go to the bowling alley to watch the game. Here is a top notch broadcaster (Jon Miller) and the great Joe Morgan (color man) treating Ernie like he is the most powerful man in the world. What a treat it was for all of us to have Ernie to share in the World Series experience from the broadcast booth where he so faithfully served Tiger fans for 42 season.
So, when Ernie revealed that he had inoperable cancer, I don't think I have ever felt so badly for someone who I have never met. He is a man that I have "known" and admired my entire life. Much like my dad, he has the luxury of saying goodbye to his family and friends. When Ernie decided that he would address the crowd one last time, I knew I just had to be there.
...And so I will.
