I remember listening to old Tigers games when I was younger; more so around the early 90's. Win or lose, rain, snow or sun, Ernie Harwell was always there. A staple, not just in Detroit, but in major league baseball as a whole. He passed away tonight at the age of 92. To Tigers fans, so too did a hallmark of this team. I read a remark about his passing that really hit home. It basically said we mourn Ernie not because we knew him personally, but because he connected us to the one's we did love, and to a game we'll always cherish. Going to old Tigers stadium with my Dad and Grandparents, getting photos from Lakeland, collecting the complete Tigers team baseball cards throughout the seasons, these are some of my memories. And in the background, always calling out a man from Lansing or Traverse City or Flint was taking home a foul ball, was Ernie Harwell.
"I'm not leaving, folks. I'll still be with you, living my life in Michigan, my home state, surrounded by family and friends. And rather than goodbye, please allow me to say thank you. Thank you for letting me become part of your family. Thank you for taking me with you to that cottage up north, to the beach, the picnic, your work place, or your backyard. Thank you for sneaking your transistor radio under the pillow as you grew up loving the Tigers. I might have been a small part of your life. But you have been a very large part of mine."
1918 - 2010,
B
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