Ernie

It’s been quite a long time since I listened to a Detroit Tigers game. But when I was a kid, I recall lying down on the counter in the kitchen, next to the radio, complete with a pillow and a sleeve of crackers, where I’d listen to the game, which was of course called by Ernie Harwell and Paul Carey.

I can remember Ernie announcing the first part of the Tigers’ lineup: “Batting first, at second base, Lou Whitaker. Batting second, at shortstop, Alan Trammel. Batting third, in right field, Kirk Gibson, Batting fourth, and catching, Lance Parrish…..”

The thing about Ernie was that he wasn’t a homer. If somebody from the opposing team hit a home run, his ‘Long Gone’ call would be just as enthusiastic as if it was a Tiger who had hit it. That alone told you that even though he was working for the Tigers, he truly loved the game.

What always baffled me, back then, was just how Ernie knew where the fans were from when he announced their hometown after they had caught a the foul ball.

Then there was the magical season, pre-steroids, where Cecil Fielder was chasing 50 home runs. I remember when he was at 49, and standing in the batter’s box in Tiger Stadium, and I swear Ernie said something along the lines of, “If he hits it here, they’ll be able to hear the cheers all the way up in Fulton!”

There are probably a million articles already out there about him. If you haven’t read any, I highly recommend that you do.