Bob Wolfley | SportsDay
Broadcasters idolized Harwell
If you read just a portion of the commentary about the work and life Detroit Tigers broadcaster Ernie Harwell, who died on Tuesday, you come away with some sense of how extraordinary he was.
If you listen to a particular segment of his admirers, other broadcasters, you understand why Harwell was held in such high regard.
"He was a better man than a broadcaster," said Milwaukee Brewers television announcer Brian Anderson, who considers Harwell a "perfect" broadcaster.
Anderson writes in his blog about a time in 2007 after he had been introduced as the new television voice of the Brewers. Anderson was in his room at the Pfister Hotel when his phone rang. It was Harwell congratulating him on getting his new job. Anderson, who early in his career had spent hundreds of hours listening to Harwell's tapes, had the chance to meet his idol in 1999 in Arlington, Texas.
Harwell remembered the meeting and was thoughtful enough to call Anderson eight years later when he took a big-league job.
Former Brewers broadcaster Len Kasper, now the television announcer for the Chicago Cubs, grew up in Michigan. He idolizes Harwell.
"He was as advertised," Kasper said in a phone interview. "If he met you, he would remember your name a year later even if you didn't see him in that time between. I met him in college and he always remembered my name and where I was from. That is so rare in this business. If anybody could have acted like a big-timer, it could have been him, but he never did, no matter who you were.
"Were it not for Ernie, I would not be doing what I'm doing," Kasper said. "I grew up listening to him. He had a huge influence on my career. I have had a chance to talk to him a few times on the phone, spend some time with him in Detroit last summer. As great of a broadcaster as he was, he was a better human being. He went out of his way to make everybody he met feel very, very special. I was one of those people, thankfully."
Author Curt Smith, who has written several books about baseball broadcasters, ranks Harwell as the third-best baseball announcer of all time.
He puts only Vin Scully and Mel Allen ahead of Harwell.
Smith describes Harwell's voice as "the magnolia baritone." Harwell was from Georgia.
"It's interesting," Kasper said. "He had the Georgia southern drawl. Yet I bet if you asked the kids growing up who listened to Ernie they would say, 'Of course he's from Michigan.' It's just a very comforting voice."
Kasper said what he loved about Harwell's call was his even demeanor - you could not tell from his tone whether the Tigers were up big, down big or tied in the ninth inning.
"He always gave you the same call," Kasper said. "Very fair. It was all about the game. It was never about him. It's different from a lot of hometown announcers who you can tell when their team is ahead and when their team is down. I really like that even-keel nature he brought to the broadcasts. That definitely has kind of affected the way that I view things, even though I think I get up and down a little bit more than he did."
Former Brewers broadcaster and current radio voice of the Cubs, Pat Hughes, echoes the sentiments of his colleagues.
"Ernie Harwell was a good friend and one of the all-time icons in our business," Hughes said. "I think in the history of the city of Detroit, perhaps the greatest sports legend it has had. I don't think anyone is really close, to be honest with you.
"He didn't have a mean bone in his body," Hughes said. "He always treated me with kindness and respect. He would call me out of the blue in the winter time just to talk. It was a treat. I'm proud and happy that I knew him. I'll miss him."
Kasper agreed that Harwell is as high as you can climb among Detroit sports figures in the last half of the century.
"I would put him at the very top," Kasper said. "The '68 Tigers were my dad's team, and for me the '84 Tigers were my team. Ernie was the link both times. I just think when you consider 162 games a season, three hours a day, to do that over the course of more than four decades for one team is astounding."
Call SportsWaves at (414) 223-5531 or send e-mail to bwolfley@journalsentinel.com
5 Comments
quam6535 - May 06, 2010 9:14 PM
I took the ball to my dad, I told him I only got two autographs and they were from two old guys. I showed it to him, and he got really excited. The first old man was Ernie Harwell, the second was Al Kaline.
gravelface - May 06, 2010 10:09 PM
HooleoMachado - May 07, 2010 7:40 AM
jim.melcher - May 07, 2010 11:03 AM
noTTfan - May 07, 2010 2:36 PM