Ernie Harwell Dies at 92

Longtime Tiger radio broadcaster Ernie Harwell, 92, died tonight after a long battle with cancer. Harwell first started work for the Tigers in 1948 after being traded to the club from the Dodgers. (I love it when players get traded for announcers, equipment, or the like.) He was a Hall of Famer and a well respected man throughout the sport. His wife of 68 years and his family were by his bed in his final hours.

For a kid from Texas who doesn't even really care that much about baseball, the two voices I associate with the sport are Dodgers announcer Vin Scully and Harwell. He was a man among boys, so to speak. I'm not going to try to reiterate what was written in the article above. Those who knew Harwell's work far better than I will have plenty to say over the next few days. The man was a legend, however, and deserves all the acclaim and attention he'll get. Michigan governor Jennifer Granholm called him, "the voice of summer" which I think is just about the best thing anyone could ever say about a baseball announcer. And by all accounts Harwell was an even better man that he was a broadcaster. He was a true class act who transcended the sport he loved, the best of the best, and he will be sorely missed.

Take peace, Ernie, and may your voice carry on through the generations to come.