Comments on: Ernie Harwell and the moment http://www.detroittigersweblog.com/2009/09/ernie-harwell-and-the-moment/ News, views, and analysis on the Detroit Tigers and baseball Sat, 20 Mar 2010 17:11:17 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: LovesDaisies http://www.detroittigersweblog.com/2009/09/ernie-harwell-and-the-moment/#comment-133693 LovesDaisies Mon, 05 Oct 2009 17:52:18 +0000 http://www.detroittigersweblog.com/?p=5230#comment-133693 For those of you who were unable to attend Mitch Albom's book release event at the Fox, here is a great video of Mitch's interview with Ernie Harwell. I swear, that voice is one-of-a-kind. If we were playing "Name That Tune" I think most of us could name Ernie Harwell's voice in one note! Harwell fans, you'll love this! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KB0ohj5EyTI Enjoy! For those of you who were unable to attend Mitch Albom’s book release event at the Fox, here is a great video of Mitch’s interview with Ernie Harwell. I swear, that voice is one-of-a-kind. If we were playing “Name That Tune” I think most of us could name Ernie Harwell’s voice in one note!

Harwell fans, you’ll love this!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KB0ohj5EyTI

Enjoy!

]]> By: RayW http://www.detroittigersweblog.com/2009/09/ernie-harwell-and-the-moment/#comment-131464 RayW Wed, 23 Sep 2009 11:34:30 +0000 http://www.detroittigersweblog.com/?p=5230#comment-131464 Bill, Wow.... Nice job... God bless Ernie and you. Bill, Wow…. Nice job… God bless Ernie and you.

]]> By: billfer http://www.detroittigersweblog.com/2009/09/ernie-harwell-and-the-moment/#comment-131372 billfer Tue, 22 Sep 2009 23:05:27 +0000 http://www.detroittigersweblog.com/?p=5230#comment-131372 Thanks everyone for the kind words. I appreciate it. Thanks everyone for the kind words. I appreciate it.

]]> By: Steve in OH http://www.detroittigersweblog.com/2009/09/ernie-harwell-and-the-moment/#comment-131358 Steve in OH Tue, 22 Sep 2009 15:33:15 +0000 http://www.detroittigersweblog.com/?p=5230#comment-131358 I'll fifteenth all the comments above. Wonderful post! I’ll fifteenth all the comments above. Wonderful post!

]]> By: Matt http://www.detroittigersweblog.com/2009/09/ernie-harwell-and-the-moment/#comment-131357 Matt Tue, 22 Sep 2009 15:27:54 +0000 http://www.detroittigersweblog.com/?p=5230#comment-131357 Your Ernie Harwell blog post got delayed because of the pennant race between the Tigers and Twins? That made me smile. Because if Ernie himself was running this blog I'm sure he too would have pushed the Tigers/Twins posts to the forefront while pushing any posts about himself to the back burner. Your Ernie Harwell blog post got delayed because of the pennant race between the Tigers and Twins?

That made me smile.

Because if Ernie himself was running this blog I’m sure he too would have pushed the Tigers/Twins posts to the forefront while pushing any posts about himself to the back burner.

]]> By: Kathy http://www.detroittigersweblog.com/2009/09/ernie-harwell-and-the-moment/#comment-131356 Kathy Tue, 22 Sep 2009 15:08:41 +0000 http://www.detroittigersweblog.com/?p=5230#comment-131356 Glad you made it to the game, Bill. Millions of us grew up listening to Ernie and we are all probably a better person for it because he was so good. To listen to someone's voice over and over, day-in, day-out, year after year, hanging on his every word and never believing it would stop is something like losing a beloved family member. You expressed that quite well, Billfer. Glad you made it to the game, Bill. Millions of us grew up listening to Ernie and we are all probably a better person for it because he was so good. To listen to someone’s voice over and over, day-in, day-out, year after year, hanging on his every word and never believing it would stop is something like losing a beloved family member. You expressed that quite well, Billfer.

]]> By: rings http://www.detroittigersweblog.com/2009/09/ernie-harwell-and-the-moment/#comment-131355 rings Tue, 22 Sep 2009 14:18:31 +0000 http://www.detroittigersweblog.com/?p=5230#comment-131355 Having also been there, I agree. Well done and an excellent tribute. Having also been there, I agree. Well done and an excellent tribute.

]]> By: Matt in Toledo http://www.detroittigersweblog.com/2009/09/ernie-harwell-and-the-moment/#comment-131353 Matt in Toledo Tue, 22 Sep 2009 13:50:05 +0000 http://www.detroittigersweblog.com/?p=5230#comment-131353 That's an incredibly astute description of Harwell's style and what made him great. It's one of those observations that you just go, "Wow, that's spot on!" Fantastic post, Bill. That’s an incredibly astute description of Harwell’s style and what made him great. It’s one of those observations that you just go, “Wow, that’s spot on!” Fantastic post, Bill.

]]> By: Andrew http://www.detroittigersweblog.com/2009/09/ernie-harwell-and-the-moment/#comment-131351 Andrew Tue, 22 Sep 2009 13:19:01 +0000 http://www.detroittigersweblog.com/?p=5230#comment-131351 Thanks for your heartfelt post, Bill. Thanks for your heartfelt post, Bill.

]]> By: Sam http://www.detroittigersweblog.com/2009/09/ernie-harwell-and-the-moment/#comment-131350 Sam Tue, 22 Sep 2009 13:13:10 +0000 http://www.detroittigersweblog.com/?p=5230#comment-131350 Well written Bill. Well written Bill.

]]> By: gordon http://www.detroittigersweblog.com/2009/09/ernie-harwell-and-the-moment/#comment-131348 gordon Tue, 22 Sep 2009 11:00:33 +0000 http://www.detroittigersweblog.com/?p=5230#comment-131348 the hall of fame speach was not the original . i will never forget the emotion and rythem you heard from that day. aside from that i shed my tears at the game because i just knew he might never see the sport he loved so much in person again. thankyou for a wonderful post the hall of fame speach was not the original . i will never forget the emotion and rythem you heard from that day. aside from that i shed my tears at the game because i just knew he might never see the sport he loved so much in person again. thankyou for a wonderful post

]]> By: Big Game James http://www.detroittigersweblog.com/2009/09/ernie-harwell-and-the-moment/#comment-131345 Big Game James Tue, 22 Sep 2009 07:29:34 +0000 http://www.detroittigersweblog.com/?p=5230#comment-131345 I got chills reading this. Thank you Billfer. I got chills reading this. Thank you Billfer.

]]> By: David http://www.detroittigersweblog.com/2009/09/ernie-harwell-and-the-moment/#comment-131342 David Tue, 22 Sep 2009 05:49:27 +0000 http://www.detroittigersweblog.com/?p=5230#comment-131342 Beautiful. I agree with Lee also, this has to be up there. I especially liked these two paragraphs. "Plus there is something about late season games. The park just feels different. There is a little chill in the air, the park darkens more quickly than at the height of summer, and the end of summer as dictated by baseball’s 162 game season is palpable. The anticipation and build up that fans feel starting in February is coming to a close and the the thought of a long cold winter looms. The setting was appropriate for the greatest Tiger of them all to once again step-up to the microphone." "What made Harwell great in his career and differentiated him was all of the small moments. That’s when people stood there like by the house by the side of the road and watched on go by. That’s when they got two for the price of one and were out for excessive window shopping. There was talk of the Tigers looking for instant offense, but that was before the fact when that offense was a hope. It was the stories that Harwell weaved effortlessly and unobtrusively into the pauses and rhythm of a game. It was in those quiet times when a fan from Lexington would be lucky enough to catch a foul ball." I hope somehow the Tygers can find a way to squeak out a WS win this year before he goes. His eminent passing along with the destruction of the stadium are two very sad things but just part of something (death/loss) everyone has to go through. I guess we've been braced for both for some time now, and it just means the end of an era and the beginning of another. Comerica Park and Dan Dickerson have thankfully done a wonderful job of being able to live up to their predecessors. Thank you for the post Bill. I really enjoyed it. :) Beautiful. I agree with Lee also, this has to be up there.

I especially liked these two paragraphs.

“Plus there is something about late season games. The park just feels different. There is a little chill in the air, the park darkens more quickly than at the height of summer, and the end of summer as dictated by baseball’s 162 game season is palpable. The anticipation and build up that fans feel starting in February is coming to a close and the the thought of a long cold winter looms. The setting was appropriate for the greatest Tiger of them all to once again step-up to the microphone.”

“What made Harwell great in his career and differentiated him was all of the small moments. That’s when people stood there like by the house by the side of the road and watched on go by. That’s when they got two for the price of one and were out for excessive window shopping. There was talk of the Tigers looking for instant offense, but that was before the fact when that offense was a hope. It was the stories that Harwell weaved effortlessly and unobtrusively into the pauses and rhythm of a game. It was in those quiet times when a fan from Lexington would be lucky enough to catch a foul ball.”

I hope somehow the Tygers can find a way to squeak out a WS win this year before he goes.

His eminent passing along with the destruction of the stadium are two very sad things but just part of something (death/loss) everyone has to go through. I guess we’ve been braced for both for some time now, and it just means the end of an era and the beginning of another. Comerica Park and Dan Dickerson have thankfully done a wonderful job of being able to live up to their predecessors.

Thank you for the post Bill. I really enjoyed it. :)

]]> By: Coleman http://www.detroittigersweblog.com/2009/09/ernie-harwell-and-the-moment/#comment-131340 Coleman Tue, 22 Sep 2009 05:03:45 +0000 http://www.detroittigersweblog.com/?p=5230#comment-131340 I'll echo the "great post" posts. The distinction between adding style to the small moments and letting the big moments speak for themselves sums up his style as well as anything I've ever read; it's one of those things at once obvious and yet difficult to put your finger on, but you nailed it here. (For some reason as a kid listening to Ernie he never seemed to point out any foul balls caught by fans from either Kentwood or Farmington Hills, the two places I lived growing up. But I was blameworthy there myself--I went to many a game and never caught a ball... the other Kentwoodians and Farmington Hillsians must have been similarly inept...) I’ll echo the “great post” posts.

The distinction between adding style to the small moments and letting the big moments speak for themselves sums up his style as well as anything I’ve ever read; it’s one of those things at once obvious and yet difficult to put your finger on, but you nailed it here.

(For some reason as a kid listening to Ernie he never seemed to point out any foul balls caught by fans from either Kentwood or Farmington Hills, the two places I lived growing up. But I was blameworthy there myself–I went to many a game and never caught a ball… the other Kentwoodians and Farmington Hillsians must have been similarly inept…)

]]> By: Mike Rogers http://www.detroittigersweblog.com/2009/09/ernie-harwell-and-the-moment/#comment-131339 Mike Rogers Tue, 22 Sep 2009 04:36:23 +0000 http://www.detroittigersweblog.com/?p=5230#comment-131339 I agree with Lee. This is a great post. Well done, Bill. I agree with Lee. This is a great post. Well done, Bill.

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