Squandrous

Ernie Harwell passed away today. He will be missed, greatly, by not only the people of Detroit, but by baseball fans across the country.

Ernie was a Hall of Fame broadcaster, the voice of the Detroit Tigers for as long as I can remember. In fact, he was the voice of a city, the personification of Detroit itself for baseball fans. I never did meet Ernie, but I heard his voice, knew his voice, and heard many stories of just how much he meant to the people of Detroit.

As a teenager, we’d often pretend to be sports broadcasters, watching the game in mute and giving our own play-by-play and commentary while we watched. My friends would try and pepper their play-by-play with stats and opinion. Me? Like Ernie, I preferred to relate the action simply, letting the silence speak just as much as my words.

I hadn’t though much of Ernie for the past few years (his voice was one I associated with my childhood when I used to listen to baseball games on my radio) but was reminded recently of this sports broadcasting great after reading a touching ode to Ernie written by Maria’s dad, Nick. Nick was lucky enough to not only have met Ernie, but to have known him well, to have been his friend. I was in tears by the time I finished reading the tribute.

Rest in peace, Ernie. My thoughts are with you, your family, the city of Detroit, and every baseball fan tonight as they mourn the loss of a legend.