Best Wishes, Ernie Harwell

We're probably just months away from losing another baseball legend. He never played a game as a pro, although he was once traded for a catcher.

I'm talking about longtime Detroit Tigers announcer Ernie Harwell, 91, who recently was diagnosed with incurable cancer.

He has one of those distinctive, calming voices -- one well-suited to listen to on a lazy summer night as he described the proceedings in a baseball park hundreds of miles away.

Harwell, Milo Hamilton, Bob Prince, Bob Elson, Gene Elston, Jack Buck, Harry Caray and others were favorites when I was growing up. Portable transistor radios were fairly new, so new that earphone jacks were not common. Thanks to my brother, a genius regarding electronics and not interested in listening to baseball at night, he added an earplug jack. Then, I was able to follow the Tigers, White Sox, Cardinals and others without bothering him.

Harwell wrote the song "Move over Babe, here comes Henry," which was popular during Hank Aaron's chase of Babe Ruth's home run record.

His passing will sadden me, but don't weep for Harwell. He's a Christian and said he's ready for the future.

"To be absent from the body is to be present with The Lord."

There is an address on the page linked to below where you can send cards or other correspondence to Ernie, if you so desire.

Thanks for the memories, Ernie.

Ernie Harwell