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Ernie Harwell was not just Baseball for Tiger fans throughout Michigan and Northern Ohio.
Ernie Harwell was not just a voice on the radio connecting Tiger fans with Al Kaline, Willie Horton or Denny McClain.
Ernie Harwell was not just April through September, October if we were lucky, for Tiger fans.
Ernie was not just part of growing up in Michigan.
Ernie was the catch phrases that became part of our growing up listening to Tiger Games.
His identifying the city where the person in the stands who caught the foul ball was from. Of course he couldn't know the city but it made us all feel like our neighbors were part of the action.
His famous line identifying a strike out victim as " stood there like the house by the side of the road." That sticks with me 50 years after the first time I heard it because, like so many other things Ernie described to me and the millions of Tiger fans through the years, he brought the game to life.
There are scores of tributes today to Ernie Harwell. All written more eloquently then I could ever hope to write. But I guarantee you none are anymore heartfelt or melancholy than my thoughts.
I love the Detroit Tigers. They have broken my heart a hundred times and I have come back for more each time. I came back because Ernie made me feel like they loved me too. They were champions in 1968 and saved the city. Literally saved the city.
And Ernie was there to tell the story. In 1984 they sprinted to the championship and Ernie was there.
The beauty of Ernie Harwell is though he is no longer there with the Tigers he is here in my heart and my memory until the day I can listen again.
I hope that I am somewhere where his broadcast comes in. I suspect he will be doing Angel games from now on.
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