Ernie Harwell

A fine tribute from ESPN: Text and Video --
http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=5163285&campaign=rss&source=ESPNHeadlines

We note with extreme sadness the passing of Ernie Harwell. Ernie was one of the best at his craft and sadly his loss marks the near extinction of a noble breed. At age 92, he lost his battle against inoperable cancer, a horrible reality he announced to his fans late in the 2009 season.

Few have served their profession with the honor and grace Ernie Harwell showed. His friendly, honest conversational demeanor blessed generations of baseball fans from when he was the one and only announcer ever traded by a team for a player.
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After graduating from Emory University in Atlanta, the young Harwell started as copy editor and sportswriter for the Atlanta Journal Constitution, which soon led him to radio doing play-by-play for the minor league, Georgia Crackers, or "Crack-ah's" as Harwell would pronounce them. Brooklyn Dodgers GM needed an announcer when legendary announcer, Red Barber, was hospitalized for a bleeding ulcer. Thus the great claim to history became part of Harwell's legend. Catcher Cliff Dapper was traded to the Crackers for their radio announcer. Harwell would broadcast for the Dodgers in 1948 and 1949 giving way to another hall-of-famer, another red headed fellow, Vin Scully. He'd head across town and broadcast the New York Giants including the "shot heard 'round the world for the sudden death playoff game with the Dodgers. While the world remembers the radio call of Bobby Thompson's home run, "The Giants won the Pennant, the Giants won the Pennant..." Harwell was in the TV booth broadcasting the event with less drama for NBC despite the game being the first nationally televised ballgame. His partner, Russ Hodges, famous call would be the legend.
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The St. Louis Browns pulled up stakes and moved to Baltimore to become the Orioles, and Harwell sat beside yet another hall-of-famer, Chuck Thompson, as the Orioles began play. Ironically, Thompson would bounce around through the 1950's before becoming the lasting replacement for Ernie Harwell. Harwell stayed with Baltimore through the 1959 season leaving for Detroit to become their lead announcer in 1960 replacing another legend, Van Patrick.
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Ernie Harwell partnered with Paul Carey in the Tigers' radio booth. They'd be broadcast partners until Carey's retirement after the 1991 season. WJR, the Tiger's station, figured on a new approach for the following year announcing it would be Harwell's last year too. The move created a horrible uproar that had fans viciously protesting to the radio station and the Tigers. They would not relent and new broadcasters were in the booth for 1992. Harwell worked part-time for the California Angels and some national broadcasts. Harwell returned with new owner, Mike Ilitch, back in the radio booth for 1993. From 1994-1998, Harwell would do Tiger telecasts, but in 1999, he returned full time to radio. He retired after the 2002 season.
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After his retirement, he did some limited work for ESPN and ESPN radio.
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Ernie Harwell received many honors for his outstanding work including being inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame, recipient of the Ford C. Fricke award in 1989. He holds numerous honors recognizing his work on and off the field in Michigan.
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Among his other exploits off the field, he wrote sixty six songs recorded by various artists to which Harwell quipped he had more no-hitters than Nolan Ryan. He is also known for his contributions to the Baseball Chapel, an evangelistic organization for pro ballplayers.
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Sadly, he had one last award coming to him, the Vin Scully Lifetime Achievement award. He died one day shy of its presentation.