Ernie Harwell (1 Viewer)

[Sea Bass]

Ernie Harwell is the best baseball announcer/story teller that I have ever listened to. It was great hearing him on the ESPN telecast tonight. I had the absolute joy of meeting him in the mid 80's. What a true gentleman. I am seriously considering buying the audio tapes that they mentioned tonight.

 

[ChrisCooleyFan]

Ernie Harwell is the best baseball announcer/story teller that I have ever listened to. It was great hearing him on the ESPN telecast tonight. I had the absolute joy of meeting him in the mid 80's. What a true gentleman. I am seriously considering buying the audio types that they mentioned tonight.

Ernie is looking good.

 

[lions327]

 

[meeka]

I love Ernie Harwell. Just finished a book about him. He was in the Tigers TV booth for a couple of games this year. It was great. Sheffield crushed one to the outfield and Ernie made a comment about how hard Gary always hits the ball. The Mario asked him what other players he remembered that stood out for hitting the ball really hard. In classic Ernie Harwell fashion he rattled off several players names from about 5 different decades. That man has seen a lot of baseball and I really think he remembers 98% if it.GB Ernie!

 

[Sea Bass]

I am having trouble finding the website where they sell his audio tapes. The 1940 interview with Ty Cobb alone would make the purchase worthwhile regardless of the price.

Has anyone heard the cd's that they were refering to tonight?

 

[Sea Bass]

"This big crowd here ready to break loose. Three men on, two men out. Game tied, 1-1, in the ninth inning. McDaniel checkin' his sign with Jake Gibbs. The tall right-hander ready to go to work again, and the windup, and the pitch...He swings, a line shot, base hit, right field, the Tigers win it! Here comes Kaline to score and it's all over! Don Wert singles, the Tigers mob Don, Kaline has scored...The fans are streaming on the field...And the Tigers have won their first pennant since nineteen hundred and forty-five! Let's listen to the bedlam here at Tiger Stadium!"

-Ernie-

 

[lions327]

"This big crowd here ready to break loose. Three men on, two men out. Game tied, 1-1, in the ninth inning. McDaniel checkin' his sign with Jake Gibbs. The tall right-hander ready to go to work again, and the windup, and the pitch...He swings, a line shot, base hit, right field, the Tigers win it! Here comes Kaline to score and it's all over! Don Wert singles, the Tigers mob Don, Kaline has scored...The fans are streaming on the field...And the Tigers have won their first pennant since nineteen hundred and forty-five! Let's listen to the bedlam here at Tiger Stadium!"-Ernie-

 

[Greco]

Not to brag, but...a friend of mine ran into him last week and he had Ernie Harwell call my cell phone and he left me a voice mail thanking me for supporting him and the Tigers over the years!

I pee'd my pants and listen to it every day.

 

[Leroy Hoard]

Ernie's is the only autograph I own.

Of course he never charged for it.

 

[SofaKings]

www.eharwell.com

 

[MrJimiT]

I could have listened to him do the rest of the broadcast last night. It brings back all of those memories from listening to Ernie Harwell on the radio by in the days of yesteryear. Besides, those announcers on ESPN are not very good IMO.

 

[redman]

Good announcers bring a baseball game alive. I've had limited exposure to Harwell unfortunately but what I've heard of him has made me respect him greatly. His voice is simply great to listen to.

I loved the late Jack Buck too.

I've been fortunate enough to have enjoyed 25 years of Vin Scully since my family moved to SoCal, so he's the standard I use. Vinny still calls a game and tells a story as well as ever, but he's started to jumble names here and there and get a count wrong or miscall a pitch. I simply can't imagine Dodger baseball without his voice, and it breaks my heart to think that he may be in his last years given that he's over 80 years old.

 

[ThisGuy]

Ernie Harwell is #2 in my book...right behind Vin Scully.

 

[Sea Bass]

Ernie Harwell is #2 in my book...right behind Vin Scully.

How long have you been writing fiction books?

 

[ThisGuy]

Ernie Harwell is #2 in my book...right behind Vin Scully.

How long have you been writing fiction books?

Have you ever heard Vin Scully?

 

[Tremendous Upside]

Only 19.84 for the 4 CDs, add $15 if you want Harwell to autograph it...

GREAT buy IMO...

http://www.eharwell.com/store.php?crn=206

 

[Doctor Detroit]

Good announcers bring a baseball game alive. I've had limited exposure to Harwell unfortunately but what I've heard of him has made me respect him greatly. His voice is simply great to listen to. I loved the late Jack Buck too. I've been fortunate enough to have enjoyed 25 years of Vin Scully since my family moved to SoCal, so he's the standard I use. Vinny still calls a game and tells a story as well as ever, but he's started to jumble names here and there and get a count wrong or miscall a pitch. I simply can't imagine Dodger baseball without his voice, and it breaks my heart to think that he may be in his last years given that he's over 80 years old.

Yeah I agree with all of this. When you grow up with a guy like Harwell or listen to a Scully, Jack Buck (I like him less everytime I hear his awful son), or Calas you have a better appreciation for broadcasting and of course baseball. It's like when people tell me I need to go to Fenway or Wrigley. I tell them look, I grew up less than five miles from Tiger Stadium and rode my bike to games when I was a kid. I know I'd appreciate Fenway and Wrigley, I just don't really need to see them because I've actually been there before. With Harwell I used to listen to games in my basement when I was a kid throwing a tennis ball against the wall really into every single pitch. I would spend most summer nights listening to the Tigers and that is the difference between me and a lot of other kids. I didn't watch TV or play Shoots and Ladders I listened to baseball. Harwell brought his southern charm to Detroit baseball and his almost poetic delivery made the games a part of life. That's why when I tell people about the Tigers I explain them like it's family. Uncle Ernie is the big reason for that. It was hard for me to adjust having to listen to anyone else later in life. Fortunately the Tigers have one of the best broadcasting teams for radio and I still prefer to listen to games on the radio. Even when I lived in the States I would always bust the radio out even when the game was on TV as it harkens back to a more innocent and carefree time. Listening to baseball is something kids should do and I'm glad Ernie was there for me growing up.

 

[jabarony]

Not to brag, but...a friend of mine ran into him last week and he had Ernie Harwell call my cell phone and he left me a voice mail thanking me for supporting him and the Tigers over the years!I pee'd my pants and listen to it every day.

That may be the best present anyone could ever receive. Now I know what I'm asking for for Christmas.

 

[jabarony]

Good announcers bring a baseball game alive. I've had limited exposure to Harwell unfortunately but what I've heard of him has made me respect him greatly. His voice is simply great to listen to. I loved the late Jack Buck too. I've been fortunate enough to have enjoyed 25 years of Vin Scully since my family moved to SoCal, so he's the standard I use. Vinny still calls a game and tells a story as well as ever, but he's started to jumble names here and there and get a count wrong or miscall a pitch. I simply can't imagine Dodger baseball without his voice, and it breaks my heart to think that he may be in his last years given that he's over 80 years old.

Yeah I agree with all of this. When you grow up with a guy like Harwell or listen to a Scully, Jack Buck (I like him less everytime I hear his awful son), or Calas you have a better appreciation for broadcasting and of course baseball. It's like when people tell me I need to go to Fenway or Wrigley. I tell them look, I grew up less than five miles from Tiger Stadium and rode my bike to games when I was a kid. I know I'd appreciate Fenway and Wrigley, I just don't really need to see them because I've actually been there before. With Harwell I used to listen to games in my basement when I was a kid throwing a tennis ball against the wall really into every single pitch. I would spend most summer nights listening to the Tigers and that is the difference between me and a lot of other kids. I didn't watch TV or play Shoots and Ladders I listened to baseball. Harwell brought his southern charm to Detroit baseball and his almost poetic delivery made the games a part of life. That's why when I tell people about the Tigers I explain them like it's family. Uncle Ernie is the big reason for that. It was hard for me to adjust having to listen to anyone else later in life. Fortunately the Tigers have one of the best broadcasting teams for radio and I still prefer to listen to games on the radio. Even when I lived in the States I would always bust the radio out even when the game was on TV as it harkans back to a more innocent and carefree time. Listening to baseball is something kids should do and I'm glad Ernie was there for me growing up.

760 am for years. My parents came in every night ~midnight when I was asleep and turn the radio off. I wasn't allowed to watch TV allnight, but Ernie was allright by my folks.

 

[Doctor Detroit]

Ernie Harwell is #2 in my book...right behind Vin Scully.

How long have you been writing fiction books?

Have you ever heard Vin Scully?

You may like one better than the other but if you're saying Scully is better than Harwell you're missing the point.

 

[redman]

Good announcers bring a baseball game alive. I've had limited exposure to Harwell unfortunately but what I've heard of him has made me respect him greatly. His voice is simply great to listen to.

I loved the late Jack Buck too.

I've been fortunate enough to have enjoyed 25 years of Vin Scully since my family moved to SoCal, so he's the standard I use. Vinny still calls a game and tells a story as well as ever, but he's started to jumble names here and there and get a count wrong or miscall a pitch. I simply can't imagine Dodger baseball without his voice, and it breaks my heart to think that he may be in his last years given that he's over 80 years old.

Yeah I agree with all of this. When you grow up with a guy like Harwell or listen to a Scully, Jack Buck (I like him less everytime I hear his awful son), or Calas you have a better appreciation for broadcasting and of course baseball. It's like when people tell me I need to go to Fenway or Wrigley. I tell them look, I grew up less than five miles from Tiger Stadium and rode my bike to games when I was a kid. I know I'd appreciate Fenway and Wrigley, I just don't really need to see them because I've actually been there before.

With Harwell I used to listen to games in my basement when I was a kid throwing a tennis ball against the wall really into every single pitch. I would spend most summer nights listening to the Tigers and that is the difference between me and a lot of other kids. I didn't watch TV or play Shoots and Ladders I listened to baseball. Harwell brought his southern charm to Detroit baseball and his almost poetic delivery made the games a part of life. That's why when I tell people about the Tigers I explain them like it's family. Uncle Ernie is the big reason for that.

It was hard for me to adjust having to listen to anyone else later in life. Fortunately the Tigers have one of the best broadcasting teams for radio and I still prefer to listen to games on the radio. Even when I lived in the States I would always bust the radio out even when the game was on TV as it harkens back to a more innocent and carefree time. Listening to baseball is something kids should do and I'm glad Ernie was there for me growing up.

Baseball is unique in its pacing as a team sport and the ability of an announcer to allow you to understand exactly what every player on the field is doing. This means that, as you said DD, you can sit by a radio and picture it all in your head. You can't do that with football, hockey, basketball, etc. Radio announcers in those sports only are able to capture a small fraction of the action. Yes, you know the RB ran a sweep to the right, but was the FS creeping up? Did the man in motion draw a LB away from the point of attack? Rarely do you get this second level analysis - too much is happenig.

The slow pace of baseball allows the best announcers to dig deeper into the game to provide detail on what's going on (Scully, for example, will explain why a play happened the way it did and thereby reveal the strategy of the game) and also to impart historical knowledge or anecdotes. Again, that's tough to do in other sports and it simply can't be done the way that an accomplished broadcaster like Scully or Harwell or Buck used to do it.

I've often thought that modern broadcasters were hurt by the fact that they were brought up in the TV era. They lean on the images provided by TV too much, and the narrative details get lost. Scully and Harwell are the last of a dying breed in baseball unfortunately.

 

[Doctor Detroit]

Good announcers bring a baseball game alive. I've had limited exposure to Harwell unfortunately but what I've heard of him has made me respect him greatly. His voice is simply great to listen to.

I loved the late Jack Buck too.

I've been fortunate enough to have enjoyed 25 years of Vin Scully since my family moved to SoCal, so he's the standard I use. Vinny still calls a game and tells a story as well as ever, but he's started to jumble names here and there and get a count wrong or miscall a pitch. I simply can't imagine Dodger baseball without his voice, and it breaks my heart to think that he may be in his last years given that he's over 80 years old.

Yeah I agree with all of this. When you grow up with a guy like Harwell or listen to a Scully, Jack Buck (I like him less everytime I hear his awful son), or Calas you have a better appreciation for broadcasting and of course baseball. It's like when people tell me I need to go to Fenway or Wrigley. I tell them look, I grew up less than five miles from Tiger Stadium and rode my bike to games when I was a kid. I know I'd appreciate Fenway and Wrigley, I just don't really need to see them because I've actually been there before.

With Harwell I used to listen to games in my basement when I was a kid throwing a tennis ball against the wall really into every single pitch. I would spend most summer nights listening to the Tigers and that is the difference between me and a lot of other kids. I didn't watch TV or play Shoots and Ladders I listened to baseball. Harwell brought his southern charm to Detroit baseball and his almost poetic delivery made the games a part of life. That's why when I tell people about the Tigers I explain them like it's family. Uncle Ernie is the big reason for that.

It was hard for me to adjust having to listen to anyone else later in life. Fortunately the Tigers have one of the best broadcasting teams for radio and I still prefer to listen to games on the radio. Even when I lived in the States I would always bust the radio out even when the game was on TV as it harkens back to a more innocent and carefree time. Listening to baseball is something kids should do and I'm glad Ernie was there for me growing up.

Baseball is unique in its pacing as a team sport and the ability of an announcer to allow you to understand exactly what every player on the field is doing. This means that, as you said DD, you can sit by a radio and picture it all in your head. You can't do that with football, hockey, basketball, etc. Radio announcers in those sports only are able to capture a small fraction of the action. Yes, you know the RB ran a sweep to the right, but was the FS creeping up? Did the man in motion draw a LB away from the point of attack? Rarely do you get this second level analysis - too much is happenig.

Football on the radio is often painful. I like Michigan football but little else.

The slow pace of baseball allows the best announcers to dig deeper into the game to provide detail on what's going on (Scully, for example, will explain why a play happened the way it did and thereby reveal the strategy of the game) and also to impart historical knowledge or anecdotes. Again, that's tough to do in other sports and it simply can't be done the way that an accomplished broadcaster like Scully or Harwell or Buck used to do it.

I've often thought that modern broadcasters were hurt by the fact that they were brought up in the TV era. They lean on the images provided by TV too much, and the narrative details get lost. Scully and Harwell are the last of a dying breed in baseball unfortunately.

The amazing thing about Scully is that he's done it alone for so long. Harwell had a very capable Paul Carey by his side up there even though Paul probably only said about 20 percent of the words. The one thing I always liked about Harwell was his ability to include the natural sound of the game in the background as the game developed and Scully is known for the same. A three second pause for a reason to let a broadcast breath is so underrated. With the current cast of idiots especially on TV we don't get that. Can you imagine Joe Morgan or Joe Buck shutting their ####### pieholes long enough for us to appreciate a subtle moment of baseball? Hell no.

 

[redman]

Good announcers bring a baseball game alive. I've had limited exposure to Harwell unfortunately but what I've heard of him has made me respect him greatly. His voice is simply great to listen to.

I loved the late Jack Buck too.

I've been fortunate enough to have enjoyed 25 years of Vin Scully since my family moved to SoCal, so he's the standard I use. Vinny still calls a game and tells a story as well as ever, but he's started to jumble names here and there and get a count wrong or miscall a pitch. I simply can't imagine Dodger baseball without his voice, and it breaks my heart to think that he may be in his last years given that he's over 80 years old.

Yeah I agree with all of this. When you grow up with a guy like Harwell or listen to a Scully, Jack Buck (I like him less everytime I hear his awful son), or Calas you have a better appreciation for broadcasting and of course baseball. It's like when people tell me I need to go to Fenway or Wrigley. I tell them look, I grew up less than five miles from Tiger Stadium and rode my bike to games when I was a kid. I know I'd appreciate Fenway and Wrigley, I just don't really need to see them because I've actually been there before.

With Harwell I used to listen to games in my basement when I was a kid throwing a tennis ball against the wall really into every single pitch. I would spend most summer nights listening to the Tigers and that is the difference between me and a lot of other kids. I didn't watch TV or play Shoots and Ladders I listened to baseball. Harwell brought his southern charm to Detroit baseball and his almost poetic delivery made the games a part of life. That's why when I tell people about the Tigers I explain them like it's family. Uncle Ernie is the big reason for that.

It was hard for me to adjust having to listen to anyone else later in life. Fortunately the Tigers have one of the best broadcasting teams for radio and I still prefer to listen to games on the radio. Even when I lived in the States I would always bust the radio out even when the game was on TV as it harkens back to a more innocent and carefree time. Listening to baseball is something kids should do and I'm glad Ernie was there for me growing up.

Baseball is unique in its pacing as a team sport and the ability of an announcer to allow you to understand exactly what every player on the field is doing. This means that, as you said DD, you can sit by a radio and picture it all in your head. You can't do that with football, hockey, basketball, etc. Radio announcers in those sports only are able to capture a small fraction of the action. Yes, you know the RB ran a sweep to the right, but was the FS creeping up? Did the man in motion draw a LB away from the point of attack? Rarely do you get this second level analysis - too much is happenig.

Football on the radio is often painful. I like Michigan football but little else.

The slow pace of baseball allows the best announcers to dig deeper into the game to provide detail on what's going on (Scully, for example, will explain why a play happened the way it did and thereby reveal the strategy of the game) and also to impart historical knowledge or anecdotes. Again, that's tough to do in other sports and it simply can't be done the way that an accomplished broadcaster like Scully or Harwell or Buck used to do it.

I've often thought that modern broadcasters were hurt by the fact that they were brought up in the TV era. They lean on the images provided by TV too much, and the narrative details get lost. Scully and Harwell are the last of a dying breed in baseball unfortunately.

The amazing thing about Scully is that he's done it alone for so long. Harwell had a very capable Paul Carey by his side up there even though Paul probably only said about 20 percent of the words. The one thing I always liked about Harwell was his ability to include the natural sound of the game in the background as the game developed and Scully is known for the same. A three second pause for a reason to let a broadcast breath is so underrated. With the current cast of idiots especially on TV we don't get that. Can you imagine Joe Morgan or Joe Buck shutting their ####### pieholes long enough for us to appreciate a subtle moment of baseball? Hell no.

Totally agreed. What was so cool to me about Scully's TV call of Gibson's home run was that after he said "Gone!", he shut up for around a minute or so and just let the utter pandemonium in the stadium and Gibson's celebration with his teammates speak for itself. Very, very cool. You're right though, it's like the new generation of guys is afraid of even a moment of silence.

Scully is the answer to a good trivia question: Who called the play-by-play during the 1981 NFC Championship game between the Cowboys and the 49'ers which was made famous by "The Catch" by Dwight Clark?

 

[Eviloutsider]

I have listened to both and a name I would like to throw out there is Mr. Baseball, Bob Uecker. He has a very different style that uses humor a little more but still really calls a great game. I have listened to him since I was a youngster, near a campfire, roasting marshmellows with my brothers.

 

[ThisGuy]

Ernie Harwell is #2 in my book...right behind Vin Scully.

How long have you been writing fiction books?

Have you ever heard Vin Scully?

You may like one better than the other but if you're saying Scully is better than Harwell you're missing the point.

Detroit homers have no idea how good Vin Scully is? That point sucks.

 

[Doctor Detroit]

Ernie Harwell is #2 in my book...right behind Vin Scully.

How long have you been writing fiction books?

Have you ever heard Vin Scully?

You may like one better than the other but if you're saying Scully is better than Harwell you're missing the point.

Detroit homers have no idea how good Vin Scully is? That point sucks.

The point is they are in a league of their own and neither is better than the other.

 

[ThisGuy]

Ernie Harwell is #2 in my book...right behind Vin Scully.

How long have you been writing fiction books?

Have you ever heard Vin Scully?

You may like one better than the other but if you're saying Scully is better than Harwell you're missing the point.

Detroit homers have no idea how good Vin Scully is? That point sucks.

The point is they are in a league of their own and neither is better than the other.

But that is a pretty boring point, no?

 

[Doctor Detroit]

Ernie Harwell is #2 in my book...right behind Vin Scully.

How long have you been writing fiction books?

Have you ever heard Vin Scully?

You may like one better than the other but if you're saying Scully is better than Harwell you're missing the point.

Detroit homers have no idea how good Vin Scully is? That point sucks.

The point is they are in a league of their own and neither is better than the other.

But that is a pretty boring point, no?

Not really since you were debating that point with Sea Bass who is a Red Sox fan. Most if not all of the good baseball fans I know in Detroit hold Scully in the highest of regards.

 

[Sea Bass]

Ernie Harwell is #2 in my book...right behind Vin Scully.

How long have you been writing fiction books?

Have you ever heard Vin Scully?

You may like one better than the other but if you're saying Scully is better than Harwell you're missing the point.

Detroit homers have no idea how good Vin Scully is? That point sucks.

The point is they are in a league of their own and neither is better than the other.

But that is a pretty boring point, no?

Not really since you were debating that point with Sea Bass who is a Red Sox fan. Most if not all of the good baseball fans I know in Detroit hold Scully in the highest of regards.

Good point DD. I am a lifetime Red Sox fan who started out listening to Harwell because in those days that was one of my best opportunities to follow the Sox when they played the Tigers....I grew up in central Ohio. Because of Harwell I made it a habit to listen to Tiger games even when they weren't playing Boston. Through Ernie I certainly grew to appreciate the Tiger players of the day. I became a huge Alan Trammel fan and believe that he should be in the HOF. Don't get me wrong I continue to root for the Red Sox.Harwell v. Scully isn't even close in my eyes. Harwell painted such a clear picture of the game that I felt I was in the booth watching the game with him. Listening to Scully on T.V. I felt that he was more connected to an endless rant of useless statistics than he was to the actual game.

 

[Doctor Detroit]

Ernie Harwell is #2 in my book...right behind Vin Scully.

How long have you been writing fiction books?

Have you ever heard Vin Scully?

You may like one better than the other but if you're saying Scully is better than Harwell you're missing the point.

Detroit homers have no idea how good Vin Scully is? That point sucks.

The point is they are in a league of their own and neither is better than the other.

But that is a pretty boring point, no?

Not really since you were debating that point with Sea Bass who is a Red Sox fan. Most if not all of the good baseball fans I know in Detroit hold Scully in the highest of regards.

Good point DD. I am a lifetime Red Sox fan who started out listening to Harwell because in those days that was one of my best opportunities to follow the Sox when they played the Tigers....I grew up in central Ohio. Because of Harwell I made it a habit to listen to Tiger games even when they weren't playing Boston. Through Ernie I certainly grew to appreciate the Tiger players of the day. I became a huge Alan Trammel fan and believe that he should be in the HOF. Don't get me wrong I continue to root for the Red Sox.

Harwell v. Scully isn't even close in my eyes. Harwell painted such a clear picture of the game that I felt I was in the booth watching the game with him. Listening to Scully on T.V. I felt that he was more connected to an endless rant of useless statistics than he was to the actual game.

I like Harwell more but broadcasting-wise I think they are about equal. Put it this way, if there was a game on and Vin was in the booth I'd look forwrd to it. Great thread though and I'm glad that fans of other teams appreciate Ernie's work. I find it hard to believe when I talk to baseball "fans" sometimes that don't even know who Harwell is. That's awful and I actually feel sorry for them.

 

[meeka]

Good announcers bring a baseball game alive. I've had limited exposure to Harwell unfortunately but what I've heard of him has made me respect him greatly. His voice is simply great to listen to.

I loved the late Jack Buck too.

I've been fortunate enough to have enjoyed 25 years of Vin Scully since my family moved to SoCal, so he's the standard I use. Vinny still calls a game and tells a story as well as ever, but he's started to jumble names here and there and get a count wrong or miscall a pitch. I simply can't imagine Dodger baseball without his voice, and it breaks my heart to think that he may be in his last years given that he's over 80 years old.

Yeah I agree with all of this. When you grow up with a guy like Harwell or listen to a Scully, Jack Buck (I like him less everytime I hear his awful son), or Calas you have a better appreciation for broadcasting and of course baseball. It's like when people tell me I need to go to Fenway or Wrigley. I tell them look, I grew up less than five miles from Tiger Stadium and rode my bike to games when I was a kid. I know I'd appreciate Fenway and Wrigley, I just don't really need to see them because I've actually been there before.

With Harwell I used to listen to games in my basement when I was a kid throwing a tennis ball against the wall really into every single pitch. I would spend most summer nights listening to the Tigers and that is the difference between me and a lot of other kids. I didn't watch TV or play Shoots and Ladders I listened to baseball. Harwell brought his southern charm to Detroit baseball and his almost poetic delivery made the games a part of life. That's why when I tell people about the Tigers I explain them like it's family. Uncle Ernie is the big reason for that.

It was hard for me to adjust having to listen to anyone else later in life. Fortunately the Tigers have one of the best broadcasting teams for radio and I still prefer to listen to games on the radio. Even when I lived in the States I would always bust the radio out even when the game was on TV as it harkens back to a more innocent and carefree time. Listening to baseball is something kids should do and I'm glad Ernie was there for me growing up.

Baseball is unique in its pacing as a team sport and the ability of an announcer to allow you to understand exactly what every player on the field is doing. This means that, as you said DD, you can sit by a radio and picture it all in your head. You can't do that with football, hockey, basketball, etc. Radio announcers in those sports only are able to capture a small fraction of the action. Yes, you know the RB ran a sweep to the right, but was the FS creeping up? Did the man in motion draw a LB away from the point of attack? Rarely do you get this second level analysis - too much is happenig.

Football on the radio is often painful. I like Michigan football but little else.

The slow pace of baseball allows the best announcers to dig deeper into the game to provide detail on what's going on (Scully, for example, will explain why a play happened the way it did and thereby reveal the strategy of the game) and also to impart historical knowledge or anecdotes. Again, that's tough to do in other sports and it simply can't be done the way that an accomplished broadcaster like Scully or Harwell or Buck used to do it.

I've often thought that modern broadcasters were hurt by the fact that they were brought up in the TV era. They lean on the images provided by TV too much, and the narrative details get lost. Scully and Harwell are the last of a dying breed in baseball unfortunately.

The amazing thing about Scully is that he's done it alone for so long. Harwell had a very capable Paul Carey by his side up there even though Paul probably only said about 20 percent of the words. The one thing I always liked about Harwell was his ability to include the natural sound of the game in the background as the game developed and Scully is known for the same. A three second pause for a reason to let a broadcast breath is so underrated. With the current cast of idiots especially on TV we don't get that. Can you imagine Joe Morgan or Joe Buck shutting their ####### pieholes long enough for us to appreciate a subtle moment of baseball? Hell no.

Totally agreed. What was so cool to me about Scully's TV call of Gibson's home run was that after he said "Gone!", he shut up for around a minute or so and just let the utter pandemonium in the stadium and Gibson's celebration with his teammates speak for itself. Very, very cool. You're right though, it's like the new generation of guys is afraid of even a moment of silence.

Scully is the answer to a good trivia question: Who called the play-by-play during the 1981 NFC Championship game between the Cowboys and the 49'ers which was made famous by "The Catch" by Dwight Clark?

Ernie has a great call that nobody will ever hear. He had the TV job for the "Shot heard round the world". Since the did no instant replay and did not tape the TV broadcasts it is the radio play-by-play call that is so famous today. Ernie remembers driving to the park feeling terrible that he got the TV gig and his partner Russ Hodges was assigned to the radio. Turned out alright for Hodges.

 

[Bob Henry]

GB Ernie, great discussion guys.. My grandpa looked like Ernie, too, and was a huge influence on me as a kid and one of the big reasons I became such a huge baseball fan - and Tiger fan.

Not to hi-jack, but.. To your point, DD (about visiting Fenway and Wrigley).. I have to say that it's worthwhile. I've been to Wrigley twice and just made it to Fenway this year (to see the visiting Tigers play and, unfortunately for us Tiger fans, Eric Hinske's incredible diving catch about 10 feet in front of us in the right field corner). Fenway is awesome. I loved the old Tiger Stadium in a big way and it took me a long time to warm up to Comerica. We had season tix in the 2nd row of the left field overhang. You just can't get seats like that in most stadiums and you felt like you were right ON TOP of the game.

One of the last games at the old ball park, Rick Tellander was sitting next to us. It was his FIRST visit and we sat and chatted with him throughout the game about the Tigers, Ernie, why he never made it to Tiger Stadium until now... and about the Hall of Fame chances for Jack Morris, Alan Trammel and Sweet Lou. Great time and Rick was a pretty cool guy, too. Visiting Wrigley and Fenway was a lot of fun. I'd recommend making it there if you can. As for Tram and Jack, I'm disappointed that neither of them are in the Hall. Jack might make it, but it looks like Tram is a longer shot and that's a sham. Tram/Lou were the best double play combo in the game for over a decade. Lou was hurt by playing DH for the later half of his career.

Bringing it all back to Ernie.. as a kid, we used to go camping every weekend. We always had our little handheld AM radio and I remember it like it was yesterday.... fishing with my grandpa and listening to Ernie call the Tiger games.. great times. Everyone back then had their handheld AM radio and everyone had 760 AM tuned in whenever the Tigers were playing. It was a way of life.

 

[lions327]

GB Ernie, great discussion guys.. My grandpa looked like Ernie, too, and was a huge influence on me as a kid and one of the big reasons I became such a huge baseball fan - and Tiger fan.Not to hi-jack, but.. To your point, DD (about visiting Fenway and Wrigley).. I have to say that it's worthwhile. I've been to Wrigley twice and just made it to Fenway this year (to see the visiting Tigers play and, unfortunately for us Tiger fans, Eric Hinske's incredible diving catch about 10 feet in front of us in the right field corner). Fenway is awesome. I loved the old Tiger Stadium in a big way and it took me a long time to warm up to Comerica. We had season tix in the 2nd row of the left field overhang. You just can't get seats like that in most stadiums and you felt like you were right ON TOP of the game. One of the last games at the old ball park, Rick Tellander was sitting next to us. It was his FIRST visit and we sat and chatted with him throughout the game about the Tigers, Ernie, why he never made it to Tiger Stadium until now... and about the Hall of Fame chances for Jack Morris, Alan Trammel and Sweet Lou. Great time and Rick was a pretty cool guy, too. Visiting Wrigley and Fenway was a lot of fun. I'd recommend making it there if you can. As for Tram and Jack, I'm disappointed that neither of them are in the Hall. Jack might make it, but it looks like Tram is a longer shot and that's a sham. Tram/Lou were the best double play combo in the game for over a decade. Lou was hurt by playing DH for the later half of his career.Bringing it all back to Ernie.. as a kid, we used to go camping every weekend. We always had our little handheld AM radio and I remember it like it was yesterday.... fishing with my grandpa and listening to Ernie call the Tiger games.. great times. Everyone back then had their handheld AM radio and everyone had 760 AM tuned in whenever the Tigers were playing. It was a way of life.

This just reminds me how times have changed, and what todays kids miss growing up. I loved listening to Ernie as a kid, and visualizing the action from his incredible words. I also agree 100%....I would do whatever possible to see a game at Fenway and Wrigley. I have been to both as well, and the atmosphere is amazing. Tiger Stadium and those other old parks had a charm that you can't explain.