More than 150 fans, many donning caps with the Old English “D,” had the opportunity to ask a legend for one last “Long Gone.”
Ernie Harwell, the voice of the Detroit Tigers was on campus Monday signing copies of his new book, “Ernie Harwell: My 60 Years in Baseball.”
Harwell, who has broadcast Tiger baseball for more than 42 years, met and took photos with his fans from the Lansing area in the Castle Board Room at MSU-Detroit College of Law Building.
Communication junior Nick Kovacic said he called his father, Mike, to tell him that Harwell was coming to campus. He said as soon as they walked in the building they heard that familiar voice.
“I remember growing up in the summer days, out in the yard, just having the Tigers on the radio and just listening to him calling games,” he said. “It’s the voice.”
Mike Kovacic said he remembers working on a dairy farm listening to Harwell. He said it was great to meet a legend before he retires.
Before the season got under way, Harwell announced that this would be his final season behind the microphone.
“What can I say, he’s the voice of the Tigers,” Mike Kovacic said. “He’s going to be greatly missed - he’s an institution.”
DCL was able to host the event because Harwell already was in town signing books at Barnes & Nobles Booksellers, 333 E. Grand River Ave., earlier in the day and has a connection to a professor at the college.
S. Gary Spicer, an adjunct professor who works in the Sports & Entertainment Law Society, one of 20 student-managed organization at the college, has been Harwell’s attorney for more than 20 years.
Harwell said getting the chance to meet his fans personally is one of his favorite perks of his job.
“It’s great to see these people, because when you’re on the radio, you never know who’s on the other side of the microphone,” Harwell said. “And to see these people and their love for baseball and for the Tigers is really gratifying for me.”
Harwell has written four books, but this is the first book in which he is the subject matter. He said Tom Keegan, a writer for the New York Post, did a wonderful job getting into his background and childhood, things people might not know about him.
Resource development graduate student Dan Joranko said Harwell will be missed, but he’ll always cherish his own Tiger memories.
“One time I was living in Chicago in the early ’80s, (and I remember) the ’84 team,” Joranko said. “And I could get the games across the lake on my transistor radio.
“I don’t think there’s a broadcaster in baseball that really exemplifies baseball, the way baseball has been for so long.”
Harwell said he’ll miss a lot of things when he walks away, but he’ll never forget who he was working for.
“Most of all I’ll miss the people in baseball,” he said. “And I think second, I’ll miss the challenge of being in the booth and announcing the game and trying to depict what’s going on in the field and transferring it to the listener.”
Harwell said he remains upbeat despite the Tigers 0-11 start. He even joked the Tigers are bound to win a game.
“Somewhere down the line there is a victory,” he said. “We don’t know when, we don’t know where, but believe me, in a 162-game schedule, I predict that it will happen.”
