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'Ernie's voice playing the hits'
It was in a bowling alley. I can’t remember why. He was sitting in a back booth all by himself when I walked in the room. I don’t remember why he was waiting for me. He greeted me with an enthusiastic smile and handshake. I don’t remember why but it seemed like we had met before.
But I do remember it was Ernie Harwell.
I was a young reporter working for the News-Herald, a Heritage newspaper that covers the Downriver area. I was there to do a feature story on Mr. Harwell. Well, at the start it was Mr. Harwell. By the end of the interview it was Ernie. And it really wasn’t much of an interview.
Mr. Harwell seemed to ask me as many questions as I was asking him. Didn’t he know I was there to do a story on him, not the other way around. I have been lucky enough to sit down and talk one-on-one with some very nice people over the years. Let’s see who comes to mind. Chris Mullen. Grant Hill. JJ Putz. Bo Schembechler. Lloyd Carr. Chris Webber. Joe Dumars. George Karl.
And Ernie Harwell.
Everyone knew and knows what a nice man Ernie Harwell was. The perfect gentleman. That voice. The Hall of Famer. A man who has seen so much history and brought it all home to so many people. Everyone has their Ernie memories and the best things about memories is they last a lifetime. And mine of Ernie will certainly last that long.
I would ask him about how he started out in broadcasting. And he would ask me how I liked being a sportswriter. I would ask him about 1969 and 1984. He would ask me what my favorite sport to cover was. I would ask him about what a great life he’s had. And he would ask me about my family and what I wanted to do in the future.
His interest in me was genuine. He was humble, kind and made me feel like I was sitting down with my favorite uncle. I didn’t grow up sitting on the porch with my grandfather listening to Ernie. I didn’t go to sleep as a child with a radio in my ear and Ernie’s voice playing the hits. I didn’t move to Michigan until college.
But, like so many people, I have my memories.
Thanks, Ernie!
But I do remember it was Ernie Harwell.
I was a young reporter working for the News-Herald, a Heritage newspaper that covers the Downriver area. I was there to do a feature story on Mr. Harwell. Well, at the start it was Mr. Harwell. By the end of the interview it was Ernie. And it really wasn’t much of an interview.
Mr. Harwell seemed to ask me as many questions as I was asking him. Didn’t he know I was there to do a story on him, not the other way around. I have been lucky enough to sit down and talk one-on-one with some very nice people over the years. Let’s see who comes to mind. Chris Mullen. Grant Hill. JJ Putz. Bo Schembechler. Lloyd Carr. Chris Webber. Joe Dumars. George Karl.
And Ernie Harwell.
Everyone knew and knows what a nice man Ernie Harwell was. The perfect gentleman. That voice. The Hall of Famer. A man who has seen so much history and brought it all home to so many people. Everyone has their Ernie memories and the best things about memories is they last a lifetime. And mine of Ernie will certainly last that long.
I would ask him about how he started out in broadcasting. And he would ask me how I liked being a sportswriter. I would ask him about 1969 and 1984. He would ask me what my favorite sport to cover was. I would ask him about what a great life he’s had. And he would ask me about my family and what I wanted to do in the future.
His interest in me was genuine. He was humble, kind and made me feel like I was sitting down with my favorite uncle. I didn’t grow up sitting on the porch with my grandfather listening to Ernie. I didn’t go to sleep as a child with a radio in my ear and Ernie’s voice playing the hits. I didn’t move to Michigan until college.
But, like so many people, I have my memories.
Thanks, Ernie!
posted by Terry Jacoby at
2:45 PM
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