In political history, President Ronald "Jelly Bean" Reagan is remembered as the "Great Communicator" because of his ability to speak to America. What many people don't know is that Reagan earned his "stripes" calling baseball and football games in his home state of Illinois. Baseball was America's Past Time because in the first 60-years of the 20th Century many Americans did not own a television set, instead they caught their games and "shows" from their radio sets. Americans collected baseball cards because they wanted to see what their favorite player looked liked so they could picture the great Ted Williams, Jackie Robinson or Mickey Mantle standing at the plate while the announcer called the game. To say that isn't magical is ridiculous and that my friends is why the game of baseball is a magical sport and continues to be America's Past Time.
Friday night during the Tigers and Yankees game, former announcer and Hall of Famer Ernie Harwell called a couple of innings for the Tigers (and ESPN). Harwell began his career in Baltimore and then was traded to Detroit for a catcher. Ernie is perhaps the only announcer that cost a team a player to get an announcer to move towns, but it paid off for Detroit as Mr. Harwell called games for the Tigers for 42 years. Although Ernie has been out of the game for a few years, he hasn't missed a step because as a baseball fan he continues to keep up with his team and the league. Hall of Famer Joe Morgan told Ernie he didn't have to keep his own scorebook because they have computers to do that now. Ernie just laughed it off and said he'd kept it for so long that it is the only way he knows.
Ernie Harwell's soothing voice and encyclopdic knowledge of both the stats and history of the game produced one of the Bushido's most memorable baseball moments. Craig Blackmon and I were watching the game together and Craig cut the tv off and we just listened to Ernie call the game over our sound system. It is truly amazing how one can view the play in your mind better than watching the game on high-def when someone with the skills of a great communicator is calling the play-by-play action. (Harwell has not only called baseball, but the Master's Golf Tournament and even bowling). I couldn't help but transcend back to sitting next to my Great Aunt Anna and listen to the Reds game being called on her Westinghouse radio which I still have and it still works.
And then it hit me, Detroit has not had a winning season since 1984, but Tiger fans like those filling CoAmerica Park and Mr. Harwell keep the faith, they continue to watch and they continue to cheer. Despite big league and outlandish paychecks, high-def television and over a 100 channels of competition, America still loves our baseball. Baseball is a reflection of ourselves and our lives: the season is long, you don't always win, and you might not always have the best talent, but if you keep the faith and keep busting your tail, one day you will bask in your accomplishments. Just like our teams, we all have feelings of being cursed or being lucky, but if baseball can teach us one thing, it is that success is best measured over a long duration. Think about it; if you hit 4 out of every 10 pitches you are a superstar by baseball standards. If you win 60 out of 150 games you are a winner at the top of your division. Sometimes the measuring stick we use to judge ourselves is too harsh and self-defeating. We should take every day as a new opportunity at bat. Sure our contemporaries might be more talented, smarter or stronger, but with hard work and determination even a JV pitcher can daunt the best in the business finding success where many doubted such possibility.
When Tiger’s pitcher, the veteran, Kenny Rogers fanned Yankee slugger Jason Giambi at the plate sending the old boy back to the dugout, Harwell gave one of his patented calls, "STRIKE three! He stood there like the house by the side of the road and watched it go by."
From the Press Box: It is easy for us to hit auto-pilot and let computers do our math, keep our phone numbers and maintain the stats for our day to day lives, but there is also something to be said about doing things for yourself. If the 88-year old Mr. Harwell has taught me one thing, that is, if you want to keep your mind fresh and sharp, keep your pencil and your eyes sharp, pay attention, be aware, never give up and you just might get more out of not only baseball, but this so called life too.
(Picture of Harwell Bobblehead from E-bay, available at the following link)
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