Thursday, 16 April 2026

Ernie Harwell

Contest: The US Athletic Hall of Fame - Commentators 2026
Embed from Getty Images
Sport(s): Baseball
Statistics & Accolades: National Sports Media Hall of Fame
American Sportscasters Hall of Fame
Ford C. Frick Award
Michigan Sports Hall of Fame
Georgia Sports Hall of Fame
National Radio Hall of Fame
Before he began his long association with the Detroit Tigers, Ernie Harwell had already logged over a decade of play-by-play, having worked for the Brooklyn Dodgers (1948-49), New York Giants (1950-53), and the Baltimore Orioles (1954-59). His arrival in the Majors was historic enough as Dodgers general manager Branch Rickey traded a player to the minor league Atlanta Crackers to procure his services, and when he was with the Giants, he had the honor of calling Bobby Thompson’s “Shot Heard ‘Round the World”.

Harwell arrived in Detroit, and the Motown crowd loved him immediately. His low-key charm resonated with the Tigers faithful, who loved his “Harwellisms” such as “Loooooong gone” for a home run or “He stood there like the house by the side of the road” on a called strike three. Harwell was so beloved that when the Tigers declined to renew his contract in 1992. Tigers fans were upset, and it was a media nightmare for the club, but it was rectified when new owner Mike Ilitch bought the club. Harwell was back in 1993 and remained until 2002.

Following his retirement, the Tigers honored Harwell by naming their press box after him, and there is a statue of him outside of Comerica Park.

We are proud to nominate Ernie Harwell for the United States Athletic Hall of Fame.

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