[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 1328 Introduced in House (IH)]

111th CONGRESS
  2d Session
H. RES. 1328

   Honoring the life and legacy of William Earnest ``Ernie'' Harwell.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              May 5, 2010

   Mr. McCotter (for himself, Mr. Rogers of Michigan, Mr. Camp, Mr. 
 Hoekstra, Mr. Stupak, Mr. Upton, Mr. Ehlers, Mr. Conyers, Mr. Kildee, 
   Mr. Peters, Mr. Levin, Mr. Schauer, Mrs. Miller of Michigan, Ms. 
  Kilpatrick of Michigan, Mr. Dingell, Mr. Heller, Mr. Garrett of New 
Jersey, Mr. Miller of Florida, Mr. Crenshaw, Mr. Fleming, Mr. Manzullo, 
 Mr. Buyer, Mr. Franks of Arizona, Mr. Shimkus, Mr. Terry, Mr. Pitts, 
     Ms. Ginny Brown-Waite of Florida, Mr. Austria, Mr. Latta, Mr. 
   Sensenbrenner, Mr. Flake, Mr. King of New York, Mr. Sessions, Mr. 
     Bilbray, Mr. Lincoln Diaz-Balart of Florida, Mr. Tiberi, Mr. 
   Frelinghuysen, Mr. Young of Florida, Mr. Simpson, Mr. Latham, Mr. 
LaTourette, Mr. Mario Diaz-Balart of Florida, Mrs. Schmidt, Mr. Nunes, 
 Mr. Bilirakis, Mr. Guthrie, Mr. Hunter, Mr. Wittman, Mr. Gerlach, Mr. 
  Buchanan, Mr. Roe of Tennessee, Mr. Putnam, Mr. Brady of Texas, Mr. 
 Gingrey of Georgia, Mr. Westmoreland, Mr. Broun of Georgia, Mr. Dent, 
  Mr. Marchant, Mr. McCaul, Mrs. Biggert, Mrs. Capito, Mr. Posey, Mr. 
 Sullivan, Mr. Lee of New York, Ms. Ros-Lehtinen, Mr. Shuster, Mr. Tim 
Murphy of Pennsylvania, Mr. Davis of Kentucky, Mr. Kucinich, Mr. Daniel 
    E. Lungren of California, and Mr. Bishop of Utah) submitted the 
following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Oversight 
                         and Government Reform

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
   Honoring the life and legacy of William Earnest ``Ernie'' Harwell.

Whereas William Earnest ``Ernie'' Harwell was born in Washington, Georgia, in 
        1918, graduated from Emory University, and began his career as a copy 
        editor and sportswriter for the Atlanta Constitution and as a regional 
        correspondent for The Sporting News;
Whereas Ernie Harwell served four years in the United States Marine Corps during 
        World War II, after which he announced games on the radio for the 
        Atlanta Crackers of the Southern Association;
Whereas Ernie Harwell became the only announcer in baseball history to be traded 
        for a player when the Brooklyn Dodgers acquired his services from the 
        Atlanta Crackers in 1948;
Whereas Ernie Harwell called baseball games for the Brooklyn Dodgers through 
        1949, the New York Giants from 1950 to 1953, including his call of Bobby 
        Thomson's ``shot heard 'round the world'' in the 1951 National League 
        pennant playoff game on NBC television, and the Baltimore Orioles from 
        1954 to 1959;
Whereas in 1960, Ernie Harwell began calling games at the corner of Michigan and 
        Trumbull as the ``voice'' of Detroit Tigers baseball, until his 
        retirement from broadcasting in 2002;
Whereas Ernie Harwell called the 1984 World Series for the Tigers and WJR Radio, 
        exclaiming ``Here comes Herndon, he's got it! And the Tigers are the 
        champions of 1984!'';
Whereas Ernie Harwell broadcast two Major League All-Star Games (1958 and 1961) 
        and two World Series (1963 and 1968) for NBC Radio, numerous American 
        League Championship Series and American League Division Series for CBS 
        Radio and ESPN Radio, the CBS Radio Game of the Week from 1992 to 1997, 
        professional and college football, and the Masters Tournament of golf;
Whereas Ernie Harwell was honored by the National Baseball Hall of Fame as the 
        fifth broadcaster to receive its Ford C. Frick Award in 1981, inducted 
        into the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame and the National Sportscasters and 
        Sportswriters Association Hall of Fame in 1989, and inducted into the 
        National Radio Hall of Fame in 1998;
Whereas in January 2009, the American Sportscasters Association ranked Harwell 
        16th on its list of Top 50 Sportscasters of All Time;
Whereas, on May 5, 2010, Ernie Harwell was posthumously awarded the Vin Scully 
        Lifetime Achievement Award in Sports Broadcasting;
Whereas Ernie Harwell thrilled baseball fans with his signature call of ``That 
        ball is looooong gone!'', and said, ``Baseball is a lot like life. It's 
        a day-to-day existence, full of ups and downs. You make the most of your 
        opportunities in baseball as you do in life.'';
Whereas Ernie Harwell's low-key delivery and colorful, conversational style are 
        synonymous with baseball and known to fans across the Nation;
Whereas Ernie Harwell began the first spring training broadcast of each season 
        with a reading from Song of Solomon 2:11-12: ``For lo, the winter is 
        past, the rain is over and gone; the flowers appear on the earth; the 
        time of the singing of birds is come, and the voice of the turtle is 
        heard in our land.'';
Whereas for 55 years, Ernie Harwell endeared Americans in his broadcast of over 
        8,400 baseball games;
Whereas Ernie Harwell spent 43 of his 55 major league seasons calling games for 
        the Detroit Tigers;
Whereas Ernie Harwell said, ``I know we're all going at some time, and I'm ready 
        for whatever God's got'';
Whereas, on May 4, 2010, Ernie Harwell, residing in Novi, Michigan, passed away 
        at the age of 92 after a long career enjoyed by millions; and
Whereas Ernie Harwell is survived by his beloved wife of 68 years, Lulu, their 
        four children, seven grandchildren, and seven great-grandchildren, and 
        by baseball fans across the Nation: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) honors the life and legacy of William Earnest ``Ernie'' 
        Harwell for his significant contributions to Major League 
        Baseball;
            (2) expresses profound sorrow at his passing on May 4, 
        2010; and
            (3) expresses sincere condolences to his wife Lulu, and the 
        rest of his family, friends, colleagues, and admirers.
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