[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 67 (Thursday, May 6, 2010)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E775-E776]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




            CELEBRATING THE LIFE AND CAREER OF ERNIE HARWELL

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. JOHN CONYERS, JR.

                              of michigan

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, May 6, 2010

  Mr. CONYERS. Madam Speaker, on Tuesday May 4th, Legendary Detroit 
Tigers hall of fame announcer Ernie Harwell died at the age of 92 after 
a yearlong battle with cancer. Harwell had one of the longest runs of a 
broadcaster with one major league club, calling Tigers games for 42 
seasons.
  Harwell had been a big-league announcer for more than 10 years when 
he joined the Tigers broadcast team in 1960. He called Tiger games for 
42 seasons. In 55 seasons of broadcasting big-league baseball, he 
missed two games, neither because of his health. One was for his 
brother's funeral in 1968 and the other was for his induction into the 
National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association Hall of Fame in 
1989.
  His career is woven into the fabric of baseball's history. When he 
was calling games in Atlanta, he interviewed a young impressive hitter 
from the Boston Red Sox named Ted Williams. As a young man in Atlanta 
he met Babe Ruth. He was so excited that he didn't realize he had no 
paper to get an autograph from Babe. He got his autograph though and 
that experience was the title of his book, The Babe Signed My Shoe.
  Madam Speaker, I don't know if summers in Detroit will be the same. 
Even though Ernie retired, his voice echoed in Tiger Stadium, Comerica 
Park and anywhere the Tigers were discussed. Throughout his time in the 
booth Ernie was able to bring Detroiters together even in our most 
trying times. Many Detroiters of my generation know where we were and 
who we were with when the Tigers won the World Series in 1968. We were 
all in different places, but we were all with Ernie. He was with us for 
every great game and every great Tiger's memory.

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