This man provided a major part of the soundtrack of my life growing up. Tiger baseball *was* Ernie Harwell on WJR, as a constant companion every Summer. Professional, knowledgeable, and above all classy. Ernie Harwell was, and always will be, the very best radio man the game has ever seen. And he was ours. We were damn lucky…
-ghp
Sad news for Detroit Tigers fans. Hall of Fame third baseman, and long time broadcaster, George Kell died in his sleep Tuesday, at the age of 86.
For folks my age, Kell was a fixture with Tigers legend Al Kaline as the TV broadcast team in the 70′s & 80′s, while the broadcast legend Ernie Harwell took care of the radio duties on WJR AM-760.
ESPN.com has a wonderful obit article that touches on both Kell’s playing and broadcasting excellence. The Detroit News also has some nice pieces by Tom Gage & Bob Wojnowski that really capture what Kell meant to Detroit & Tigers fans.
He’ll be missed. As will those halcyon days of the 1980′s when we Tigers fans were blessed with Ernie, George, and Al. Bless you, boys…
-ghp
Ballgames are a completely different experience as a parent than they were as a kid. I don’t remeber them being this boring 30 years ago — at least it’s a beautiful 70 & sunny as I sit, watch, and write at 7pm on a Wed evening.
It does my prideful heart good to state that my daughter is good — carrying on in the tradition of me & my dad. And those of you who know me, know that I wouldn’t say she was good if she wasn’t (right bigsis?)
I’m just glad it gets easier to watch each year, particularly as the amount of self-esteem-boosting rule-tweaking gives way to actually playing by the rules – like keeping score, succeeding, failing, winning, and losing.
-ghp
January 29, 1936 – The first members of the Baseball Hall of Fame, including Ty Cobb and Babe Ruth, were named in Cooperstown, New York.
WDTM? Well, the most significant data point is this: None of the initial inductees were unanimous choices. This ushered in the era of pompous & boneheaded sportswriters completely jacking up the HoF voting process. It’s a farce that the pitcher of the 1980′s is not yet in the HoF! 
Induct Jack Morris!
-ghp
1968 World Series
vs. 
2006 World Series
vs. 
Detroit Tigers vs. St. Louis Cardinals
It’s 1968 all over again. And while the Tigers don’t have a 30 game winner (Denny McLain) this go around, neither do the Cards have anyone of Bob Gibson’s stature. Tiger Stadium and the 1968-vintage Busch Stadium won’t house the games. I didn’t know how to walk during the ’68 Series (I’m told I took my first steps right after the Tigers clinched Game 7), and now I’m an accomplished biped. 
So much is different…
Not the least of which is this: The Tigers won the ’68 Series in 7 games — it won’t take them nearly that long to win it this time around!
The schedule:
Game 1 – Saturday 10/21 @ 6:30pm CDT – Comerica Park, Detroit
Game 2 – Sunday 10/22 @ 6:30pm CDT – Comerica Park, Detroit
Game 3 – Tuesday, 10/24 @ 7:00pm CDT – Busch Stadium, St. Louis
Game 4 – Wednesday, 10/25 @ 7:00pm CDT – Busch Stadium, St. Louis
* Game 5 – Thursday, 10/26 @ 7:00pm CDT – Busch Stadium, St. Louis
* Game 6 – Saturday 10/28 @ 6:30pm CDT – Comerica Park, Detroit
* Game 7 – Sunday 10/29 @ 6:30pm CST – Comerica Park, Detroit
* = if necessary
Here’s two more logos, just for fun…
1968 (I remember this logo from growing up watching the Tigers):
2006:
Go Tigers!
THE TIGERS WIN THE PENNANT!
22 years to the day after they won the World Series, the Tigers won the AL Pennant, securing their first World Series berth since 1984!
And they did it in pretty darned dramatic fashion, with Magglio Ordonez hitting a walk-off homer with 2 on, 2 out, and the score tied 3-3 in the bottom of the 9th.
What a game. What a team. What a year. Magical in a whole different way than that ’84 campaign of dominance was, but with the potential to be just as satisfying.
Bring on the patsies from the NL!
-ghp
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