Bob Costas goes one-on-one with Ernie Harwell
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From MLB Network -
MLB NETWORK’S BOB COSTAS INTERVIEWS BASEBALL BROADCASTING GREAT ERNIE
HARWELL ON NOVEMBER 17
Studio 42 with Bob Costas episode to discuss Harwell’s 55-year career
and his battle with cancer
November 12, 2009 – MLB Network’s Studio 42 with Bob Costas will debut
an interview with longtime Detroit Tigers play-by-play announcer and
Hall of Fame broadcaster Ernie Harwell on Tuesday, November 17 at 8:00
p.m. ET. Throughout the interview, Harwell, 91, discusses his 55-year
career in broadcasting with the Brooklyn Dodgers, New York Giants,
Baltimore Orioles and Detroit Tigers, as well as the incurable cancer
he was diagnosed with in September 2009. At the interview’s close,
Harwell recites the speech he gave upon being inducted into the
National Baseball Hall of Fame on August 2, 1981. A preview of the
interview, which will re-air on November 17 at 10:00 p.m. ET, can be
seen here.
Prior to the interview, MLB Network will air Hot Stove, its live
studio show in the offseason with updates and analysis of the moves
all 30 clubs are making and planning in preparation for the upcoming
season, at 6:00 p.m. ET and 7:00 p.m. ET/PT. Following the interview,
MLB Network will re-air Studio 42 with Bob Costas featuring Major
League Baseball umpires Don Denkinger, Bruce Froemming and Steve
Palermo at 9:00 p.m. ET.
Highlights from the interview with Harwell include:
ON HIS HEALTH
This will be my last World Series, I think. Back in July, the doctors
gave me six months to live, give or take a few months. I’m hoping to
reach my birthday on January 25 but I’m pretty sure I won’t make the
baseball season. But you never know as the Lord works wonders.
I’m not overwhelmed by the circumstances. One of the doctors said, “If
you were my father, I’d say, don’t do anything, just relax and wait
for the inevitable.” But I had great peace about that and closure to
it and I knew God was in charge and whatever happens, happens for the
best. I really have a lot of serenity and great support from my wife
family and friends. It’s been so far a fairly easy task to accept it.
On Returning to Comerica Park on September 16
That was a great event for me. First of all, I addressed the team,
which was a real honor. Jim Leyland had the whole team around. And
after a couple innings, they sent me out there with a microphone and I
said a few words of farewell. It was very heartwarming for me to see
the way people felt about me.
The old voice hasn’t changed that much in 50 years and I thank mainly
the genes, the good health the Lord gave me, and the fact I enjoyed
the job so much. I never looked at it as work. It was something I got
great pleasure out of; Getting to know the people in baseball,
traveling with them, and being a part of that great Major League
Baseball fraternity.
ON SUPPORT FROM FANS
I don’t think there’s any reason for this response except that I was
the Tiger announcer. I showed up and did the best I could. I tried to
be myself and my whole philosophy was the game was the main thing and
don’t ever interfere with the game. People tune in to what the Tigers
are doing. No matter whose doing the game, they’re going to tune in.
ON BEING A LOCAL MLB ANNOUNCER
I do feel like those people out there were my friends and I hope I was
their friend. It is a unique association that you have with your
listener. I really appreciate the fact that they’ve taken interest in
me. I don’t know that I deserve that. All I tried to do was be myself.
I wanted to broadcast the game that I thought I’d like to hear as a
listener. I tried to give the score as often as I could. I let the
play take over and fill in with anecdotes or historical information
that maybe nobody else came up with. There were going to be some
people who like you and some who don’t like you and you have to accept
that when you start out.
On moving from the segregated South to Brooklyn in 1948
It was a little strange seeing a black man play against white
competition. I accepted it and Jackie Robinson became a very good
friend of mine. I played cards with him, played golf with him, rode
the train with him. It’s the most exciting and most eventful thing
that’s happened in sports history, the breaking of the color line by
Jackie Robinson and Branch Rickey.
On leaving Baltimore IN 1960 and taking THE job WITH THE DETROIT
TIGERS
So I made the jump and it was probably the best move I ever made
because the people in Michigan have really been super. They’re great
fans, it’s an original franchise, and they have a great passion for
baseball.