Baseball Says Farewell, Thanks to Two of the Game's Greats

More than any other sport, baseball seems to grasp the idea that the game is a living, breathing entity tying one generation to the next. And more than the players or the managers or even the owners, the storytellers for each team are most responsible for that inter-generational connection. Last night, in separate ceremonies in Detroit and Cincinnati, two of those men were honored.

First to Detroit, where they paid tribute to Ernie Harwell, and as Tigers fans have likely come to expect from such a genial member of their family, Harwell paid tribute to them.

"In my almost 92 years on this Earth, the good Lord has blessed me with a great journey, and the blessed part of that journey is that it's going to end here in the great state of Michigan. I deeply appreciate the people of Michigan. I love their grit. I love the way they face life. I love the family values they have. And you Tiger fans are the greatest fans of all, no question about that.

"And I certainly want to thank you from the depth of my heart for your devotion, your support, your loyalty and your love. Thank you very much, and God bless you."

Fans in my town of Philadelphia never got to say goodbye to their legend, as Harry Kalas died in the booth this season. When he passed, I remember getting emails from many Tigers fans who felt when Harwell, who was recently diagnosed with inoperable cancer, passes on, their feeling will be the same as ours. And this isn’t a eulogy for the man.

If you watch the speech last night, he seems as sharp as ever. He is a true legend in broadcasting, and it’s great for the city of Detroit to get the chance to celebrate his career twice -- once in 2002 when he retired from the booth, and another last night. Ian Casselberry, who writes the Tigers blog Bless You Boys, sent me this:

"Ernie Harwell walking onto the field at Comerica Park last night was a reminder to Tigers fans and the city of Detroit that no matter how much of a roller coaster this season has been, and no matter how rough times are in this area, that we have been extremely fortunate to share a part of our lives with him. No matter what happens, we can get through it all with grace, warmth and dignity."

Harwell took yesterday’s celebration to thank more than just the fans, stopping in the press box that’s named after him to greet the media as well:

"I'm a failed newspaper man myself," he said. "I wanted to be a sportswriter when I was younger, working on the [Atlanta] Constitution, doing everything that nobody else would do. Thought maybe I'd be the next Grantland Rice, but it didn't happen. God had another plan for me. Couldn't get a job on the paper, and I got into radio. Stuck with radio and television, and it stuck with me up until 2002."

One man who did cover baseball at a paper, if you pardon that terrible transition, was Dayton Daily News writer Hal McCoy. There is no tougher job in sports media than being a baseball beat writer -- with the constant travel and time away from family in dank motels covering crappy teams in late August and September while those you cover play out the string -- and McCoy did the job of covering the Cincinnati Reds for 37 years with a certain degree of pleasure:

"It was my life and my passion," McCoy said from the podium. "My wife Nadine hates it when I say this, but I love three things: Baseball, writing and traveling. I got to do all three for 37 years, and I got paid for it."

McCoy’s departure from the beat is not a matter of age, but a matter of the economic times for a paper like the Dayton Daily News. You may remember earlier this summer when McCoy wrote about his retirement, offering, "they’re putting the ol’ baseball scribe out to pasture and if there are teardrops on your screen, well, that’s from me, just an old softie."

It can’t be easy for McCoy, who stares at the end of his baseball career. And, pardon the dramatics, but it can’t be easy for Harwell, either, who stares at the end of something with much greater finality.

Kudos to the Tigers and Reds for recognizing and celebrating these men.

This post originally appeared on the Sporting Blog. For more, see The Sporting Blog Archives.