It’s Love-In at Tiger Housecleaning : Radio: Fans salute both Harwell, fired after being the team’s voice for 32 years, and retiring sidekick Carey, 63.
DETROIT — Ernie Harwell has given thousands of Detroit fans countless hours of pleasure over the 32 years he has been the voice of the Tigers. Sunday, they gave a little of that love back.
Harwell and his broadcasting sidekick Paul Carey were honored in a 15-minute ceremony before the Tigers’ game with the Baltimore Orioles. This is the last season for them both.
Harwell, 73, is being released by the Tigers and by their flagship radio station, WJR-AM. Carey, 63, will retire.
The program wasn’t entirely a love-fest. Some fans still let the ballclub know how they felt about the firing of Harwell.
The 17,925 fans, who stood during the entire affair, booed at each mention of the station’s call letters.
As the ceremony went on, some fans in the center-field bleachers held up a banner which read: “Bo fired Ernie. Bo must go.†It was a reference to Bo Schembechler, the Tigers’ president.
Security guards wrestled the banner away from the fans.
Harwell was himself, the emotion of the moment overcoming his displeasure at being fired.
“About 65 years ago, I was a tongue-tied youngster in Georgia, trying to express myself,†Harwell said, choking back tears. “Here today, I’m feeling tongue-tied and having another struggle as I try to express my thanks.â€
Harwell has been a major league announcer for 43 years, the last 32 with the Tigers. Carey’s booming baritone has been beside him in the booth for 19 years.
“God had given me a lot of blessings,†Harwell said. “But I think His greatest blessing was putting me here at the corner of Michigan and Trumbull for 32 years. I’ve broadcast the game I live. I’ve known the greats and the not-so greats.â€
As he spoke, Harwell began to relax and even poked fun at some of his most famous cliches.
“Most of all, I appreciate you fans,†he said. “You’ve cheered those ‘instant runs’ and you’ve caught those foul balls, you folks from Saginaw and Dearborn and Windsor and Bay City. And you’ve really been better than ‘two for the price of one.’ â€
Carey said he will miss the people of baseball and, most of all, Harwell.
Neither Schembechler nor Jim Campbell, the Tigers’ chief executive officer, were on the field during the ceremony. Al Kaline represented the organization.
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