The House by the Side of the Road

One last post about the late Ernie Harwell. As a youth, Ernie had a speech impediment and one of his exercises was to recite this poem by Sam Walter Foss. As a baseball announcer, Ernie kept a piece of this poem as a catch-phrase for when someone struck out looking, "He stood there like the house by the side of the road and watched it go by." Here is the complete text of "The House by the Side of the Road."

There are hermit souls that live withdrawn In the place of their self-content; There are souls like stars, that dwell apart, In a fellowless firmament; There are pioneer souls that blaze the paths Where highways never ran- But let me live by the side of the road And be a friend to man.

Let me live in a house by the side of the road Where the race of men go by- The men who are good and the men who are bad, As good and as bad as I. I would not sit in the scorner's seat Nor hurl the cynic's ban- Let me live in a house by the side of the road And be a friend to man.

I see from my house by the side of the road By the side of the highway of life, The men who press with the ardor of hope, The men who are faint with the strife, But I turn not away from their smiles and tears, Both parts of an infinite plan- Let me live in a house by the side of the road And be a friend to man.

I know there are brook-gladdened meadows ahead, And mountains of wearisome height; That the road passes on through the long afternoon And stretches away to the night. And still I rejoice when the travelers rejoice And weep with the strangers that moan, Nor live in my house by the side of the road Like a man who dwells alone.

Let me live in my house by the side of the road, Where the race of men go by- They are good, they are bad, they are weak, they are strong, Wise, foolish - so am I. Then why should I sit in the scorner's seat, Or hurl the cynic's ban? Let me live in my house by the side of the road And be a friend to man.

So long, Ernie, you were indeed a friend to man.

The blogosphere remembers Ernie Harwell

There are a number of great tributes around the blogosphere for Ernie Harwell. I spent quite a bit of time reading rememberances from not only Tigers fans, but baseball fans in general. Here are some of my favorites:

• Samara at Roar of the Tigers created a beautiful tribute to Ernie
• Ian Casselbury has a nice article at the Cutoff Man on Mlive
• I still love Bill Ferris' poignant reflections from when Ernie addressed the fans at Comerica Park last September over at the Detroit Tigers Weblog
• Joe Posnanski with another wonderful tribute
• Curtis Granderson shares his thoughts on Ernie's passing
• Scott over at Box Seats at Comerica Park remembers the time he got to share the booth with Ernie and Paul Carey

God Bless You, Ernie Harwell

William Ernest Harwell - 1918 - 2010 For, lo, the winter is past, The rain is over and gone; The flowers appear on the earth; The time of the singing of birds is come, And the voice of the turtle is heard in our land.

One of my strongest memories of listening to Ernie Harwell call a Tigers game was as a kid. I was supposed to be sleeping, but I turned on my transistor radio and caught the end of a Tigers game. I don't know who they were playing, but the Tigers were down going into their last bat in the bottom of the 9th and Sweet Lou Whitaker hit a walk-off home run to win it and Ernie Harwell belted out, "It's Loonng Gone, Tigers Win!"

Two things that I think need to be done to honor such a Tigers and Major League Baseball legend:

1. The Tigers need to have one game each year designated as Ernie Harwell Day.
2. Buy out the Comerica corporate sponsorship and rename it Harwell Field or Harwell Park.

The Comerica Park sponsorship is a $66 million deal over 30 years which began with the stadium's opening in 2000. Small price in order to pay tribute to a broadcasting and Tigers legend. That is, if there isn't a clause in the contract that prohibits a buyout.

Information and other links about Ernie Harwell

A public viewing will be held at Comerica Park beginning at 7am Thursday, May 6th. Free parking is available at lots 1, 2, and 3.

The Detroit Tigers will wear patches on their uniforms as tribute to Ernie Harwell for the remainder of this season.

I strongly urge you to get a copy of the Ernie Harwell's Audio Scrapbook. You will be able to listen to the Voice of the Tigers any time you wish. Here is a non-affiliate link to purchase a copy - Ernie Harwell's Audio Scrapbook.

MLB video tribute to broadcasting legend, Ernie Harwell

Mitch Albom's tribute to Ernie

Ernie Harwell tribute page I created a few years ago

As long as we have our memories, Ernie Harwell will never truly be gone. We'll remember Lonnng Gone!, Called out for excessive window shopping, Foul ball caught by a man from Kalamazoo, Two for the price of one, and many others he delivered in that smooth cadence with a hint of the south where he was born and raised.

Once again, the video of Ernie Harwell thanking the fans on September 16, 2009 -

I think Ernie said it best in his September 30, 2002 final sign-off as a Detroit Tigers radio broadcaster -

"And rather than good-bye, please allow me to say thank you.

"Thank you for letting me be part of your family. Thank you for taking me with you to that cottage up north, to the beach, the picnic, your work place and your backyard.

"Thank you for sneaking your transistor under the pillow as you grew up loving the Tigers.

"Now I might have been a small part of your life. But you have been a very large part of mine. And it's my privilege and honor to share with you the greatest game of all.

"Now God has a new adventure for me. And I'm ready to move on. So I leave you with a deep sense of appreciation for your longtime loyalty and support.

"I thank you very much, and God bless all of you."

Spend a week this summer as a lighthouse keeper at Tawas Point Lighthouse

Are you looking for a unique Michigan vacation for the summer? The Tawas Point Lighthouse has an opportunity for you to make a very memorable stay as their lighthouse keeper for a week this summer. You will need to fill out an application, a letter stating why you wish to be a lighthouse keeper, send a $25 non-refundable deposit, as well as submit a letter of reference. If you luck out and are picked to serve as a keeper for a week you will then need to pay a $225 rental fee for your stay at the refurbished keeper's quarters.

How cool would that be to wake up each morning in a Michigan historic lighthouse?

Your daily duties as lighthouse keeper may include:

• Providing tours
• Deal with the public
• Handle unexpected emergencies
• Working in the Lighthouse Store
• Performing routine cleaning and maintenance

More information on how to become a lighthouse keeper at Tawas Point Light

[Original Tawas Point Lighthouse photo]