He spent 42 years as the voice of Tigers baseball.
One of the most beloved figures in Detroit sports history, Detroit Tigers broadcaster Ernie Harwell was born on this date in 1918.
Fans would know that baseball was right around the corner when Harwell would recite the “Song of the Turtle,” a Biblical stanza celebrating the freshness of spring, renewed life and opportunities, and ushers in the baseball season for Tigers fans the world over.
The Hall of Fame broadcaster decided to retire in 2002, and passed on in 2010.
Let’s throw it back to his farewell speech to Tigers fans in 2009:
