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As Harwell prepares for retirement (mlive.com). Ernie the consumate class act on throwing out the first pitch during the Tampa Bay series:

“I told them I’d do it, but I really don’t want to,” Harwell said. “It’s nice and I understand it and you really can’t turn them down. I just hope they keep it to a minimum. I always thought the game belongs to the fans and not to the announcer. I’m just here to report the game.”

Mr. Harwell, I appreciate your humbleness but I have to respectfully disagree with you when you say, “I’m just here to report the game.” What you fail to realize is that for many fans, you are part of the game. You’ve transcended being an announcer simply reporting the facts. For many fans in Detroit, and the surrounding states (at least while WJR carried the games) you helped to define what baseball is. You embody everything that is good about baseball. You’ve given us first hand accounts of the best that baseball has to offer. So Mr. Harwell, if the game belongs to the fans, then let the fans celebrate everything you’ve done for the game and let them say Thank You.