The power of Ernie Harwell — and what he meant — could be seen in Nats pitching coach and Michigan native Steve McCatty on Tuesday. After talking about Harwell with reporters, the questions moved on to the game.
But before he could answer one about Livan Hernandez, McCatty, who also spent seven years as a Tigers coach, paused for a moment as he heard Harwell’s voice on a locker room television.
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“That voice. I’m sorry,” McCatty said, before pausing another 10 seconds and then shaking his head. “Great man. I’m sorry.”
Also a great announcer. Harwell had been gone from baseball for a decade when he died Tuesday. But his passing is another reminder that there are few broadcasters like him anymore. Last year Harry Kalas died; Jack Buck and Harry Caray are long gone. That leaves Vin Scully among the old guard and Jon Miller among those who, hopefully, have lots of time left in this business (thanks again, Peter Angelos, for that wise move). Bob Uecker is legendary, partly because of his role in the movie “Major League.” And he’ll miss three months after undergoing heart surgery.
Are there any budding legends? It doesn’t seem that way. Will any of them inspire someone to someday say this:
“You go to the ballpark as a kid, you think of Tiger Stadium, the first thing you thought at 5 years old was this green grass when you walked up from underneath,” McCatty said. “And then you just think of Ernie Harwell’s voice. It was everything for us.”
