In a fitting tribute to a broadcasting legend, Wayne State University has dedicated Harwell Field in honor of late Detroit Tigers broadcaster Ernie Harwell. (more…)
Tag Archives | ernie harwell
Building a Hall of Fame from scratch
Besides writing for Ballpark Digest, Jesse Goldberg-Strassler tackled a big offseason project for the Lansing Lugnuts (Low Class A; Midwest League): launching a Michigan Baseball Hall of Fame. Here’s his account of the experience. (more…)
New plan for Tiger Stadium site: youth baseball, mixed-use development
With the first proposed plan for the Tiger Stadium site that makes any sense, the city of Detroit is seeking bids for a mixed-use development that would maintain the historic playing field for youth baseball. A major player is already involved: Detroit PAL, a nonprofit youth sports organization, has committed to building a 10,000-square-foot headquarters […]
Yes, it’s spring: Part 1
If it’s the end of February, it’s the real start of spring training, when Cactus and Grapefruit League games begin. Both circuits launched play today, so it’s time for a little reading from the late Ernie Harwell. Here’s the video, courtesy of the Detroit Free Press: The Tigers opened 2014 play today at historic Joker […]
Tiger Stadium debate rages on
The debate over the future of the old Tiger Stadium site rages on, as Detroit officials covet a $4 million federal grant controlled by ballpark advocates while others question whether the ballpark site is worth preserving. Detroit, of course, has been in the news in past weeks after a state-appointed manager ordered the city into […]
Detroit officials: Let’s compromise on Tiger Stadium development
Detroit city officials are seeking a “compromise” on a potential Tiger Stadium development, as they eye a pot of federal funds controlled by Sen. Carl Levin and the Old Tiger Stadium Conservancy. George Jackson, CEO of the Detroit Economic Growth Corp. (DEGC) and a noted opponent of baseball-related activity on the Tiger Stadium site (his […]
Appreciating the Voices of Summer
At the risk of sounding redundant, let’s talk broadcasting. Broadcasting is, after all, nothing but talk — and sometimes not even the most substantive talk at that. But the presence of a broadcaster has become a central part of baseball’s essence, writes Jesse Goldberg-Strassler. Vin Scully is both the voice of baseball and the heart […]
Now Available: The Baseball Thesaurus
Sluggers deposit a Ballantine Blast in the nosebleeds. The top of the lineup sets the table for the heart of the order. Corner infielders guard the line. A lumberjack with a bad wheel staggers down the line while a glovesman flashes leather. Where did these phrases come from? Baseball is a sport with its own […]
Despite bureaucratic indifference, Tiger Stadium lives on
With the Detroit Tigers in the World Series, you can bet you’ll see plenty of shots of the old Tiger Stadium site before and during the games. The grandstand may be gone, but the ballpark lives on. Go to Michigan and Trumbull and almost any day you’ll find someone tossing a ball, stepping in the […]
New Tiger Stadium site plan emerging: parades and baseball
So much for the elusive big-box retailer Detroit officials were hoping to lure: a new plan for the old Tiger Stadium site calls for the playing field to remain intact after being sold to a float manufacturer for under $900,000. The proposed plan calls for the city to sell the site to the nonprofit Parade […]
“Business is better now than when Tiger Stadium was around”
If only Tiger Stadium could have been saved, it would have been part of a renaissance of the Corktown area of Detroit, where gentrification is in full force. When the Detroit Tigers moved to Comerica Park and abandoned Tiger Stadium, the future of Corktown was written off by many in the greater Detroit area. Without […]
In memoriam: Warner Fusselle
The Voice of the Brooklyn Cyclones (short season A; NY-Penn League) and the man descriibing the action on This Week In Baseball, Warner Fusselle, has passed away. He was 68. Fusselle passed away on Sunday evening from an apparent heart attack, just a week before what would have been his 12th Opening Day as the radio play-by-play […]
Yet another proposal for Tiger Stadium site: youth baseball
While Detroit searches for that elusive big-box retailer to pitch the city on a new development, yet another proposal for the Tiger Stadium site emerges: a youth baseball facility. After the Detroit Tigers moved from venerable Tiger Stadium to Comerica Park, the ballpark at the corner of Michigan and Trumbull sat empty for almost a […]