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© St. Petersburg Times, published September 23, 2002
DETROIT -- Ernie Harwell said he only wanted to do his job, but he has meant far more to several generations of Tigers fans.
"I'm overwhelmed by all of the attention," the Hall of Fame radio announcer said Sunday after he called his final game in Detroit.
"I always looked at myself as just a worker and it's hard for me to comprehend all of the attention."
The announced crowd of 23,930 paid homage to the work of Harwell, who will retire after 42 seasons with the team and 55 seasons of calling major-league games.
Fans gave the 84-year-old Harwell a tremendous ovation, which featured chants of "Ernie! Ernie! Ernie!" during the seventh-inning stretch of the Tigers' 4-3 loss to the Yankees.
Since the All-Star break, there have been several video tributes to Harwell by different people during the seventh-inning stretch.
Sunday, it came from Harwell's wife of 61 years, Lulu Harwell.
After the game, there was an onfield ceremony in which the Tigers presented Harwell with Comerica Park's home plate and a plaque announcing that the stadium's press box will be officially dubbed "The Ernie Harwell Media Center" at the beginning of the 2003 season.
Most fans stayed for the ceremony.
"He has been a voice of the Tigers ever since I was a kid," said Ron Masters, 37, of New Baltimore, who stood on a seat in the first row and watched the postgame ceremony through the screen behind home plate. "When we'd go to a game, we'd bring a radio so we could listen to him ... I'm getting choked up just talking about it."
The Tigers honored their radio voice with Ernie Harwell Day on Sept. 15 at Comerica Park.
A'S: Reserve John Mabry was not with the team because his wife is expecting a baby. Mabry likely will rejoin the team Tuesday in Seattle.
CARDINALS: Manager Tony La Russa will give starts to Jamey Wright and Garrett Stephenson this week, keeping his regular rotation rested rather than chase Arizona for homefield advantage in the postseason.
CUBS: First baseman Fred McGriff became the first player with a 30-homer season for five teams. He had three 30-homer seasons with Toronto, two with San Diego and one each with Atlanta and the Rays. He also homered in a record 42nd major-league park, one more than Cleveland's Ellis Burks, and became Chicago's first first baseman to hit 30 homers in a season since Ernie Banks had 32 in 1968.
D'BACKS: Left-hander Brian Anderson, who broke a bone in his left foot after being struck by a line drive Saturday, will wear a boot and be sidelined at least 4-6 weeks, putting his postseason in doubt.
DODGERS: Outfielder Dave Roberts, who strained a ribcage muscle Saturday, is likely to sit the next several games. ... Manager Jim Tracy is considering starting right-hander Hideo Nomo, the team's best pitcher down the stretch, on three days' rest against Colorado on Wednesday night.
EXPOS: Montreal played without shortstop Orlando Cabrera and second baseman Jose Vidro. Cabrera was late to the park Saturday and was benched. Vidro left the team Friday for personal reasons and returned during Sunday's game.
MARINERS: Ichiro Suzuki became the seventh player with at least 200 hits in each of his first two seasons. ... Second baseman Bret Boone was out of the lineup with a sore right heel that he injured Saturday. Boone was on crutches before the game, but the team expects him to be able to play Tuesday night.
ROCKIES: Their attendance for the season was 2,737,838, down for the sixth straight year and down 13 percent from last year's 3,159,385.
ROYALS: The contract of catcher Dusty Wathan, son of former Kansas City player and manager John Wathan, was purchased from Triple-A Omaha.