Ernie Harwell

by James Finn Garner

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Now the Tigers’ voice has been quieted.
He saw teams that won, and fans that rioted.
He saw a man play in the bigs after jail.
He saw a boy pitching tell his baseball a tale.
He saw a flawed man win 31 games,
The careers of good men go up in flames.
He watched a beloved ballpark decay
And the City of Wheels fall by the way.
Yet he knew in the end it was only a game.
God’s plan ignores things like money and fame.
A bat’s just a branch, a mitt is just leather.
Baseball’s true worth is bringing people together.

Some night, when a hit curves decidedly foul,
We’ll hear a faint voice with a sweet Georgia drawl,
Say, chuckling with fathomless love for it all,
“A man from Paradise just caught that ball.”

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Posted 5/5/2010

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0 Replies to “Ernie Harwell”

  1. I remember we always used to joke that he knew where everyone at the baseball game was from and what seat they were sitting in!

  2. What? You mean…don’t tell me he didn’t! I figured he had a big chart on the table for every seat in the park!

    Another Childhood notion destroyed!

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