William Earnest “Ernie” Harwell was an American sportscaster, known for his long career calling play-by-play of Major League Baseball games. For 55 years, 42 of them with the Detroit Tigers, Harwell called balls, strikes, and home runs on radio and television. In January 2009, the American Sportscasters Association ranked Harwell 16th on its list of Top 50 Sportscasters of All Time.
Ernie Harwell passed away on the evening of Tuesday, May 4th, 2010, at his home in Novi, Michigan, after nearly a year-long battle with cancer. He died in his apartment in Fox Run Village. His wife Lulu was said to be there at his side. He revealed just 8 months prior to his life long fans he had a cancerous tumor in his bile ducts and was given just a few months to live. Ernie said prior to his death he knew he was dying.