Ernie Harwell Passes - The Suns Take a Stand on Immigration Laws

RIP ERNIE HARWELL

DETROIT -- From the sandy shores of Lake Michigan to the rugged streets in Flint, they listened to Ernie Harwell tell the Tigers tales for more than 40 years.
Beloved by generations of baseball fans who grew up enraptured by his rich voice, Southern cadence and quirky phrases on the radio, Harwell died Tuesday after a months-long battle with cancer. He was 92.
The longtime Detroit Tigers broadcaster died about 7:30 p.m. in his apartment at Fox Run Village and Retirement Center in the Detroit suburb of Novi, said his attorney and longtime friend, S. Gary Spicer.
His wife of 68 years, Lulu, and his two sons and two daughters were at his side, Spicer said.
"We'll miss you, Ernie Harwell. You'll forever be the voice of summer," Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm tweeted.
A Hall of Fame announcer who was acquired by the Brooklyn Dodgers for a catcher in 1948, Harwell revealed in September that he'd been diagnosed with inoperable cancer of the bile duct. He took the news with characteristic poise, saying he planned to continue working on a book and other projects.
"Whatever happens, I'm ready to face it," Harwell told the Associated Press on Sept. 4, 2009. "I have a great faith in God and Jesus."
Harwell's body will lie in repose at Comerica Park on Thursday beginning at 7 a.m. and "until the last person who wishes to pay their respects" has done so, Spicer said.
"It might be an all-night vigil," he said.
There will be no public memorial service, and the family will hold a private funeral service at a location Spicer declined to disclose.
The Tigers were in Minnesota on Tuesday night. During the seventh-inning stretch, the Twins announced Harwell had died, and fans honored him with a standing ovation.
"All of Major League Baseball is in mourning tonight upon learning of the loss of a giant of our game," commissioner Bud Selig said. "This son of Georgia was the voice of the Detroit Tigers and one of the game's iconic announcers to fans across America, always representing the best of our national pastime to his generations of listeners.
"Without question, Ernie was one of the finest and most distinguished gentlemen I have ever met."
Shortly after Harwell announced that he was ill, the Tigers honored him during a game against Kansas City, showing a video tribute and giving him a chance to address the crowd at Comerica Park.
"In my almost 92 years on this Earth, the good Lord has blessed me with a great journey," Harwell said at a microphone behind home plate. "The blessed part of that journey is that it's going to end here in the great state of Michigan."
Harwell spent 42 of his 55 years in broadcasting with the Tigers, joining Mel Allen, Jack Buck, Harry Caray and others among the game's most famous play-by-play voices.
He announced Detroit games on radio from 1960-1991, again in 1993 and from 1999-2002. He broadcast games on over-the-air and cable television from 1960-64 and 1994-98.
When he signed off following his final game in 2002, Harwell was as eloquent as ever.
"It's time to say goodbye, but I think goodbyes are sad and I'd much rather say hello. Hello to a new adventure. I'm not leaving, folks. I'll still be with you, living my life in Michigan -- my home state -- surrounded by family and friends," he said.
"And rather than goodbye, please allow me to say thank you. Thank you for letting me be part of your family. Thank you for taking me with you to that cottage up north, to the beach, the picnic, your work place and your backyard. Thank you for sneaking your transistor under the pillow as you grew up loving the Tigers. Now, I might have been a small part of your life. But you've been a very large part of mine. And it's my privilege and honor to share with you the greatest game of all."
"Probably the best word, he was gentle. And it came across. He just cared for people and he loved baseball," Scully said. "You can understand how the people in Detroit just loved him. I followed him into Brooklyn, and then I followed him into the Hall. He was such a lovely man. However that word is defined, that was Ernie."
Harwell's passing came one season after the death of another cherished baseball announcer, Philadelphia's Harry Kalas.
"What a voice," said longtime Tigers shortstop Alan Trammell, the World Series MVP the last time the Tigers won it all in 1984. "He did it with class, he did it with dignity. We shed a tear tonight, that's for sure."
The Tigers and their flagship radio station, WJR, allowed Harwell's contract to expire after the 1991 season in what became a public relations nightmare. Then-Tigers president Bo Schembechler, the former Michigan football coach, took the blame. WJR general manager Jim Long later took responsibility for the unpopular move.
When Mike Ilitch bought the franchise from Tom Monaghan, he put Harwell back in the booth in 1993. Harwell chose to retire after the 2002 season.
"Ernie Harwell was the most popular sports figure in the state of Michigan," said Ilitch, who also owns the Detroit Red Wings.
Harwell's big break came in unorthodox fashion.
Brooklyn Dodgers radio broadcaster Red Barber fell ill in 1948, and general manager Branch Rickey needed a replacement. After learning that the minor league Atlanta Crackers needed a catcher, Rickey sent catcher Cliff Dapper to Atlanta and Harwell joined the Dodgers.
Harwell said his most memorable game was the 1951 playoff between the Dodgers and New York Giants for the NL pennant, which Bobby Thomson won with a walk-off home run, but few if any people remember his recount of the "Shot Heard 'Round The World?" at the Polo Grounds that day.
Russ Hodges' exclamation on radio of "The Giants win the pennant!" became one of the most famous moments in sports broadcasting history. Harwell, meanwhile, was calling the first major sporting event televised coast-to-coast in the United States. His work that day has been largely forgotten.
"I just said, `It's gone!' and then the pictures took over," he recalled.
By his own count, Harwell called more than 8,300 major league games, starting with the Dodgers and continuing with the Giants and Baltimore Orioles before joining the Tigers. He missed two games outside of the '92 season: one for his brother's funeral in 1968, the other when he was inducted into the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association Hall of Fame in 1989.
His easygoing manner and love of baseball endeared him to generations of Tigers fans, enhancing the club's finest moments and making its struggles more bearable.
Even casual fans could tick off Harwell catch phrases: "Looooooong gone!" for a home run; "He stood there like the house by the side of the road and watched that one go by" for a batter taking a called third strike; and "Two for the price of one!" for a double play.
Foul balls into the stands were "Caught by a man from [whatever town in the area that came to his mind]."
"I started that after I got to Detroit in 1961 or '62, and it just happened by accident," Harwell explained. "I said, `A guy from Grosse Pointe caught that foul ball,' then the next ones were caught by a guy from Saginaw or a lady from Lansing."
The Baseball Hall of Fame honored Harwell in 1981 with the Ford C. Frick Award, given annually to a broadcaster for major contributions to baseball.
A life-sized statue of Harwell stands at the entrance to Comerica Park and its press box is called "The Ernie Harwell Media Center."
"I think we all know where he's heading," Trammell said. "What a gentleman, what a great person. It's a sad day for baseball."
Harwell took pride in making rare visits to the ballpark and for not doing much play-by-play work as a retiree. But he did make a guest appearance for ESPN Radio during the fourth inning of the 2005 All-Star game in Detroit. He also presented the ceremonial first ball to Tigers greats Al Kaline and Willie Horton before Game 1 of the 2006 World Series when Detroit hosted the St. Louis Cardinals.
Harwell was born Jan. 25, 1918, in Washington, Ga., with a speech defect that left him tongue-tied. Through therapy and forcing himself to participate in debates and classroom discussions, he had overcome the handicap by the time he graduated from Emory University.
Harwell's survivors also include seven grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.






Suns to wear 'Los Suns' uniforms to honor Phoenix's Latino community

In general, people in the sports world keep their political leanings to themselves. Sure, there are a few guys who regularly speak out on political issues, but for the most part that's considered bad business. As Michael Jordan put it, "Republicans buy shoes too." That's why what the Phoenix Suns are doing is so amazing.
The team will be wearing its "Los Suns" jerseys for Wednesday night's Game 2 against the San Antonio Spurs "to honor [the] Latino community and the diversity of our league, the state of Arizona, and our nation." Awesome.
The decision to wear the jerseys came from way up the corporate ladder, as team owner Robert Sarver suggested the team wear their Noche Latina alternates.
Sarver, who was born and raised in Tucson, said frustration with the federal government's failure to deal with the illegal immigration issue led to the passage of what he called "a flawed state law."
"However intended, the result of passing the law is that our basic principles of equal rights and protection under the law are being called into question," he said, "and Arizona's already struggling economy will suffer even further setbacks at a time when the state can ill-afford them."
The Suns voted on the jerseys and unanimously decided to wear them for Cinco De Mayo. As if he weren't likeable enough, Phoenix guard Steve Nash(notes) succinctly summed up the Suns' feelings on the issue.
"I think it's fantastic," Nash said after Tuesday's practice. "I think the law is very misguided. I think it's, unfortunately, to the detriment of our society and our civil liberties. I think it's very important for us to stand up for things we believe in. As a team and as an organization, we have a lot of love and support for all of our fans. The league is very multicultural. We have players from all over the world, and our Latino community here is very strong and important to us."
And it's not just the Suns who are speaking out on this issue.
Spurs coach Gregg Popovich is on board, and the team even tried to get their "Los Spurs" jerseys, though it was too late to do so. When asked for approval to wear the jerseys, the NBA "was all for it," said Suns general manager Steve Kerr. Furthermore, NBA Players Association executive director Billy Hunter issued a press release, denouncing the law.
The recent passage of the new immigration law in Arizona is disappointing and disturbing. The National Basketball Players Association strongly supports the repeal or immediate modification of this legislation. Any attempt to encourage, tolerate or legalize racial profiling is offensive and incompatible with basic notions of fairness and equal protection. A law that unfairly targets one group is ultimately a threat to all.
We applaud the actions of Phoenix Suns players and management and join them in taking a stand against the misguided efforts of Arizona lawmakers. We are consulting with our members and our player leadership to determine the most effective way for our union to continue to voice our opposition to this legislation.
It's not much, just an extra three letters on the front of a tanktop, but it means a lot more. As Kerr said, the Suns want to "make sure that people understand that we know what's going on and we don't agree with the law itself." For a sports team, that's huge.

I don't agree with this and I don't think sports teams should get involved in politics. Keep them seperate, or you'll end up losing a lot of your true fans!!!

MLB's Highest paid Players and Most Underpaid Players. Baseball's money game!!

Passan’s all-overpaid and all-underpaid teams
http://yahoosports.com
Jun 18, 7:57 am EDT
Take a bow, Carl Pavano. Just don’t hurt your back.
You,are the kind of baseball player that makes the annual All-Overpaid team possible. Since you signed with the New York Yankees four years ago for $39.95 million – remember, you fired your agent because he didn’t get you $40 million! – you have made 19 starts, won five games and earned $359,282.51 for every inning you pitched. The Yankees expect you back in August. Yeah, just like they expect $1 gas.
Sadly, your contract expires this offseason, which means another lucky soul can be recognized for being grossly overpaid, even by baseball standards.
In the interest of fairness, we’ll take another shot at the All-Underpaid team, too. The same caveat applies this year as did last: no players who have yet to hit arbitration. Baseball rules artificially depress their salary, and the credit due to teams for signing them doesn’t apply. So that means no Josh Hamilton, even though, at $396,830, he is probably baseball’s biggest bargain. No Carlos Quentin ($400,000), Ryan Ludwick ($411,000), Nate McLouth ($425,000), Edinson Volquez ($382,000) or Tim Lincecum ($405,000), either.

Nevertheless, there are some mighty good contracts out there, with the numbers coming from a USA Today database. Though, let’s be real: The grisliest of the grisly are a whole lot more fun to peruse.

All-Overpaid
C: Ivan Rodriguez, Detroit, $12.38 million – From All-Star last season to platoon this year, Rodriguez’s bat has turned limp. He doesn’t get nearly the blame he deserves, because he’s 36 and catchers are supposed to age quickly, but that doesn’t explain: Why, exactly, did the Tigers pick up his ludicrous option instead of just buying him out for $3 million?
1B: Richie Sexson, Seattle, $15.5 million – With general manager Bill Bavasi fired Monday, the Mariners could finally cut ties with Sexson, the biggest mistake of Bavasi’s tenure. He’s been even worse than last season, striking out once every three at-bats, getting on base less than 30 percent of the time and slugging below .400. A disaster in every manner possible.
2B: Jeff Kent, Los Angeles Dodgers, $9 million – The first of many Dodgers on this list. Certainly not the most illustrious, though.
SS: Derek Jeter, New York Yankees, $21.6 million – He’s on pace for the worst year of his career by a long shot offensively, his defense is subpar even by his standards and he’s the third-highest-paid player in baseball. No amount of leadership can make that worth more than $20 million.
3B: Nomar Garciaparra, Los Angeles Dodgers, $9.52 million – Nope, he doesn’t take the cake, either, even though he’s had only 31 at-bats this season and more setbacks in rehab than Lindsay Lohan.
OF: Andruw Jones, Los Angeles Dodgers, $18.1 million – That honor goes to Jones, who came into camp looking like he’d spent his offseason interning in a Hostess factory and ended up on the disabled list, which protested because it was worried that it might break if he sat on it. Jones wouldn’t be the first to land on the All-Overpaid and All-Overweight teams simultaneously.
OF: The entire Los Angeles Angels outfield rotation, $54 million – For that much money, you figure Garret Anderson ($12.6 million), Gary Matthews Jr. ($9.4 million), Torii Hunter ($16.5 million) and Vladimir Guerrero ($15.5 million) can do better than the following rankings in left-field, center-field and right-field OPS; 23rd, 12th and 26th.
OF: Ichiro Suzuki, Seattle, $17.1 million – Much like Jeter, Suzuki lands here because his persona made it such that his team overpaid to keep him. Mariners manager John McLaren hopes a move to right field will invigorate Suzuki, whose average is still below .300 and can’t even eclipse a .400 slugging percentage.
DH: Gary Sheffield, Detroit, $13.3 million – Another close escape for the $23.4 million man, Jason Giambi. Instead we’re here to celebrate Sheffield’s fragility and another senseless Detroit contract for players nearing the ends of their career. Sheffield’s power is gone, and he didn’t have much else anyway.
SP: Carl Pavano, New York Yankees, $11 million – King of Bad Contracts, we crown thee.
SP: Barry Zito, San Francisco, $14.5 million – Zito is the prince, and his reign isn’t far off. He could lose 20 games. Batters are hitting .320 off him. He hasn’t struck out as many as he has walked. Five years, $101.5 million left on his deal? Heaven help the Giants.
SP: Jason Schmidt, Los Angeles Dodgers, $15.2 million – While the Dodgers’ deals aren’t as damaging long-term as others because the contracts are for shorter length, it only makes the egregious misses stand out more. Soreness crept back into Schmidt’s shoulder during his latest comeback attempt, and it stands to reason we’re not going to see him again this year – or, perhaps, period.
SP: Matt Morris, Pittsburgh, $10.03 million – What a retirement present.
SP: Mike Hampton, Atlanta, $15.98 million – This is the farewell to Hampton, whose eight-year, $121 million contract expires after this season (with the requisite $6 million buyout). In his honor, we present a poem:
Hamstring, elbow, Tommy John
Disabled list you’re always on
Mr. Hampton, you’re the best
Working on three years’ rest

RP: Eric Gagne, Milwaukee, $10 million – Ineffective first and injured now, Gagne is among the great casualties of steroid testing. No longer is he an intimidating figure with a terrifying fastball and changeup. No, with glasses and unkempt hair, he actually looks more like a geek.
RP: Danys Baez, Baltimore, $6.17 million – Of all the Orioles’ ill-fated relief signings two years ago – sorry, Jamie Walker and Chad Bradford are not worth multi-year deals, either – Baez stands out. He won’t pitch an inning this season.
RP: Derrick Turnbow, Milwaukee, $3.37 million – The Brewers should have just designated him for assignment before the season. Instead, they got 25 baserunners in 6 1/3 innings before they sent him to Triple-A, where he’s now trying to become a starter. He has walked 30 in 11 1/3 innings.
RP: Mark Prior, San Diego, $1 million – And to think, other teams wanted to offer him more. Seeing as this exceeds the minimum Prior was eligible to receive by about half a million dollars, it doesn’t make him overpaid, per se. At this point, though, signing Prior is like throwing away money, which is one of the sad stories of this era.
UNDERPAID
C: Miguel Olivo, Kansas City, $2.05 million – In a lineup bereft of power, Olivo has provided jolts and could play more DH than any catcher in years. He has eight home runs in 161 at-bats, is slugging .503 and has thrown out seven of 13 runners when behind the plate.
1B: Kevin Youkilis, Boston, $3 million – Tantrums and tortoise-like speed aside, Youkilis is a model player: Gold Glove-caliber defense at first, ability to spray the ball across the field and burgeoning power. The question is, can he do it in both halves after faltering post-All-Star break last season?
2B: Ian Kinsler, Texas, $700,000 – There is Chase Utley at $7.79 million and Brian Roberts at $6.3 million and Orlando Hudson at $6.25 million, all bargains for sure. None provides quite the bang for buck as Kinsler, whose combination of power and speed is matched at the position only by Brandon Phillips. Kinsler was caught stealing for the first time in 18 tries Sunday and his 10 home runs rank fourth at the position – though his defense could stand to improve. Kinsler’s 14 errors are tied for the most in the major leagues, regardless of position.
SS: Jose Reyes, New York Mets, $4.38 million – The one thing Omar Minaya can say he did right was sign David Wright and Reyes to club-friendly deals. Sure, Reyes hasn’t turned into the machine many hoped (and figured) he would. His stolen bases are down, and his on-base percentage seems to have plateaued around .350. Still, he is dangerous, exciting and, for less than $5 million this year, a steal.
3B: Jorge Cantu, Florida, $500,000 – The Marlins always operate on the margins, and this year’s scrap-heap find was one of the AL’s best young players three years ago. Somewhere between his 117-RBI season as a 23-year-old and this year, Cantu lost his stroke. And somewhere since, he has found it with 14 home runs and a .506 slugging percentage that offset his 14 errors, .918 fielding percentage and range of a water pistol.
OF: Grady Sizemore, Cleveland, $3.17 million – Sizemore should be an annual participant on this list, with his contract calling for salaries no higher than $8.5 million through the 2012 season. He’s the Indians’ lone salvation this season, a home-run-hitting, base-stealing, outfield-ground-covering menace.
OF: David DeJesus, Kansas City, $2.5 million – Teams call the Royals almost every day asking about DeJesus’ availability, not just because of the reasonable contract that goes through 2011. The doubles DeJesus has hit in the past are turning into home runs – seven in 214 at-bats this year after seven in 605 last year – and his ability to play all three outfielder positions well is a plus.
OF: Eric Hinske, Tampa Bay, $800,000 – Last year it was Carlos Peña. This year, the Rays recycled another player off the scrap heap, Hinske, to great results. Another four home runs and he’ll have his best power output since winning Rookie of the Year in 2002. And though he’s not exactly a gazelle in the outfield, Hinske hasn’t made an error this season, which counts for something.
DH: Milton Bradley, Texas, $5.25 million – Never has Bradley played more than 141 games in a season. So to count on him for this level of production the rest of the year – leading the AL in on-base and slugging percentages – would be unrealistic. Still, the Rangers’ decision to sign Bradley is paying dividends, so long as he hits the ball and not a broadcaster.
SP: Aaron Cook, Colorado, $5.13 million – His sinker is back to sinking, and Cook’s 2.26-to-1 groundball-to-flyball ratio is fourth among starters with at least 80 innings. Cook has 10 of the Rockies’ 28 wins, and his 3.29 earned-run average comes with six of his starts at Coors Field – where Cook’s ERA is actually more than a run and a quarter better than it is on the road.
SP: Dan Haren and Brandon Webb, Arizona, $4.05 million and $5.5 million – The Diamondbacks can afford Randy Johnson at more than $15 million because their Nos. 1 and 2 starters make less than $10 million combined. Part of the reason the Diamondbacks were willing to give up so much for Haren was the financial peace his contract provides.
SP: Justin Duchscherer, Oakland, $1.2 million – Duchscherer hasn’t given up more than three earned runs in any of his 10 starts this season. The transition from reliever has gone seamlessly, and though Rich Harden gets the ink, Joe Blanton the interest and Greg Smith and Dana Eveland the notoriety from the Haren deal, Duchscherer has been the best of them all.
SP: Todd Wellemeyer, St. Louis, $1 million – Now in his fourth organization, Wellemeyer has found a pitching coach he appreciates and a team that appreciates him. All of which was great until his elbow starting screaming. For now, until the disabled list comes calling, he’s a huge bargain.
SP: Jake Peavy, San Diego, $6 million – He’s got two more years on this list, with a $17 million-plus-a-year contract extension kicking in during the 2010 season. Despite a stint on the DL, Peavy is putting up nearly the same numbers he did last season when he won the NL Cy Young.
RP: Brad Lidge, Philadelphia, $6.35 million – Granted, more than $6 million for a pitcher who won’t exceed 75 innings is a hefty sum. But Lidge has been his old self this year, the best closer in the game, holding hitters to a .158 batting average – and, even more impressive, a .178 slugging percentage. In 87 at-bats, Lidge has allowed just two extra-base hits.
RP: Kerry Wood, Chicago Cubs, $4.2 million – Early-season troubles have yielded to an impressive roll as the Cubs closer. Wood, in his first full season as a reliever, has a 5.5.-to-1 strikeout-to-walk ratio, and has converted 14 of his last 15 save chances. Since then, his ERA has dropped from 4.50 to 2.65
RP: Doug Brocail and Geoff Geary, Houston, $2.5 million and $1.13 million – Same bullpen. Same ERA of 2.55. And same amount of notoriety: none. Brocail and Geary, middle relievers for the Astros, have helped anchor a good bullpen that gets tested by a rotation that sports a 4.77 ERA.
RP: Troy Percival, Tampa Bay, $3.9 million – Plenty of candidates for this one, too, from the closer (Takashi Saito and Brandon Lyon) and middle-relief (Keiichi Yabu) divisions. Percival’s pinpoint control and his presence around the clubhouse makes him a clear winner, with the Rays finally needing a closer worth his salt to finish out victories.

MLB 08 THE SHOW..... Awesome baseball game for sports gamers!

MLB 08 THE SHOW..... Awesome baseball game for sports gamers!
by Taddo
created March 11, 2008

The 2008 MLB season approaches, I have been hungry for some baseball myself. I ran out to the nearest Gamestop store and asked for a good baseball game for the Playstation 3. I had two to choose from, MLB 2K8 or MLB 08, so I chose MLB 08 and what a choice it has turned out to be for myself. I have only played a few games, but the last game I played, I decided to let it play out and what I mean by that is I did not push the continue button (X) right away. Needless to say, this is where all of the extra animation and detail came in to play.

The crowd is hitting a beachball around and they go after foul balls and catch homeruns. You can hear their chants, heckling, booing and they will leave if you are getting blown out. The neatest thing the crowd does is hang 'k" signs on the wall for each strikeout.

The players animations are the most lifelike I have ever seen in a game. The batters all have their own music walking up to the plate, their own swing styles, some have pinetar all over their helmets. The batters will interact with their base coaches, throw their helmets and bats down, or in the dugout depending on their mood, they may lay them down for the batboy to get. They often break their bats against power pitchers and some will even let go of their bat when they take a huge cut and miss the ball. Players will spit, that's right spit, jump over the foul lines (pitchers superstitions), throw scuffed balls back to the umpire for a new ball, reach into the crowd to rob foul balls and homeruns. There are so many more, I see something new each time I play.

The stadium graphics are outstanding. I played at the Reds home field and you can see the river flowing in the background. I had a ball disappear in the ivy at Wrigley Field.

This is only from exebition games. There are many more styles of play that I have yet to discover, but I plan to very soon.

The best thing about this game is that it is more lifelike and not an arcade game. You are not going to hit a lot of homeruns and score a lot of runs. The play by play is very good. I would highly recommend this game to any baseball fan that loves video games.

Steroids? Just Baseball

I think that steroids are everywhere, not just in baseball, or sports in general. How about the movies, or pop stars, wrestlers, etc......
what do you all think??????