I grew up in the northern suburbs of Detroit and followed the Detroit Tigers when I was a kid. So, like millions of others the voice of Ernie Harwell is part of the soundtrack of my life and there were many nights, especially in 1984, when his voice serenaded me to sleep.
So, like many baseball fans and every Tigers fan, I was saddened by his death a few months ago. However, it was my great privilege as a fan to meet him once and, as a Christian, to hear his testimony about the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ in his life.
The story of my introduction to Ernie is pretty simple. In the summer of 2007 the chaplain of the Tigers, Jeff Totten, invited Pastor Rowe and a number of other Detroit-area pastors to watch a Tigers game from one of the suites above Comerica Park.
Ernie Harwell with Jeff Scott
Before the game began, Jeff Totten told us about his ministry to the players. Then he introduced his special guest, Ernie Harwell. Ernie told us about how he came to know Christ as his savior and then was kind enough to take pictures and chat with us. It was an enjoyable evening. The Tigers beat the Indians 2-1, with Jair Jurjens pitching an amazing 1-hitter. But I’ll remember meeting Ernie long after I’ve forgotten about the game. Despite his professional success and Hall of Fame career, he was a humble man who followed his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ to the very end of his 92 years on earth.
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