Three Things (and there are so many more) To Admire About Ernie Harwell:
1. His graciousness: I’ve heard it said many times in the hours since Ernie passed that nobody had a bad thing to say about him. And it wasn’t just kind words upon his death. He was a gentleman in every sense of the word.
2. His toughness: Ernie served in the Marines for four years and was fiercely loyal. He was strong in the manner he stood up for others, and himself, when he deemed it necessary.
3. His intelligence: Ernie’s recall was incredible. He knew all these famous baseball figures and could vividly describe what the game was like from era to era, including the first major league game he saw in 1932. Hall of Famer Lou Gehrig of the Yankees, a left-handed hitter, had a checked-swing double down the left field line in that game. When Ernie got done talking about it, you’d swear you’d actually seen it.
