Tiger Geist

I’m not nearly as sentimental as most people.  But i’ll try to put this into perspective.

When you’re growing up, you latch onto certain things that are familiar, and based on limited experience, you add descriptors such as “greatest” without really knowing.  As you get older, generally your heart gets broken as you realize that your descriptor doesn’t really hold true.

My first Tiger game was in the summer of ’84.  Detroit was the best team ever — I was young and didn’t know any better.  Kirk Gibson was my Tiger.  Alan Trammel was the greatest shortstop of all time.  Madonna and the pope were still on speaking terms.  Over the years, I realized that Trammel wasn’t the greatest shortstop of all time.  He wasn’t even the best shortstop in the american league;  I would be devastated that Cal Ripken Jr was leading in the all-star voting.  “What is wrong with people?  Haven’t they ever seen Trammel play?” I’d ask my father, when in reality, my logic was flawed; I had never seen Ripken play.

Steve Yzerman was a fantastic hockey player.  Eventually I had to learn that he wasn’t the greatest player in the world.  Isiah Thomas… Rinse.  Repeat.

Obviously Ernie was Ernie.  I loved Ernie.  To be fair, I love Paul Carey.  I went on a trip to Nashville when I was 10ish with my father, back when the Nashville Sounds were a Tiger’s minor league team.  We put the game on and the broadcasters were awful.  I asked my dad why the announcers were so bad.. I mean, I love Ernie Harwell.  Why don’t these guys sound like Ernie?  My father tried to explain it to me… “Not everyone is as good as Ernie and Paul…”  Thats when I started processing that maybe Ernie was different.

I moved to San Francisco in 2000; the Giants had Jon Miller.  I’ve already written about my love for Jon Miller, and I always liked talking to Giants fans when they ask me about Miller.  ”What do you think about Miller” they ask, since they know he’s good.  ”He’s the best… since Ernie Harwell retired“. They’re shocked at my answer.  Am I a homer?  No, I reply, Jon Miller certainly is that good.  And Ernie Harwell certainly was that much better.

Sometimes you learn early on that your idols aren’t what you thought.  It happened quickly on some players — Chet Lemon, my sister’s favorite, didn’t keep his ‘greatest center fielder ever’ title long in our house.  Others take time — I’m still coming to grips with Michigan football.

Sometimes, if you’re lucky, you have it reversed.  Ernie wasn’t Steve Yzerman.

Ernie Harwell was Gretzky.