They say the second time around is better than the first. Hopefully that will stand true for Ernie Harwell, voice of the Detroit Tigers for 30 years before retiring in 1991, who has decided to return to the broadcast booth for the 1999 season. Ernie Harwell has distinguished himself as one of the truly great baseball announcers in the nation.

Harwell began announcing major league baseball action in 1948. His many years of service to the Detroit Tigers followed six seasons with the Baltimore Orioles, four with the New York Giants, and nearly two with the Brooklyn Dodgers. A Veteran of three World Series, two All-Star Games, and numerous league championships, he broadcast the first coast-to-coast telecast of a major sporting event, the deciding game of the 1951 playoffs between the New York Giants and the Brooklyn Dodgers. This incredible game featured Bobby Thompson's dramatic game-winning home run, known as "The Shot Heard 'Round the World".

As the author of The Game for All America and his latest book, Turned to Baseball, Harwell has been a frequent contributor to "The Sporting News", "Esquire", and "Parade". He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1981. Recently, "Sports Illustrated" selected Harwell as the radio announcer for it's all-time baseball dream team.

Harwell has had a long and illustrious career behind the microphone. He has demonstrated a standard of accuracy and reliability, with a distinctive style of play-by-play and a love for the game that has earned him the respect of all. It is with great pride that the American Sportscasters Association inducts Ernie Harwell into the Sportscasters Hall of Fame.