by
Classic Bill Bonds
In December 1990, the Detroit Tigers and team president Bo Schembechler fired the legendary play-by-play announcer Ernie Harwell, telling him that 1991 would be his last season. He had been the Tigers’ announcer for 31 seasons.
The firing outraged the Detroit community, including fiery WXYZ-TV anchor Bill Bonds, who delivered an on-air commentary filleting the Tigers for dumping Harwell.
"I have never seen a worse decision handled so badly, so ineptly, so insensitively," Bonds said, adding that he heard so much anger "from so many people; lawyers ex-cons, hookers and nuns, sportswriters and crap-shooting all-nighters."
"This town, and not just this town, this state and its people are saying not WJR, not king Tom Monaghan, not even the legendary Bo can treat Ernie Harwell the way they treated him."
Tom Monaghan, owner of Domino's Pizza, sold the Tigers to Mike Ilitch, owner of Little Caesars, in 1992. Ilitch made it a top priority to rehire Harwell, who returned and later retired at the end of the 2002 season.
Harwell died in 2010 at age 92. Bonds died in 2014 at 82.
We came across this commentary by Bonds on social media. It’s classic Bonds and worth watching.
