Ernie – Detroit Tigers – Voice of the Turtle
The 2025 Detroit Tigers feel different. Last season’s run into the playoffs wasn’t just a glimpse of potential—it was a statement. This team is young, hungry, and built to contend….
DETROIT, IL – SEPTEMBER 22: Detroit Tigers radio broadcaster Ernie Harwell (R) leaves the radio booth for the last time in Detroit, after calling the game with the New York Yankees, 22 September 2002. The Hall of Fame broadcaster called his final game in Detroit before ending his 55th major league season next week in Kansas City and Toronto. AFP PHOTO (Photo credit should read CARLOS OSORIO/AFP via Getty Images)
The 2025 Detroit Tigers feel different. Last season’s run into the playoffs wasn’t just a glimpse of potential—it was a statement. This team is young, hungry, and built to contend. As spring training begins, there’s a buzz around the Tigers that hasn’t been this strong in years. The long winter in Michigan finally feels like it’s behind us, and with it comes the most hopeful words a baseball fan can hear: pitchers and catchers have reported.
Alex Slitz/Getty ImagesSpencer Torkelson #20 of the Detroit Tigers celebrates with teammates after scoring in the eighth inning against the Houston Astros during Game Two of the Wild Card Series at Minute Maid Park on October 02, 2024 in Houston, Texas.
But before we get too deep into predictions, lineups, and expectations, there’s one tradition we should all observe. Because no matter how much the team changes, one thing remains the same—Ernie Harwell and The Voice of the Turtle.
Ernie Harwell, The Detroit Tigers and the Voice of the Turtle
For decades, Harwell, the beloved voice of the Tigers, signaled the true arrival of spring by reciting a passage from the Song of Solomon before the first broadcast of spring training:
"For, lo, the winter is past, the rain is over and gone; the flowers appear on the earth; the time of the singing of birds is come, and the voice of the turtle is heard in our land."
It was more than just words. It was a ritual, a sign that baseball had returned, and with it, the warmth of summer nights at the ballpark, the crack of the bat, and the hope that this might be the year.
Harwell may be gone, but his spirit is woven into the fabric of Tigers baseball. His voice still echoes in the memories of fans who grew up listening to him call games, painting pictures with words that made you feel like you were right there at the ballpark, no matter where you were.
DETROIT - SEPTEMBER 15: Long time Detroit Tigers radio broadcaster Ernie Harwell stands with a framed jersey given as a gift by the Tigers on Ernie Harwell Day at Comerica Park on September 15, 2002 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Mark Cunningham/MLB Photos via Getty Images)
So as we look forward to a Tigers season filled with promise, let’s take a moment to honor Ernie, as we always do. Whether it’s reading The Voice of the Turtle or just taking a quiet second to remember the man who brought the game to life for generations, we know he’s still with us.
DETROIT - SEPTEMBER 16: Long time Detroit Tigers broadcaster and Baseball Hall-of-Famer Ernie Harwell gives a 'Thank You' speech to the crowd at Comerica Park during the game against the Kansas City Royals on September 16, 2009 in Detroit, Michigan. The Tigers defeated the Royals 4-3. (Photo by Mark Cunningham/MLB Photos via Getty Images)
A special season is coming, and just like always, Ernie is leading us into it.
