Hall Of Fame Baseball Broadcaster Ernie Harwell To Receive Vin Scully Lifetime Achievement Award From Fordham’s WFUV Radio At Spring Gala On May 5

NEW YORK, February 11, 2010 — Hall of Famer broadcaster Ernie Harwell, one of the most beloved figures in Detroit baseball history, will receive the Vin Scully Lifetime Achievement Award in Sports Broadcasting at WFUV Radio’s Spring Gala on Wednesday evening, May 5, at Gotham Hall in New York City.

During a 55-year career on the airwaves, 42 of those were painting the word picture on Tigers broadcasts, from 1960 through 2002. Harwell began his career as the voice of the Atlanta Crackers in 1946, then moved two years later to the Brooklyn Dodgers. After stints with the New York Giants and Baltimore Orioles, he started his more than four-decade association with the Tigers. Harwell is a member of the Baseball Hall of Fame (elected 1981), Radio Hall of Fame (1998) and Sportscasters and Sportswriters Hall of Fame (1989).

Legendary singer, drummer, mandolin player and multiple Grammy-winner Levon Helm will receive the WFUV Sound & Vision Award; and Bob Schieffer, the seven-time Emmy Award winning television journalist, will receive the Charles Osgood Lifetime Achievement Award in Broadcast Journalism. New York City Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg is scheduled to attend and offer comments.

Harwell becomes the third recipient of the Vin Scully Lifetime Achievement Award for Sports Broadcasting. The inaugural honoree was Dodgers dulcet-toned play by play Hall of Famer and Fordham alumnus Vin Scully, who received the award named in is honor in 2008. Dick Enberg of CBS Sports became the second Scully Award recipient in 2009. CBS News “Face the Nation” host Bob Schieffer is the third Charles Osgood Lifetime Achievement Award recipient. Osgood, the legendary CBS “Sunday Morning” host and Fordham alum, was the inaugural recipient of the award named in his honor. Last year, Jim Lehrer of PBS became the second Osgood honoree.

The Gala traditionally attracts a dazzling array of celebrities from sports, entertainment and news. Other expected presenters and attendees this year include Baseball Hall of Famer and legendary Detroit Tigers outfielder Al Kaline and journalist Charles Osgood. Mr. Harwell will be honored in a special video tribute narrated by sportscaster Bob Costas.

About WFUV

New York’s Rock and Roots station WFUV (90.7 FM, www.wfuv.org ) is a 50,000-watt, noncommercial, member-supported radio station, licensed to Fordham University for more than 60 years, serving approximately a quarter-million weekly listeners in the New York metropolitan area and thousands more worldwide on the Web. The station has a full-time professional staff of 28, who work alongside and mentor a staff of 70 Fordham students.

Thanks go to Jerry Milani for bringing this to my attention.