For the better part of the last 30 years Ken “Hawk” Harrelson has been the primary broadcaster of White Sox games and he’s done it with a style that is both memorable and not. He’s well known for his Hawkisms:
“He Gone!”
“You can put it on the board… YES!”
“Mercy!”
They’re all popular made-for-bumper stickers sayings. Among White Sox fans, the Hawk has a loyal flock of fans who love his flagrant fervor for the team and don’t mind his foibles. But, there are some Sox supporters who have been hoping the Hawk gets heaved out of the broadcast booth. There’s even a long-standing website that is dedicated to the removal of the Hawk. Stating, “Mr. Harrelson’s unique blend of non-standard English and ego-maniacal blather has made the mute button a must for Sox T.V. viewers during the last four decades.”
That’s pretty much the feeling nationally too as GQ magazine named Hawk the worst announcer in the baseball broadcast biz. And you won’t get an argument from anyone on the north side of Chicago. Walk into any pub near Wrigley Field and you’re likely to hear some funny stories about the Hawk’s broadcasting blunders like the one Cubs pitcher Jeff Samardzija recently shared with the media.
Jeff Samardzija takes a little dig at Hawk Harrelson
Whether you love the Hawk or not one thing is certain, on Wednesday, May 30, 2012 Ken “Hawk” Harrelson gave baseball fans an epic meltdown that deserves a place in the Broadcasting Hall of Fame.
Some backstory: The day before the meltdown White Sox catcher AJ Pierzynski ran towards second base with cleats high in a obvious attempt to give Tampa Bay Rays infielder Ben Zobrist a need for stitches. Then, a day later, the Rays retaliated by hitting Pierzynski with a pitch that clunked him high in his back, as if they wanted him to play with a hunchback the rest of his career. As you’d expect, it was the White Sox turn to strike back and pitcher Jose Quintana tried to do just that by launching a pitch that traveled behind Ben Zobrist. The Rays player looked at Quintana with a smile as if to say “You dummy, you missed!” Typically, the umpire issues a warning to both benches and the teams go back to playing nice, but in this case plate umpire Mark Wegner immediately ejected the Sox pitcher from the game. The prompt ejection set Hawk off like the White Sox exploding score board.
“Oh what are you doin’? He threw him out of the ball game? You’ve got to be bleepin’ me? What in the hell are you doing? What are you doin’, Wegner? You’ve gotta be kiddin’ me! That is so bad! That is absolutely brutal!! That is un-believable!! I’ll tell ya what, they have got to start making guys be accountable; that is totally absurd! That just tells you– here’s an umpire in the American League that knows nothing about the game of baseball.”
The “good guys” went on to win the game, sweeping the series with Tampa Bay and extending their winning streak to a season-high eight games. They’re playing really well and it all has the makings of something unexpected. But, if the team heads south and ends up where most of us expected as least we’ll have the Hawk Attack to remember.
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That was a terrible call. the ball was below his waste. In what world would you throw a pitcher out of a ball game for throwing behind his legs? Wegner has a history with the White Soxs this isn’t the first time he has made a horrendous call against the Soxs. The reason Hawk gets so frustrated with umpires is because his love for this team is so deep. Its obvious Hawk can’t stand when umpires treat his team unfair. Mark wegner should of warned Quintana, that is just how good baseball works. GQ is the last magazine anyone should read for baseball info. There criteria in which they based there worst 5; sounds like it was written by a petty small man who was bias against lesser know franchises. He said Hawk was a homer, which is of course true. But why in the world would you not want your teams anouncer to be unbiased? Its obvious he wants the Soxs to win his passion and the love for this team is what makes him root for them so dearly. Also he works for the sox. to call him bias is to call the players, the general manager, the owner, bias. You cant fault a guy for having team loyalty. The writer of the GQ article disliked Kevin Kennedy (worked national) Thom Brennaman (works national) The Indians announcers who have some of the most memorable and interesting calls to come out of a local TV booth. I have not listen to the Nationals team so i will not speak on them, but Steve Stone? who knows more about baseball then Steve Stone? Having Steve Stone as half of your baseball TV booth at least puts you in the upper half of baseball TV booths. locally or nationally.
Apparently the Hawk felt the pain of his meltdown. Today he is quoted as saying the following:
“First of all I still have a headache because I got so upset yesterday. I took four Advil after that inning was over and then I had to take four more on the plane and then when I got home last night I had to take four more. Also when I got up this morning I had to take four more…”
Thomas… I agree with your assessment. Hawk was right to blast the ump. It was an awful decision to eject Quintana. As for those 2 minutes moments of silence that Samardzija referred to…
“Northsiders” always have a Hawk story to tell? What else are they going to do when they have to spend 4 hours a day suffering through “Len & Bob”?
Even when the Cubs DO win, I find myself embarassed even when no one is in the room when I start to hear the truck-stop anthem “Go Cubs, Go!” being chanted by 20,000 clones of the cast of ‘Friends’. Impotence; Both on the field AND in the booth.
William J… is is safe to assume that you’re not a Cubs fan?
According to the Chicago Sun Times Hawk was severely reprimanded by baseball commissioner Bud Selig.
http://www.suntimes.com/sports/12910537-419/hawk-harrelson-gets-an-earful-from-bud-selig-for-tirade.html