The Year of the Tiger '68 -HQ- Detroit Tigers 1968 World Series Champion Baseball Ernie Harwell

[@mrmojorisin8752]

As a thirteen-year-old in Connecticut, I followed the Tigers that summer as if they were a religious cult. Once darkness fell, we could pick up Ernie and WJR on our transistor radios. I’ll never forget Ernie’s epic call of Tom Matchick’s two-out walk off homer vs. second place Baltimore. My father, brother and I were jumping up and down. Even our dog Tiger was jumping up and down. Btw, most fans know this, but there’s a vinyl record out there called “Year of the Tiger, ‘68,” which contains much more of the radio play by play, and a more complete telling of the regular season. Not sure if it’s available on CD or digitally, but fans of the 68 Tigers should check it out!

[@shinyoldtimer3572]

😱Listening to Ernie under my pillow with a static radio 📻 was so exciting 👏👏👏👏👍

[@Grinderhand643]

I was 14. Little transistor under my pillow too. Lol

[@fourdoorglory]

Ernie’s voice just brings joy, comfort and so many great memories. RIP Ernie…never equaled.

[@larrysproul9424]

Living up north we only had tigers on tv during the weekends ' So we had to rely on Ernie on the radio . After the 1967 season you had a feeling 68 was the year of the Tigers . What a series Tigers and Cards !!

[@djquinn11]

Ernie was the best.

[@michaelhillman4654]

The greatest event of my childhood and the culmination of listening to and watching all those Tigers games while growing up in Michigan in the 60’s.

[@markbigley5898]

I was a senior in high school and I remember listening to the radio in the football locker room to keep in the news with the games. Those player of '68 had character and grit-real human beings.

[@johnkovacharpsbydavyc3505]

I was in late grade school in the Flint area. Was an awesome summer listening to Ernie, the voice of the Tigers. We watched the game on TV but listened to the calls on Radio & Ernie. Stanley was my favorite.

[@roualwilliams6974]

Takes me back to my childhood loved me some Detroit tigers wanna thank Mirs. Gertrude Williams my next door neighbor she took me to quite a few games that year God bless her soul, also my Dad ,where I got my love of baseball from God rest his soul , luv u both Button

[@GlennJackson-d8e]

I had never seen this. I was a Tiger fan since 1957 and was away at college when the Tigers finally won it. It made me so happy that Kaline finally won a championship after so many hard seasons. Nobody I knew thought the Tigers had a chance after being down 3-1 in the Series, but I never felt they could come so close and lose, so I kept my hopes up.

[@brianarbenz1329]

Cardinal fan here. You broke my heart that day, but after 51 and 1/2 years , I can finally offer the 1968 Tigers a well deserved, “Congratulations!”

[@bobdillaber1195]

I can imagine how it must have broke every Cardinals fan! I can feel sorry for you all. Now! Not then. We were all doubtful that we could beat Gibson that last game. He was the absolute best that year.

[@dallasbrubaker6054]

It took over half a century? LOL, Tim McCarver even said after being up 3 games to 1 the Cardinals relaxed.

[@h2ofield]

@@dallasbrubaker6054 Whatever 'relaxed' means. Do you mean they thought they could waste a few and have Gibson for game 7? Relaxed = choked? No. The Tigers may have had a few lucky bounces that year, but they were clutch more often than not..and when it counted the most.

[@dallasbrubaker6054]

@@h2ofield I am not the one who said it, McCarver was. But yes he did mention that they still liked their chances with needing 1 win in the final 2 games, both at home, and a well rested Gibson, who had dominated the Tigers up to then, for a Game 7.

[@MrEvolution513]

The ultimate honor for Cardinal fans of that era was being the single best MLB team during 5 seasons 1964 to 1968......3 pennants & 2 WS.

[@michaelnewberry6216]

Wonderful!

[@michealsullivan4205]

I was 13 when the tigers won the World Series. It was one of the happiest moments of my life.⚾️

[@lloydclaussen226]

That team and every man on it have meant so much to me for my entire life .Spent an afternoon with Denny a couple years ago and it was a real thrill, love those guys

[@paleo704]

Was he drinking ?

[@ottismymann]

I was a seven year old kid and the ninth inning of game seven was my introduction to baseball and the Tigers. I've been a fan of both ever since.

[@jimreiser8853]

ottismymann I was seven yrs old as well. Brings back memories

[@robertflowers6621]

The team of my childhood and my favorite team of all time !

[@johnjakubowski6353]

As a ten yr old I never flinched I just knew the Tigers would take it all,,I went to the 5th game the most exciting game of the series and Al Kaline came thru in the clutch and the crowd roared for minutes like 300,000 were there . I am so thankful to the Lord to be present at that game and watch the come from behind fever put the whole city of Detroit dancing in streets

[@josephbarrett9563]

The 5th game was a great, great game. Tiger fans had no fear when Al came to the plate at the crucial moment. This is what we were waiting for for so many years and Al got the big hit.

[@bobdillaber1195]

Wow! I Was 25 in Detroit that year. Saw many games. Including a World Series game! The day they won I was downtown Detroit. Absolutely insane!!! Cops with sirens, weaving from curbs to curbs. Strangers pull up, stick their brown bag, you swig, high fives. Insane. I don't know what time I got home the next morning. It was a wonderful healing experience for all of us, black and white, because a year earlier smoke was rising everywhere in the city and all we're hurt and afraid. THANK YOU TIGERS!

[@dallasbrubaker6054]

Which World Series game did you see

[@caveman3096]

Sounds like he was pretty intoxicated so hard to say!! Lol

[@bobdillaber1195]

@@caveman3096 You got it! And I had it the next morning. Headache the size of New York city.

[@bobdillaber1195]

@@caveman3096 Plus, that was 55 years ago. I can't remember where I put my car keys an hour ago.

[@h2ofield]

9 years old...The first time I ever saw a color tv broadcast was in the tv department at Wards in Great Falls, MT. That Saturday I saw Cash hit that hr versus Oakland...Cash/Tiger fan ever since!

[@Jimmycardcollector]

I was 10 years old. The heroes of my childhood. McClains feat will probably not b duplicated.

[@oldredbarnman]

While I was too young to know what was happening downtown, the celebration was just as crazy here in Westland/Livonia. Joy Rd. was jam packed with cars, honking their horns and people carrying on! Wonderful memory for a then 6 year old.

[@djquinn11]

Yes, we are the same age, (b. 1962), and I was living in Dearborn Heights at the time. Same thing happened on Warren Road.

[@jamesthomas788]

I remember watching the game on tv when McClain won his 30th game.

[@lemmiwinks09]

Wow!!! This might be the only video that has surviving color footage of the 68 World Series broadcast. The games were preserved in b&w kinescope but the video at 22:00 is clearly the NBC broadcast.

[@josephbarrett9563]

This was the high point of my life as a sports fan. After that I never needed to win nothing again. The 1968 Tigers.

[@alanwise2996]

This is WJR. The great voice of the Great Lakes power station for Tiger Night Baseball There was magic then for those who lived through it 1968 a year like no other baseball and everything else

[@richardsovern5979]

If this was a Yankee team they would have been touted as one of the best or the best of all time.

[@nocynic]

I was twelve years old, the perfect age. Old enough to follow the game with some intelligence, but still young enough so that the hormones hadn't kicked in and distracted me from everything besides the drive to procreate. "Go Get 'em Tigers" was a positively bizarre anthem for that time and place. Detroit in the late 60s was the home of Motown, the Supremes, one of the great jazz scenes in the country. Yet the Tiger theme song was this washed out pseudo Dixieland ditty that could have been written a half century before, with banjo and washtub bass. Although I will admit to still knowing every word of it.

[@naturalobserver1322]

I was at the triple play game, funny how you never forget things like that😊

[@cam9006]

The best of the best!

[@1982kinger]

My old man put me to bed at night with stories about 68

[@hersheybarblues]

An aside. On two occasions there were riffs of music in the above program which NFL films later used in their highlight show of Super Bowl Three. The game between the New York Jets and Baltimore Colts was held three months after the Tigers World Series win. Not sure exactly how much later the subsequent highlights came out. One wonders if maybe the music from the Tigers show was lifted by NFL Films of was it just a coincidence?

[@orbonds3603]

Gotta love mayo smith...whatta name

[@youeileenfoley5213]

Rest in peace Don Wert❤

[@markedwards5807]

Reading ,"The Man behind the mask" by Bill Freehan.

[@kerryrucks5323]

Did they even mention Mickey Lolich’s name in this video. After all he was WS MVP.

[@bdff4007]

Mickey deserved mvp and what a work horse! Pitched all nine innings and many extra innings throughout his career. Should be in hall of fame, along with Rocky Colavito. Was shown and mentioned when he hit a world series h.r. he wore a national guard uniform for a short stint during 67 riots year before their triumph. A good healing balm after the wreckage of 67.

[@seanmaloney2806]

Hey students! In a few hours me and my fiancé Will are going to record a conversation and vocabulary video on the topic of HOBBIES & PASTIMES. In this video we would like to answer any questions you have for us on British hobbies and pastimes, or OUR hobbies and pastimes. Post your questions down below and please say where you are from so we can shout out your country! :D My best wishes, Lucy

[@gregoryfilar1783]

Earl Wilson: 7 home runs in less than 100 plate appearances,

[@generalbullmoose]

2:25 - I didn't know Drew Carey was such a Tigers fam.

[@gilbertdiongon4521]

I was born Aug.27,1968...i know right hand pitch..go.go..Daryl Patterson.#43

[@EpicAsh13]

What was that siren I was wearing in the video?

[@pnt1109]

stormin norman cash there she goes , upper deck see ya later

[@b-zoneonroku2020]

The last season before division play.

[@joejordan1259]

As the announcer describes the games on the road why are the Tigers wearing their home uniforms??? And 3 years later the Detroit Lions win the Super Bowl 2 championships in a few years in motown!!!

[@davidfisher462]

McAuliffe injured Tommy John's shoulder. John would never be the same.

[@vinnievenus3570]

Very interesting. No real all stars. Just a very well balanced team of fine ball players. And the 1968 detroit team came back from being behind 43 times after being behind after the 7th inning during the regular season to win games during the season.. A very thrilling exciting to watch baseball team.. One of Jim northrups 3 fine seasons as a hitter assisted. Plus, denny McClain's 31 win season sealed first place for the tigers. No pitcher has done for around 100 years or more. Only denny. A very strange pitcher. .how can a player do so incredibly great for just one season and then,for the rest of his career be average... Or perhaps even below average. ? Strange. For the play offs they maintained their great play to win the world series. Very intriguing how this team had no real famous baseball players or legends. Yet this team proved that with a balanced team of fine ball players staying healthy a team can win despite having no superstar ball players on the team. .the 1968 detroit tigers winners of the world series. The year of my birth in this existence. Incidentally The 1968 manager, mayo smith, sort of resembles the 1984 detroit manager sparky Anderson.' the year they won it again " in 84 that team also had a well balanced team. No super all stars. Yet just a well balanced team of players. I was just on the other side of the border when they won it again in 1984.

[@nocynic]

"No real all stars." Mr. Freehan would like a word with you.