Page 256 - 1975 BoSox

’75—THE RED SOX TEAM THAT SAVED BASEBALL 249
In 1981, Harrelson was hired as play-by-play announcer for the Chicago White Sox, where he served until 1986, when he moved from the broadcast booth to the front o ce, serving as the White Sox executive vice president of baseball operations for a year. In 1987, Harrelson returned to the broadcast booth for good, taking a position doing play-by-play for the New York Yankees. He returned to the White Sox in 1991, and works there today in the same capacity. His Southern twang and enthusiastic catchphrases have made him a fan favorite—and also have led to some fans calling for his dismissal, claiming that his accent is unintel- ligible and his baseball phrases hackneyed. Deep down, the competitive nature of e Hawk is still there and whether he is defending Lew Krausse or Jerry Reinsdorf, he never shies away from an issue. In 2006, e Hawk’s opponent wasn’t an owner named Charlie Finley, but a journalist named Jay Mariotti. Mariotti, who constantly attacked Reinsdorf, has been a ec- tionately nicknamed “Hiney Bird” by e Hawk. Harrelson explains: “ e Hiney Bird is a creature that ies in perfectly concentric circles over and over again until it ies up its own ass and disappears forever.”
Today, Harrelson resides in Chicago, with his wife, Aris, is the proud parent of two children, Casey and Krista, and a grandfather of one; Nicolas, with another grandchild on the way. Casey is a professional golfer trying to make the PGA tour, and his father is quick to point out that at 28, Casey is much better than his dad was at the same age. e Hawk usually lies dormant, and the Southern charm of Kenneth Smith Harrelson is usually what millions of White Sox fans hear every night when they tune in to the White Sox games on WGN-TV. But it still comes out occasionally, and though it’s Harrelson’s 54th year in baseball, he claims that he loves the game “more than ever.”
Hawk Harrelson summarizes how he says he viewed the game: “Our two rules were play your ass o , and have fun. ... Sure, you wanted money... but that was third or fourth down the line.”
Notes
1 Ken Harrelson interview with author on May 4, 2006. All quota- tions not otherwise attributed are from this interview.
2 Bill Reynolds, Lost Summer: e 1967 Red Sox and the Impossible Dream (New York: Warner Books, 1992).
3 Harrelson interview with author.
4 Reynolds, op. cit.
5 Or “El Hawko,” as Caracas fans referred to him. ere are
many stories about Harrelson’s adventures in South America. For instance, once, when Harrelson was tossed from a game
in Venezuela, he charged out of the dugout to argue with the umpire, who immediately struck him in the jaw. Harrelson fought back, punching the umpire repeatedly. A newspaper article commenting on the event, written by George Minot Jr. of the Washington Post ( June 10, 1966) remarked that Harrelson’s jaw must have been a “prominent target.”
6 Interview with Billy Bryan, May 23, 2006.
7 Harrelson interview with author.
8 Ken Harrelson and Al Hirshberg, Hawk (New York: Viking Press, 1969).
9 Harrelson interview with author.
10 Harrelson interview with author.
11 Harrelson, Hawk, op. cit.
12 Ibid. Harrelson says he was paid $25.
13 In Hawk, Harrelson claims that Krausse got a “bum rap,” and wasn’t even slightly disorderly.
14 Harrelson, Hawk, op. cit.
15 “Harrelson: e Hawk Flies High With Boston,” Los Angeles
Times, May 30, 1968.
16 Harrelson won AL Player of the Year and came in third in the MVP race behind McLain and Bill Freehan of Detroit. He also made his only All-Star appearance in a game that seemed typical of the year—a 1-0 pitchers’ duel in favor of the National League.
17 Bob Addie, “ e Lavender Hawk”, Washington Post, February 27, 1969.
18 Harrelson, Hawk, op. cit.
19 Boston Record American, May 22, 1968
20 George Vescey, “Williams Joins Lombardi’s Fan Club.” New York Times, April 27, 1969.
21 Harrelson, Hawk, op. cit.