View source for Ken Harrelson

{{short description|American baseball player and broadcaster (born 1941)}}
{{Use American English|date=June 2017}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2017}}
{{Infobox baseball biography
|name=Ken Harrelson
|image=Hawk Harrelson 2010.jpg
|caption=Harrelson at [[Guaranteed Rate Field|U.S. Cellular Field]] in 2010
|position=[[First baseman]] / [[Right fielder]]
|birth_date={{birth date and age|1941|09|04}}
|birth_place=[[Woodruff, South Carolina]], U.S.
|bats=Right
|throws=Right
|debutleague = MLB
|debutdate=June 9
|debutyear=1963
|debutteam=Kansas City Athletics
|finalleague = MLB
|finaldate=June 20
|finalyear=1971
|finalteam=Cleveland Indians
|statleague = MLB
|stat1label=[[Batting average (baseball)|Batting average]]
|stat1value=.239
|stat2label=[[Home run]]s
|stat2value=131
|stat3label=[[Run batted in|Runs batted in]]
|stat3value=421
|teams=
* [[Kansas City Athletics]] ({{mlby|1963}}–{{mlby|1966}})
* [[Washington Senators (1961–71)|Washington Senators]] ({{mlby|1966}}–{{mlby|1967}})
* [[Kansas City Athletics]] ({{mlby|1967}})
* [[Boston Red Sox]] ({{mlby|1967}}–{{mlby|1969}})
* [[Cleveland Indians]] ({{mlby|1969}}–{{mlby|1971}})
|highlights=
*[[Major League Baseball All-Star Game|All-Star]] ([[1968 Major League Baseball All-Star Game|1968]])
*[[List of Major League Baseball annual runs batted in leaders|AL RBI leader]] (1968)
}}

'''Kenneth Smith Harrelson''' (born September 4, 1941), nicknamed "'''the Hawk'''" due to his distinctive profile, is an American former professional [[baseball]] player and television announcer. He played in [[Major League Baseball]] (MLB) from 1963 to 1971 as a [[first baseman]] and [[outfielder]], and he subsequently spent 33 years as a play-by-play [[Broadcasting|broadcast]] announcer for the [[Chicago White Sox]]. In December 2019, Harrelson was named the {{bhofy|2020}} recipient of the [[Ford C. Frick Award]], presented annually to one broadcaster for "major contributions to baseball".

==Early life==
Harrelson was born in [[Woodruff, South Carolina]], and his family moved to [[Savannah, Georgia]], when he was in fifth grade. As a child Harrelson was interested in [[basketball]] and he hoped to pursue a basketball scholarship from the [[University of Kentucky]]. His parents divorced when he was eight.<ref name=histbaseball>{{cite web|url=http://www.historicbaseball.com/players/h/harrelson_ken.html|title=Ken Harrelson|access-date=April 21, 2007|publisher=Historic Baseball|archive-date=March 4, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304100338/http://www.historicbaseball.com/players/h/harrelson_ken.html|url-status=dead}}</ref>

He played golf, baseball, football and basketball at [[Benedictine Military School]] in Savannah, Georgia.

==Playing career==
[[File:Ken Harrelson 1965.jpg|thumb|left|170px|Harrelson as a member of the Kansas City Athletics in 1965.]]
Throwing and batting right-handed, Harrelson played for four teams: the [[Kansas City Athletics]] (1963–66, 1967), [[Washington Senators (1961–71)|Washington Senators]] (1966–67), [[Boston Red Sox]] (1967–69), and [[Cleveland Indians]] (1969–71).  In his nine-season career, Harrelson was a .239 hitter with 131 [[home run]]s and 421&nbsp;[[run batted in|RBI]] in 900 [[games played|games]].

His time with the Athletics in {{Baseball year|1967}} ended abruptly after only 61 games, when Harrelson was quoted in a Washington newspaper calling team owner [[Charlie Finley]] "a menace to baseball" following the dismissal of manager [[Alvin Dark]].  Although Harrelson denied using the word "menace", he was released and ended up signing a lucrative deal with the [[Boston Red Sox]], who were in contention to win their first pennant since {{Baseball year|1946}}.<ref>{{cite book|first=John E.|last=Peterson|title=The Kansas City Athletics - A Baseball History|publisher=McFarland and Company|year=2003|chapter=26}}</ref>

Brought in to replace the injured [[Tony Conigliaro]], Harrelson helped the team win the pennant, but watched the team drop the [[1967 World Series|World Series]] to the St. Louis Cardinals in seven games. However, in {{Baseball year|1968}}, he had his finest season, making the [[Major League Baseball All-Star Game|American League All-Star]] team, hitting a career-high 35 home runs, and leading the major leagues in [[runs batted in]] with 109. He also finished third in the American League Most Valuable Player balloting, with two players from the pennant-winning [[Detroit Tigers]] finishing ahead of him—pitcher [[Denny McLain]] won the award and catcher [[Bill Freehan]] finished second.

Harrelson announced his retirement the day after he was traded along with [[Dick Ellsworth]] and [[Juan Pizarro (baseball)|Juan Pizarro]] from the Red Sox to the Indians for [[Sonny Siebert]], [[Vicente Romo]] and [[Joe Azcue]] on April 19, {{Baseball year|1969}}. He had felt that his business ventures made it impractical for him to move to any other city. His agent [[Bob Woolf]] added, "If Ken left Boston, he'd be losing between half a million and three quarter of a million dollars."<ref>{{cite news|last=Eldridge|first=Larry|title=Ken Harrelson Retires Rather Than Leave Boston|agency=Associated Press|date=April 21, 1969}}</ref> Following conversations with commissioner [[Bowie Kuhn]] and a contract adjustment by Cleveland, Harrelson ended his first retirement a few days later. He went 2-for-4, including a [[Triple (baseball)|triple]] in the first plate appearance of his Indians debut, an 11&ndash;3 loss to the [[New York Yankees]] at [[Cleveland Stadium]] on April 24.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/35634286/the-record-hackensack-new-jersey25/|title=Harrelson No Deterrent|agency=Associated Press|date=April 25, 1969|accessdate=June 9, 2020}}</ref> He finished the year with 30 home runs and a career-high 99 walks.  He also used his local celebrity status to briefly host a half-hour TV show, ''The Hawk's Nest'', on local [[CBS]] affiliate [[WJW-TV]]. Harrelson was very popular in Cleveland, with his autobiography coming out around the time of the trade to the Indians.

During spring training the following year, Harrelson suffered a broken leg while sliding into second base during a March 19 exhibition game against the [[Oakland Athletics]]. The injury kept him on the sidelines for much of the season. When Indians rookie [[Chris Chambliss]] took over the first base position in {{Baseball year|1971}}, Harrelson retired mid-season to pursue a professional golf career.
{{Clear}}

===Batting glove usage===
Harrelson is often credited with being the first Major League player to wear a [[batting glove]] when he did so in the 1960s,<ref name="Dickson">{{cite book |last1=Dickson |first1=Paul |title=The Dickson Baseball Dictionary |date=1989 |publisher=FactsOnFile Publishing |location=New York |isbn=0816017417 |page=45 |url=https://archive.org/details/dicksonbaseballd00dick/page/45 }}</ref> using a golf glove to protect a hand that had been blistered by playing 27 holes of golf.<ref>{{cite book |last=Harwell |first=Ernie |date=2001 |title=Stories from My Life in Baseball |url=https://archive.org/details/storiesfrommylif00harw/page/80/mode/2up/ |location=Detroit |publisher=[[The Detroit Free Press]] |page=81 |isbn=0-937247-35-9 |access-date=2025-04-28}}</ref>

However, in ''A Game of Inches'', baseball historian [[Peter Morris (writer)|Peter Morris]] writes that a batting glove may have been used as early as 1901 by [[Hughie Jennings]], and were definitely used by [[Lefty O'Doul]] and [[Johnny Frederick]] of the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1932.<ref name="morris" /> In 1949, outfielder [[Marv Rickert]] brought the concept of wearing a golf glove while batting to the [[Boston Braves]], and the practice spread to other major leaguers.<ref>{{cite news |last=Walton |first=Dan |date=1949-12-23 |title=Sports-Log |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/733931368/ |work=[[The News Tribune]] |page=24 |quote=...Rick happened to mention that he introduced something new to baseball—the use of a golf glove while hitting. |access-date=2025-04-30}}</ref> In the 1940s and 1950s, many players wore batting gloves in Major League games, including [[Birdie Tebbetts]],<ref>{{cite news |last=Turkin |first=Hy |date=1941-09-12 |title=Tigers Nip Yanks in 12th, 5–4 |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/432648432/ |work=[[The New York Daily News]] |quote=Birdie Tebbets protected his sore right hand by wearing a glove while batting... |page=54 |access-date=2025-04-29}}</ref> [[Roy Campanella]],<ref>{{cite news |last=Reichler |first=Joe |date=1954-05-31 |title=Daily Playing by Campanella to Aid Dodgers |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/1008807381/ |work=[[The Daily Advance]] |quote=[Campanella uses] a sponge in his catching mitt and a plain doeskin glove while batting... |page=23 |access-date=2025-04-29}}</ref> [[Bobby Ávila]],<ref>{{cite news |last=Norris |first=Anderson |date=1955-06-19 |title=Baseball Today |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/299037822/ |work=[[The Miami News]] |quote=Bobby Avila is among the Indians who continue to use golf gloves while batting. |page=4D |access-date=2025-04-29}}</ref> and [[Johnny Temple]].<ref>{{cite news |last=Lawson |first=Earl |date=1959-07-15 |title=Lawson's Notes |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/763023664/ |work=[[The Cincinnati Post]] |quote=Johnny Temple ... wore a golf glove while batting Tuesday night ... He collected a triple and a single in five innings. |page=31 |access-date=2025-04-30}}</ref>

Morris does, however, credit Harrelson and [[Rusty Staub]] with helping to popularize batting gloves,<ref name="morris" /> which were ubiquitous by the late 1970s.<ref>{{cite web |last=Wise |first=Tim |title=Fits Like a Glove |url=https://baseballhall.org/hall-of-fame-batting-gloves |website=[[National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum]] |access-date=2025-04-29}}</ref>

==Broadcasting career==
Harrelson began a broadcasting career in 1975 with the [[Boston Red Sox]] on [[WSBK-TV]], partnering with [[Dick Stockton]].<ref name=wgnprofile>{{cite web|url=http://wgntv.trb.com/sports/wgntv-harrelson-kenbio,0,4432554.story?coll=wgntv-sports-3 |title=Ken "Hawk" Harrelson |access-date=April 19, 2007 |publisher=WGNTV.com |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070211174405/http://wgntv.trb.com/sports/wgntv-harrelson-kenbio%2C0%2C4432554.story?coll=wgntv-sports-3 |archive-date=February 11, 2007 |url-status=dead }}</ref> He became highly popular, especially after being teamed with veteran [[play-by-play]] man [[Ned Martin]] in 1979. Harrelson left after the 1981 season, moving to a broadcasting role with the [[Chicago White Sox]]; Harrelson noted that he and Red Sox co-owner [[Haywood Sullivan]] "didn't get along".<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/40447144/unhappy_hawk_flies_to_white_sox_job/ |title=Unhappy Hawk flies to White Sox job |agency=[[Associated Press|AP]] |newspaper=[[The Boston Globe]] |page=10 |date=November 24, 1981 |access-date=December 11, 2019 |via=newspapers.com}}</ref> Harrelson served as a White Sox announcer from 1982 to 1985.

===Executive role with White Sox===
On October 2, 1985, Harrelson was named executive vice president of baseball operations for the White Sox.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/40447547/hawk_put_in_charge_in_white_sox/ |title='Hawk' put in charge in White Sox shakeup |agency=[[United Press International|UPI]] |newspaper=[[The Dispatch / The Rock Island Argus|The Dispatch]] |location=[[Moline, Illinois]] |page=33 |date=October 3, 1985 |access-date=December 11, 2019 |via=newspapers.com}}</ref> Then-[[General manager (baseball)|general manager]] of the White Sox [[Roland Hemond]] was given a special assistant role, and left the team in April 1986, leaving Harrelson as the de facto general manager,<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/40448033/hemond_resigns_from_sox/ |title=Hemond resigns from Sox |agency=[[Associated Press|AP]] |newspaper=[[The Pantagraph]] |location=[[Bloomington, Illinois]] |page=18 |date=April 30, 1986 |access-date=December 11, 2019 |via=newspapers.com}}</ref> until [[Tom Haller]] was hired as the team's new general manager in early June 1986. Haller would have disagreements with Harrelson and leave at the end of the season.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/Tom-Haller/ | title=Tom Haller – Society for American Baseball Research }}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Haller joins White Sox|agency=United Press International|publisher=Woodward Communications Inc|work=[[Telegraph Herald]]|place=[[Dubuque, Iowa]]|page=15|date=June 10, 1986|access-date=October 31, 2011|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=yGNfAAAAIBAJ&pg=3395,1898421&dq=tom+haller&hl=en}}</ref> During June 1986, Harrelson fired assistant general manager [[Dave Dombrowski]]<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/40448184/harrelson_fires_aide_dombrowski/ |title=Harrelson fires aide Dombrowski |first=Bill |last=Jauss |newspaper=[[Chicago Tribune]] |page=59 |date=June 6, 1986 |access-date=December 11, 2019 |via=newspapers.com}}</ref> (who became baseball's youngest general manager with the Montreal Expos two years later) and fired manager [[Tony La Russa]]<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/40448534/larussa_fired_fregosi_heads_list_of/ |title=LaRussa fired; Fregosi heads list of replacements |agency=[[United Press International|UPI]] |newspaper=Times-Press |location=[[Streator, Illinois]] |date=June 21, 1986 |access-date=December 11, 2019 |via=newspapers.com}}</ref> (who was soon hired by the [[Oakland Athletics]]). Harrelson also traded rookie [[Bobby Bonilla]], later a six-time All-Star, to the [[Pittsburgh Pirates]] for pitcher [[José DeLeón]] in July 1986.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/40448852/trade_recharges_downcast_deleon/ |title=Trade recharges downcast DeLeon |first=Ed |last=Sherman |newspaper=[[Chicago Tribune]] |page=43 |date=July 25, 1986 |access-date=December 11, 2019 |via=newspapers.com}}</ref> Harrelson resigned his executive role with the White Sox on September 26, 1986, approximately one week before the end of the regular season.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/40449171/harrelson_decides_white_sox_are_better/ |title=Harrelson decides White Sox are better off without him |agency=[[Associated Press|AP]] |newspaper=[[Tampa Bay Times|St. Petersburg Times]] |location=[[St. Petersburg, Florida]] |page=4C |date=September 27, 1986 |access-date=December 11, 2019 |via=newspapers.com}}</ref> The [[1986 Chicago White Sox season|1986 Chicago White Sox]] finished the season with a record of 72–90, 20 [[games behind]] the division-winning [[1986 California Angels season|California Angels]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1986/Y_1986.htm |title=The 1986 Season |website=[[Retrosheet]] |access-date=December 11, 2019}}</ref>

===Return to broadcasting===
During the 1987 and 1988 seasons, Harrelson was the play-by-play announcer for [[New York Yankees]] games on [[SportsChannel New York]].<ref name=wgnprofile/> From 1984 to 1989, he served as a backup color commentator on [[Major League Baseball on NBC|NBC]]'s ''[[Major League Baseball Game of the Week|Game of the Week]]'' broadcasts alongside play-by-play man [[Jay Randolph]]. In 1994, Harrelson served as a broadcaster for the short-lived [[The Baseball Network|Baseball Network]] and was the US broadcaster for the [[1994 Japan Series|Japan Series]] that aired through the Prime-SportsChannel regional networks.<ref name=wgnprofile/>

[[File:Hawk Harrelson 2007 CROP.jpg|thumb|255px|Harrelson in the broadcast booth in 2007]]
Harrelson returned to the White Sox in 1990 as the main play-by-play announcer during television broadcasts, teaming up with [[Tom Paciorek]] until 2000 and [[Darrin Jackson]] from 2000 to 2008. In 2009, former [[Chicago Cubs]] color analyst [[Steve Stone (baseball)|Steve Stone]] began accompanying Harrelson in the television booth.  During this time he won five Emmy Awards and two Illinois Sportscaster of the Year awards.<ref name=awards>{{cite web|url=http://chicago.whitesox.mlb.com/team/broadcasters.jsp?c_id=cws|title=Broadcasters: Ken Harrelson|access-date=February 9, 2008|publisher=MLB Advanced Media|archive-date=August 6, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110806175852/http://chicago.whitesox.mlb.com/team/broadcasters.jsp?c_id=cws|url-status=dead}}</ref> However, in 2010, ''[[GQ]]'' magazine named Harrelson the worst broadcaster in baseball.<ref>{{cite web |last=Kohan |first=Rafi |url=https://www.gq.com/sports/lists/201007/five-best-worst-mlb-broadcast-booths#slide=10 |title=Juuuuust A Bit Outside: The Best (and Worst) from MLB's Broadcast Booths |publisher=GQ |date=May 5, 2011 |access-date=July 12, 2015 |archive-date=April 10, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150410200518/http://www.gq.com/sports/lists/201007/five-best-worst-mlb-broadcast-booths#slide=10 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

Starting with the 2016 season, Harrelson cut back his schedule to road games and select home games. [[Jason Benetti]] took over as the television announcer for most home games.<ref>{{cite web|date=January 12, 2016|title=White Sox name new TV announcer to sub for Hawk Harrelson|url=http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/columnists/ct-white-sox-new-announcer-20160112-column.html|work=Chicago Tribune|access-date=January 13, 2016}}</ref> On May 31, 2017, Harrelson announced his final year in the broadcast booth would be the 2018 season.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cbssports.com/mlb/news/legendary-white-sox-broadcaster-hawk-harrelson-to-retire-after-2018-mlb-season/|title=Legendary White Sox broadcaster Hawk Harrelson to retire after 2018 MLB season|author=R. J. Anderson|date=May 31, 2017|website=CBSSports.com|access-date=June 1, 2017}}</ref> After calling his final game, a 6–1 loss to the crosstown rival Chicago Cubs, Harrelson officially retired from broadcasting on September 24, 2018.

On December 11, 2019, Harrelson was named the {{bhofy|2020}} recipient of the [[Ford C. Frick Award]], presented annually for excellence in broadcasting by the [[National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://baseballhall.org/news/harrelson-wins-2020-frick-award|title=Ken Harrelson Named 2020 Ford C. Frick Award Winner|website=[[National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum]]|date=December 11, 2019|access-date=December 11, 2019}}</ref>

==Catch phrases, criticism and nicknames==
Harrelson is known for his homerism (open expression of pro-home team bias) and catch phrases, also known as "Hawkisms". Popular "Hawkisms" include: "You can put it on the board! Yes! Yes! A bomb for (insert player here)" after a Sox home run, "He gone!" and/or "Grab some bench!" after a strikeout of an opposing player, and "Stretch!" when a White Sox player hits a ball toward the outfield fence. Hawk often states "Sacks packed with Sox" when the bases are loaded.<ref name="sportscenteraltar.com">{{cite web|url=http://www.sportscenteraltar.com/phrases/usage.asp?ID=41 |title=The SportsCenter Altar / Phrase Listing |publisher=SportsCenterAltar.com |date=July 23, 2009 |access-date=July 12, 2015}}</ref>

When a telecast begins, Hawk states, "Sit back. Relax and strap it down" to the viewers, right before commercial break before the first pitch. Harrelson refers to the White Sox as "the good guys" (based on the team's mid-1990s slogan ''Good Guys Wear Black''). When a White Sox player hits a ball which appears to be heading foul, Harrelson often states "Stay fair!" Hawk will state "Dadgummit" when a ball that looks to be a home run is caught short of the wall or in general when a play does not go the White Sox's way. When a hitter hits a long foul ball that would have been a home run if it were fair, Hawk will say "right size, wrong shape." If a White Sox hitter makes good contact, but the ball is hit where a fielder can make the out, Hawk says, "That's a hang with-em." For a time, Hawk often stated "Hell yes!" after an advantageous event for the White Sox. While he insists that exclaiming "Hell yes!" is not contrived and is a product of his devotion to the White Sox, it has generated some controversy.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.suntimes.com/sports/baseball/whitesox/1663009,CST-SPT-ssep13.article |work=Chicago Sun-Times |title=Chicago – Chicago : News : Politics : Things To Do : Sports |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090716214021/http://www.suntimes.com/sports/baseball/whitesox/1663009%2CCST-SPT-ssep13.article |archive-date=July 16, 2009 }}</ref>

He is also known for shouting out "Mercy!" after a great defensive play is executed by a player or players and sometimes, when it is an exceptionally great play, or the play does not go the White Sox's way, he will also exclaim "You gotta be...bleeping me!" When a batter swings and misses he will proclaim, "Big hack, no contact." Harrelson refers to a routine flyball as a "can of corn." Hawk also calls bloop hits that land between fielders, "duck snorts." He refers to a two-hop infield ground ball as a "chopper-two-hopper." He calls a hard-hit ground ball that takes a favorable bounce for the fielder a "Bolingbrook Bounce." He refers to any play with a broken bat as a "Matt Abbatacola." Matt Abbatacola is a local sports radio show host and producer for AM 670 TheScore, which carries the White Sox radio broadcasts. The two met during spring training a few years ago, and Hawk decided to use his name during broken bat plays because of the distinctiveness and sound of his name. When a White Sox rally starts, Hawk Harrelson will often enthusiastically say, "Don't stop now boys." In July 2010, ''GQ'' named Harrelson the worst announcer in baseball. He has stated publicly that he wants to die in the booth during a game and that he will never retire.<ref name="sportscenteraltar.com"/><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dailyherald.com/article/20111105/sports/711059839/|title=Hawk Harrelson talks Sox past, future|publisher=DailyHerald.com|date=November 5, 2011|access-date=2012-09-01}}</ref>

Though Harrelson has been criticized for his repeated use of catch phrases and hometown allegiances,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.docsports.com/2010/best-worst-mlb-announcers-417.html|title=Best and Worst MLB Announcers|publisher=Docsports.com|date=2010-05-14|access-date=2012-09-01}}</ref> his popularity with White Sox fans is demonstrable. Harrelson was nominated for the [[Ford C. Frick Award|2007 Ford C. Frick award]] (won by Royals announcer [[Denny Matthews]]), and his presence in the field of nominees for that award was due to the support of fans, who placed him in nomination (along with [[Cincinnati Reds]] announcer [[Joe Nuxhall]] and San Francisco/Oakland announcer [[Bill King]]) via an online vote.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://texas.rangers.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20061205&content_id=1751062&vkey=news_kc&fext=.jsp&c_id=kc|title=Matthews a Frick Award finalist|work=MLB.com|date=2012-06-19|access-date=2012-09-01|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120218045042/http://texas.rangers.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20061205&content_id=1751062&vkey=news_kc&fext=.jsp&c_id=kc|archive-date=February 18, 2012|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Hawk is also well known for his fierce on-air criticisms of umpires. Harrelson appears to have developed a dislike of umpire [[Joe West (umpire)|Joe West]], who "in the past few years, has had some problems with the White Sox."<ref>{{cite web |last1=Duber |first1=Vinnie |title=Joe West's Sox run-ins exist alongside record-setting night |url=https://www.nbcsports.com/chicago/white-sox/joe-wests-white-sox-run-ins-exist-alongside-record-setting-night |website=nbcsports.com |date=May 26, 2021 |publisher=NBC Sports Chicago LLC |access-date=19 November 2022}}</ref> West had started a game the night before, but called it due to rain after about a half inning of play. In a game earlier that year, West had ejected [[Ozzie Guillén]] and [[Mark Buehrle]] for two separate balks in the same game. Hawk said on a broadcast in 2015, "The first rule of baseball is catch the baseball and the second rule is don't mess with Joe West."<ref>{{cite web |last1=Rosenthal |first1=Phil |title=Hawk Harrelson praises Joe West on his umpiring record |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/white-sox/ct-chicago-white-sox-hawk-harrelson-joe-west-20210526-77jlikhlovbwzeztc2ty6htnqe-story.html |website=chicagotribune.com |date=May 25, 2021 |publisher=Tribune Media |access-date=19 November 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Joe West Sets MLB Record for Most Games as an Umpire |url=https://www.closecallsports.com/2021/05/joe-west-sets-mlb-record-for-most-games.html |website=lastcallsports.com |access-date=19 November 2022}}</ref>

Following an on-air outburst about umpire [[Mark Wegner]] during a game on May 30, 2012, Harrelson received a reprimand from MLB commissioner [[Bud Selig]]. Harrelson's comments followed Wegner's ejection of White Sox rookie pitcher [[José Quintana]] after Quintana threw a pitch behind [[Ben Zobrist]]. After White Sox manager [[Robin Ventura]]'s ejection for arguing the call, Harrelson commented: "I'll tell you what, they have got to start making guys be accountable. That is totally absurd. Here's an umpire in the [[American League]] that knows nothing about the game of baseball. They have got to do something about this. They have got some guys in this league that have no business umpiring. They have no business umpiring because they don't know what the game of baseball is about, and he is one of them." Although Harrelson said that such a tirade would not happen again, later in the same season, he lashed out at umpire [[Lance Barrett]] following the ejections of [[A. J. Pierzynski]] and Robin Ventura. Harrelson stated that "Lance Barrett has just stunk the joint up is all he's done. That's all he's done." He also claimed that "Everything that (Mariners pitcher) [[Blake Beavan]] has thrown up there that (catcher Miguel) [[Miguel Olivo|Olivo]] has caught has been a strike. If he caught it, it was a strike. He's got two different strike zones. He's got a two-foot for Beavan, and he's got a 10-inch for the White Sox. What does that tell you?"<ref>{{cite web|last=Powers|first=Scott|url=https://www.espn.com/chicago/mlb/story/_/id/8303626/chicago-white-sox-broadcaster-ken-hawk-harrelson-was-critical-home-plate-umpire-lance-barrett|title=Ken Harrelson again critical of umps|work=ESPNChicago.com|accessdate=August 29, 2012|date=August 25, 2012}}</ref>

A year later he had another outburst umpire tirade, this time over an alleged blown call in the bottom of the tenth against the [[Miami Marlins]], when [[Angel Hernandez (umpire)|Angel Hernandez]] called [[Alex Rios]] out at first base, turning what would have been a game-winning bases-loaded ground ball fielder's choice for the White Sox into an inning-ending double play. His reaction was, "And another blown call by [[Angel Hernandez (umpire)|Hernandez]]!"<ref>{{cite web|url=http://deadspin.com/hawk-completely-melts-down-about-this-blown-double-play-509854803|title=Hawk Completely Melts Down About This Blown Double Play Call|first=Greg|last=Howard|website=Deadspin.com|date=May 25, 2013 |access-date=June 1, 2017}}</ref>

Harrelson's emotive and particularly distinctive call of [[Mark Buehrle]]'s [[Mark Buehrle's perfect game|perfect game]] on July 23, 2009, was also notable. As Buehrle exited the field after the eighth inning, he exclaimed, "Call your sons! Call your daughters! Call your friends! Call your neighbors! Mark Buehrle has a perfect game going into the ninth!" Also, as the final ground ball of the game rolled towards the White Sox shortstop [[Alexei Ramírez]], Harrelson called out "Alexei?!" (Harrelson often refers to the White Sox players by their first names.) As Ramirez completed the throw to the first baseman [[Josh Fields (infielder)|Josh Fields]], Harrelson shouted "Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! History!"<ref>{{cite web|url=http://mlb.mlb.com/media/video.jsp?content_id=5699087|title=Baseball Video Highlights & Clips &#124; TB@CWS: Buehrle induces grounder to seal perfect game – Video &#124; MLB.com: Multimedia|work=MLB.com|date=June 19, 2012|access-date=September 1, 2012}}</ref>

Though some did not like Harrelson's lack of verbosity and obvious hometown boosterism at the concluding moment of the game,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://mlbbabble.com/2009/07/24/hawk-harrelson%E2%80%99s-terrible-buehrle-call/|title=MLB Babble|publisher=MLB Babble|date=2011-05-15|access-date=2012-09-01|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110714103524/http://mlbbabble.com/2009/07/24/hawk-harrelson%E2%80%99s-terrible-buehrle-call/|archive-date=July 14, 2011|df=mdy-all}}</ref> others felt the outburst of emotion captured exactly what they were feeling as the perfect game was sealed.<ref>{{cite web|author='Duk|url=https://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/blog/big_league_stew/post/Ten-reasons-we-re-going-nuts-over-Mark-Buehrle-s?urn=mlb,178408|title=Ten reasons we're going nuts over Mark Buehrle's perfect game – Big League Stew – MLB Blog – Yahoo! Sports|publisher=Sports.yahoo.com|date=July 23, 2009|access-date=2012-09-01}}</ref> A ''Chicago Tribune'' columnist, Phil Rosenthal, arguing that each perfect game call is "memorable in its own way", made an explicit comparison of Harrelson's call to [[Vin Scully]]'s call of [[Sandy Koufax's perfect game]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://newsblogs.chicagotribune.com/towerticker/2009/07/two-descriptions-of-historic-perfection-09-harrelson-vs-65-scully.html|work=Chicago Tribune|title=Two descriptions of historic perfection, '09 Harrelson vs. '65 Scully|date=July 23, 2009}}</ref> 
 
Harrelson had a 30-minute special on [[CSN Chicago]], ''Put it on The Board'' which aired on Monday, June 7, 2010 celebrating his 25 years as a Chicago White Sox broadcaster with memorable footage, memorable quotes and an interview with CSN Chicago's Chuck Garfien. Ken said during the interview, "I hope to be broadcasting for the White Sox until I die." He joked and said how he was going to die: in the White Sox broadcasting booth with his last words, "You can put it on the booooard... (dies without finishing)" Harrelson was honored with "Hawk Harrelson Night" by the Chicago White Sox for 25 years of broadcasting that was on Tuesday, June 8, 2010 vs. Detroit Tigers. The White Sox had a T-shirt giveaway for Harrelson for the first 10,000 fans that came to the game. The T-shirt has the White Sox logo on the front and in big letters on the back "Hawkism" with his famous catch phrases on the back. Harrelson also threw out the ceremonial first pitch before the game to White Sox manager [[Ozzie Guillén]].

As a man long-known for creating nicknames, his own nickname "Hawk" originated during his early playing days. Teammates began calling him "Hawk" due to his curvy, pointy nose. Harrelson coined many nicknames for popular Sox players, including [[Jack McDowell|"Black Jack" McDowell]], [[Carlos Lee|Carlos "El Caballo" Lee]], [[Lance Johnson|Lance "One Dog" Johnson]], [[Frank Thomas|Frank "The Big Hurt" Thomas]], [[Craig Grebeck|Craig "Little Hurt" Grebeck]], [[Warren Newson|"The Deacon" Warren Newson]], [[Bobby Jenks|"Big Bad" Bobby Jenks]], [[Javier Vázquez (baseball)|"The Silent Assassin" Javier Vázquez]], [[Herbert Perry|Herbert "the Milkman" Perry]], [[Jake Peavy|Jake "The Jake-Meister" Peavy]], [[Dayán Viciedo|Dayán "The Tank" Viciedo]], [[Willie Harris|Willie "Peapod" Harris]], [[Paul Konerko|Paul "The Professor" Konerko]] and [[Magglio Ordóñez|Magglio "Maggs" Ordóñez]], along with fan favorite "Big Dick" [[Richard Dotson]]. During a broadcast, Harrelson attempted to nickname partner Darrin Jackson "The Squirrel" because of the quantity of peanuts his partner ate, to which Jackson replied, "No." He called his partner Steve Stone "Stone Pony." It is unclear if that nickname is a reference to the [[The Stone Pony|popular music venue]] or the Linda Ronstadt band, the [[Stone Poneys]]. Recently, he began calling White Sox slugger [[Adam Dunn]] "Biggin". "Biggin" is a Southern slang term for large people, which reflects Hawk's Deep South roots. Dunn is 6'6" and 285 pounds. More recently, Harrelson has been referring to [[José Abreu (first baseman)|José Abreu]] as El Cañon or "The Cannon." Although not a nickname, during the time when [[Greg Norton (baseball)|Greg Norton]] played for the [[White Sox|Chicago White Sox]] between 1996 and 2000, Harrelson would add the line "Norton, You're The Greatest" after "You can put it on the board! Yes! Yes!" when Norton hit a home run. This was a mashup of two references from the sitcom [[The Honeymooners]]: one character was named Edward "Ed" Lillywhite Norton, and another character, Ralph Kramden, would say to his wife, Alice, "Baby, you're the greatest."

An informal study by one baseball columnist, based on the number of home-team "biased" comments throughout the course of a game, concluded that Harrelson was by a wide margin the broadcaster who openly rooted for his team the most often. He embraced the results, responding, "That's the biggest compliment you could give me, to call me the biggest homer in baseball."<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10000872396390444180004578016652376246198 |title=How Biased Is Your Baseball Announcer? Ken "Hawk" Harrelson Leads the Way|last=Solomon|first=Jared|date=September 24, 2012|work=[[The Wall Street Journal]]|access-date=25 September 2012}}</ref>

==Personal life==
While he was still in high school, Harrelson met his first wife, Elizabeth Ann "Betty" Pacifici, whom he would marry that year. The marriage produced four children (Patricia, Michael, Richard, and John), and three grandchildren (Nikole, Ryan and Kiefer) and one great-grandson, Jack. Harrelson filed for divorce from Betty on June 28, 1971.<ref>"Harrelson Sues for Divorce."  Cleveland Plain Dealer, July 29, 1971.</ref>

In 1970, Harrelson was part-owner of a $2 million waterfront nightclub in [[East Boston]] called the 1800 Club. A three-quarter sized replica of Donald McKay's clipper ship ''Flying Cloud'' was docked next to the club and was used as a floating cocktail lounge. The location offered superb views of Boston Harbor and the downtown skyline.  The complex was severely damaged by fire on January 20, 1971, and never re-opened.<ref name="1800 Club Fire">[http://www.celebrateboston.com/disasters/1800-club-fire.htm Ken Harrelson's 1800 Club] at CelebrateBoston.com</ref>

Harrelson was also a talented golfer. After retiring from baseball, Harrelson competed in the [[1972 Open Championship|1972 British Open]]. He missed the cut by one stroke, shooting +11.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.databasegolf.com/tourneys/tournament_byyear.htm?yr=1972&tid=8 |title=Results for British Open in 1972 |publisher=Databasegolf.com |access-date=2012-09-01}}</ref> In 1980, he made the cut at the [[New England Classic|Pleasant Valley Jimmy Fund Classic]], a [[PGA Tour]] event.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Sep 07, 1980, page 54 - The Boston Globe at Newspapers.com - Newspapers.com |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/428348541/?terms=douglass&match=1 |access-date=2025-01-10 |website=www.newspapers.com |language=en}}</ref>

On September 13, 1973, Harrelson married Aris Harritos.<ref>White, Laura. "Harrelson's Life Style Changed; Laura Finds 'The Hawk' Still a Rare Bird." ''Boston Herald American'', September 7, 1973.</ref> They have two children, daughter Krista and son Casey, as well as two grandchildren, Nico and Alexander. Harrelson's son Casey played in the White Sox minor league system in 1999. The family resides in [[Orlando, Florida]].

Harrelson resided in [[Granger, Indiana]] during  baseball seasons, and would often discuss the long commute from his home to [[Guaranteed Rate Field]] during broadcasts.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nwitimes.com/niche/shore/profiles/at-home-with-the-hawk/article_e5c82995-b00e-5a91-9a28-e7e0739d0607.html|title=At Home with the Hawk|first=Lauri Harvey|last=Keagle|website=NWITimes.com|date=April 18, 2011 |access-date=June 1, 2017}}</ref>

==Namesakes==

* Hawk Drive, [[Tucson, Arizona]]<ref>[https://www.southbendtribune.com/news/community/sports-legends-and-current-thoughts/article_cb17467a-7df2-11ea-8b46-dfd0428b6337.html Bill Moor,"Moor or Less: Sports Legends and Current Thoughts," South Bend Tribune, April 19, 2020]</ref>

==See also==
{{Portal|Biography|Baseball}}
* [[List of Major League Baseball annual runs batted in leaders]]

==References==
;Notes
{{Reflist}}
{{BLP sources|date=August 2010}}

;Bibliography
* ''The New Dickson Baseball Dictionary'', Harvest Books (February 15, 1999) {{ISBN|978-0-15-600580-7}}

==External links==
{{wikiquote|Ken Harrelson}}
*{{baseballstats|mlb=115503|espn=22588|br=h/harreke01|fangraphs=1005389|brm=harrel002ken|retro=H/Pharrk101}}
*[https://baseballhall.org/discover/awards/ford-c-frick/ken-harrelson Ken Harrelson] Ford C. Frick Award biography at the National Baseball Hall of Fame
*{{SABR Baseball Biography Project|442dbc70}}

{{AL RBI champions}}
{{AL Comeback Players of the Year}}
{{Chicago White Sox HOF}}
{{Chicago White Sox general managers}}
{{Major League Baseball on NBC}}
{{2020 Baseball HOF}}
{{Ford C. Frick Award}}

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