One death is always saddening.
When you have two of them take place over the course of three days, it makes it even sadder.
The Yankee family lost two of its legendary figures this past week when the long time voice of Yankee Stadium, Bob Sheppard passed away on Sunday morning. Two days later, tragedy struck again when longtime Yankee owner George Steinbrenner suffered a massive heart attack, ending his life.
Sheppard, who died at the age of 99, was the public address announcer for 57 years. His synonymous voice seemed to echo from the heavens whenever you would hear him announce a man coming to the plate. Hearing him was part of the experience of going to Yankee Stadium as much as the great players that played on the field.
His voice was unmistakable.
“Good evening, ladies and gentlemen, welcome… to Yankee Stadium.”
That is what you would hear at the beginning of the night before a ballgame. In between, you would hear his voice introduce whoever was coming up to the plate.
Unlike what you hear today from most modern day public address voices, the loud, bombastic nature that you may hear was never in Sheppard’s personality. It was not his way.
He always kept the highest of standards in his vocal profession. To him, he kept the philosophy of being “clear, concise, and correct.”
“Batting second, num-bah two, De-rek Jet-uh, num-bah two…”
It was not flamboyant, but it was accurate, and it was powerful.
He started in 1951 and over the next 50 years, only missed five games. During this time, he also was the public address man for the New York Football Giants from 1956 up until 2005.
It was during his time with the Yankees that Hall of Fame outfielder Reggie Jackson dubbed Sheppard “The Voice of God”. Many others would go on to say their official indoctrination to the big leagues would be when they heard their voice introduced through the loudspeakers by him.
Sheppard has been so much a fixture that a plaque in Monument Park exists in his honor. Derek Jeter, who before the end of the 2007 season had Sheppard introduce him at every home game, has allowed the tradition to continue. When Sheppard fell ill, Jeter asked that a recording of his introduction used whenever he came to the plate to remainder of his career as a Yankee.
My personal memory of Sheppard actually did not even involve him.
When I was at St. John’s University, I was covering the football team for the school newspaper. I was in the press box for a game and the public address announcer sounded almost exactly like Sheppard.
At halftime of the game, most of us chose to leave the press box to either get food or use the bathroom, as the public address man came out, a young child, who had to be no more than ten years old came up to him as asked if he was in fact, Bob Sheppard himself.
Unfortunately, he had to tell the child he was not him and the response was, “You sound just like him.”
It was a flattering comment and it went to show how distinctive his voice resonated with everyone young and old.
We will miss him.
So while The Voice will no long we be with us, he will always be a part us forever.
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