The Voice and The Boss

By the time George Steinbrenner purchased the Yankees in 1973, Bob Sheppard was a fixture at The Stadium. "The Voice of God" was hired as the public address announcer in 1951 which happened to be Mickey Mantle's first year...and Joe DiMaggio's last. The year bridged two amazing eras in Yankee baseball and launched the career of man whose voice would fill The Stadium for 57 years to come. Mickey used to say that he got the chills every time Bob Sheppard announced his name...Sheppard said he got the chills announcing Mickey's name too.

Bob Sheppard's voice was deep and unique. He took his time. He wasn't there to play to the crowd. With proper pronunciation, class, and elegance, he announced to the crowd the batters, the pitchers, and any special announcements. Many have tried to imitate him over the years, including me. As a child, I would imagine hearing Bob Sheppard announce my name, "Now pitching for the Yankees, number 19, Jeremy Neuer, number 19". When Keith and Doug Rosen came back from Yankee fantasy camp a few years ago, I thought the fact that Bob Sheppard had recorded an intro for each camper was about the coolest thing I could imagine.

While he was also the announcer at Giants Stadium, Bob Sheppard will always be about Yankee Stadium for me...the original Yankee Stadium. I think it was somewhat fitting that he never announced a game in the New Stadium. While it's a great building, I am not sure if it's worthy of Sheppard's class. However, his voice will live on in recordings, including the one that announces The Captain before each home at bat, "Now batting for the Yankees, number 2, Derek Jeter, number 2." Last night's silent tribute...they played without an announcer...was truly fitting.

Paul O'Neill may have said it best. When they honored Sheppard with his own day at Yankee Stadium in 2000, O'Neill said, "“It’s the organ at church. Certain sounds and certain voices just belong in places. Obviously, his voice and Yankee Stadium have become one.”

During his first two decades owning the team, Bob Sheppard was one of the few Yankee employees that George Steinbrenner didn't fire. When George purchased the team in 1973, he famously said that he would leave the day-t0-day to the baseball people and he would stick to building ships. Nothing could have been further from the truth.

For much of the 70's and 80's...and even in to the 90's...George Steinbrenner didn't get it. He was about quick fixes and he should have patented the phrase, "You're fired". However, as I have said the past few days, he had a great "third act". Since he was reinstated to the game in the early 90's, he left most of the baseball decisions to the right people and while he still pushed them, his trigger finger was much more patient.

The Boss cared deeply about winning, the Yankees, and Yankee fans. He promised to put the best team on the field every year and did whatever he could to provide the fans with a winner. He wanted his teams to look a certain way, insisting on hair cuts and clean faces. He even once ordered Don Mattingly benched because his hair was too long.

Steinbrenner transcended baseball and became a pop culture figure. He was in beer commercials, spoofed on Seinfeld...the most successful sitcom of all time, and hosted Saturday Night Live. He was a tireless philanthropist, often insisting that his good deeds be anonymous as a stipulation of his generosity. When the emails started pouring in after his death, the one that stuck out was from a friend in Tampa. It read, "Tampa has lost its greatest citizen today". That says a lot about the man.

I met The Boss twice...once as a teenager and once in 1997. In 1997, I was standing in the tunnel leading from the field level to the exit in the bottom of the 9th of a game in May. The Yankees had won the World Series the previous October. The Yankees were down in the bottom of the 9th...so there I am...waiting to see if the Yankees can tie the game and I look to my right. There's The Boss. He's waiting to see if they can tie it up also and he's standing there with one security guard. I extended my hand and just said "thank you for everything last year". He shook my hand, smiled, and said simply "you're welcome". With that, Tim Raines hit a home run to tie the game. He left the tunnel...I assume back up to his box and I went back to my seat.

It's fitting that Steinbrenner died with the Yankees as the reigning World Series Champions and in first place. Being 36, the only Yankees I have known are the Steinbrenner Yankees. The Stadium is different now...and now so too will be the announcer and the owner. No one can replace Bob Sheppard or George Steinbrenner. I just hope that the new announcer does so with Sheppard's class in mind and the new owners continue to invest in the team and chase the World Series every year.

So...to The Voice of God...and The Boss...thank you for the memories.

"It ain't no sin to be glad you're alive." BS

JN