DAILY DOZEN: R.I.P. BOB SHEPPARD

"Now batting for New York, number 15, Thurman Munson ...... number 15."

That's the style that longtime Yankees PA announcer Bob Sheppard used to announce batters at Yankee Stadium. I can still remember that from all of the games we went to see at the old Yankee Stadium and the mid-70s remodeled version. Other than Bobby Murcer and Mel Stottlemyre, he is the only found memory from the the old stadium. Sheppard was also the PA voice for the New York Giants, both at Yankee Stadium and later at Giants Stadium.

I have included 2 YouTube videos in this post so that you can experience the voice. The first video is a 2000 tribute to Sheppard. The second is Sheppard paying tribute to Bobby Kennedy in 1968.

Bob Sheppard passed away last night, but I am sure that he's got a brand new gig. God is most certainly using the wonderful voice in a very new, exciting way: "Now entering the pearly gates..."

Rest in peace, Bob. And thank you for all of the great memories.

1. Bob Sheppard, New York Yankees legend and voice of the Bronx Bombers, has died at 99. [New York Daily News]
2. Bob Sheppard, at 99; sonorous voice of the New York Yankees for 55 years. [Boston Globe]
3. Voice of late Yankees PA announcer Bob Sheppard carried across Yankee Stadium through multiple eras. [New York Daily News]
4. For franchise, Sheppard’s voice was sound of tradition. [The New York Times]

5. A voice that stayed above the fray. [The New York Times]
6. Yanks recall Sheppard as franchise icon. [New York Post]
7. Simple Intonation, a Lasting Impression. [The New York Times]
8. 'Voice of God' now in heaven. [New York Post]



9. Yankees, baseball community mourn the loss of legendary public address announcer Bob Sheppard. [New York Daily News]
10. Kudos from Giants, SJU. [New York Post]
11. Bob Sheppard was one-of-a-kind. [ESPN]
12. Bob Sheppard: The voice of the New York Yankees (Photo Gallery). [New York Daily News]