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By BEN SHPIGEL
SEATTLE — A few times every season, Bob Sheppard would visit the training room at Yankee Stadium. The Voice of God needed soothing.
“He would very politely ask, ‘May I have a few lozenges?’ ” said Gene Monahan, the Yankees’ head trainer. “And he’s one of those guys who knew how to say that word. It took me 20 years. Other people can’t say that word, but he had a perfect way, as he did with everything else.”
Players have long tried to imitate the rich, authoritative tones of Sheppard, the Yankees’ beloved public-address announcer, who died Sunday morning at 99. But, in the words of Mariano Rivera, his voice is “irreplaceable.”
In a statement, the principal owner George Steinbrenner called Sheppard “a good friend and fine man whose voice set the gold standard for America’s sports announcers.” A moment of silence was held before the Yankees’ game against the Mariners at Safeco Field.
“You think of all the tradition with the Yankees, you think about Gehrig and Yogi and Joe D and Mantle, and I think you mention Bob Sheppard,” Manager Joe Girardi said. “That’s how important he was to this franchise. The first time I heard him was in 1996, the first time I walked out in Yankee Stadium, and you realize that you hit the big lights when Bob Sheppard announces your name.”
It remains that way for Derek Jeter, who requested Sheppard record his voice to play before his at-bats. Jeter grew up a Yankees fan and said he would continue the tradition to honor Sheppard.
“He’s the voice I always heard,” Jeter said. “There were a few times sprinkled in and out when he wasn’t there, and it just didn’t sound right. So I got the idea to record his voice and to always use it.”
The first time Sheppard announced his name, Jorge Posada said he was running in from the bullpen to pinch-run for Wade Boggs in Game 2 of the Yankees’ 1995 division series against Seattle. Sheppard referred to him as “Posado,” which is why Jeter calls him “Sado.” It was a rare error by Sheppard, who apologized the next day and corrected it.
Sheppard announced his final game Sept. 5, 2007, never visiting the new Yankee Stadium. But his voice will live on, in Jeter’s at-bats, and in an animated baseball movie called “Henry and Me.” It is an adaptation of a children’s book written by Ray Negron, a Yankees adviser. Negron realized the film would not be complete without the voice of Sheppard, who agreed to help. A studio was set up in his bedroom, but three months ago, Sheppard backed out because he was feeling too weak.
“At the last minute, he called and said he wanted to try to do it,” Negron said Sunday afternoon. “We sent a crew over there, and on his bed, he did all of his lines. It was classic Bob Sheppard. He sounded weak, but when the sound machines went on, he was powerful. He was powerful one last time.”
SEATTLE — A few times every season, Bob Sheppard would visit the training room at Yankee Stadium. The Voice of God needed soothing.
“He would very politely ask, ‘May I have a few lozenges?’ ” said Gene Monahan, the Yankees’ head trainer. “And he’s one of those guys who knew how to say that word. It took me 20 years. Other people can’t say that word, but he had a perfect way, as he did with everything else.”
Players have long tried to imitate the rich, authoritative tones of Sheppard, the Yankees’ beloved public-address announcer, who died Sunday morning at 99. But, in the words of Mariano Rivera, his voice is “irreplaceable.”
In a statement, the principal owner George Steinbrenner called Sheppard “a good friend and fine man whose voice set the gold standard for America’s sports announcers.” A moment of silence was held before the Yankees’ game against the Mariners at Safeco Field.
“You think of all the tradition with the Yankees, you think about Gehrig and Yogi and Joe D and Mantle, and I think you mention Bob Sheppard,” Manager Joe Girardi said. “That’s how important he was to this franchise. The first time I heard him was in 1996, the first time I walked out in Yankee Stadium, and you realize that you hit the big lights when Bob Sheppard announces your name.”
It remains that way for Derek Jeter, who requested Sheppard record his voice to play before his at-bats. Jeter grew up a Yankees fan and said he would continue the tradition to honor Sheppard.
“He’s the voice I always heard,” Jeter said. “There were a few times sprinkled in and out when he wasn’t there, and it just didn’t sound right. So I got the idea to record his voice and to always use it.”
The first time Sheppard announced his name, Jorge Posada said he was running in from the bullpen to pinch-run for Wade Boggs in Game 2 of the Yankees’ 1995 division series against Seattle. Sheppard referred to him as “Posado,” which is why Jeter calls him “Sado.” It was a rare error by Sheppard, who apologized the next day and corrected it.
Sheppard announced his final game Sept. 5, 2007, never visiting the new Yankee Stadium. But his voice will live on, in Jeter’s at-bats, and in an animated baseball movie called “Henry and Me.” It is an adaptation of a children’s book written by Ray Negron, a Yankees adviser. Negron realized the film would not be complete without the voice of Sheppard, who agreed to help. A studio was set up in his bedroom, but three months ago, Sheppard backed out because he was feeling too weak.
“At the last minute, he called and said he wanted to try to do it,” Negron said Sunday afternoon. “We sent a crew over there, and on his bed, he did all of his lines. It was classic Bob Sheppard. He sounded weak, but when the sound machines went on, he was powerful. He was powerful one last time.”
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