St. John's University Athletics
St. John's University Remembers Athlete, Alum, Announcer Bob Sheppard
7/12/2010 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
July 12, 2010
- NEW VIDEO BLOG POST: Athletics Director Emeritus Jack Kaiser remembers Bob Sheppard
QUEENS, N.Y. - Recognized playfully and reverently throughout the sports world as the "Voice of God," Bob Sheppard - a 1932 St. John's alum and seven-time varsity letterwinner with the Redmen in the sports of football and baseball - passed away early Sunday morning at the age of 99. Sheppard was best known as the public address announcer at Yankee Stadium from 1951-2009, but his roots are at St. John's, as an alumnus, athlete, professor and longtime "Voice of the Redmen" as well.
A quarterback for the Redmen, Sheppard graduated in 1932. A teacher by trade, Sheppard was a speech professor at St. John's for parts of six decades and his voice could be heard over the P.A. system at Alumni Hall - now Carnesecca Arena - into the 1990s.
Also the voice of the NFL's New York Football Giants for almost 50 years, Sheppard is one of the few non-players to be honored in Yankee Stadium's Monument Park. On May 7, 2000, a plaque was dedicated to Sheppard in the original Yankee Stadium to commemorate his 50th anniversary season.
"St. John's University mourns the loss of one of our own, 1932 alumnus Bob Sheppard. Bob's contributions to St. John's were immeasurable both academically and athletically," said Rev. Donald J. Harrington, C.M., President of St. John's University. "He is and always will be a New York sports icon that will be sorely missed by his fans and members of the St. John's family."
"Bob was truly one of the giants in the history of New York City sports, and earned acclaim all over the country," said St. John's Hall of Fame basketball coach Lou Carnesecca. "He was a football and baseball player at St. John's during the time of the Wonder Five, and he went on to be an instructor at St. John's and of course, the `Voice of the Yankees' where he was better known as the `Voice of God.' We are all truly saddened to hear of his passing."
Said Hall of Fame baseball coach and Athletics Director Emeritus John W. "Jack" Kaiser, who served as St. John's Director of Athletics from 1973-95, "We are obviously saddened to hear of Bob's passing. He was a true gentleman, a great teacher and a wonderful announcer. We will all miss him dearly."
On May 5, 2007, Sheppard hosted the Kaiser Baseball Stadium dedication ceremony, honoring his longtime friend and colleague. The public address announcer read the proclamation of the renaming the facility, and introduced the distinguished guests on hand, including Carnesecca and members of the 1949 St. John's College World Series team.
Sheppard passed away on Sunday, July 12, at his home in Baldwin, N.Y., with his wife, Mary, by his side. A wake will be held on Tuesday and Wednesday at the Fullerton Funeral Home located at 769 Merrick Road, Baldwin, Long Island, from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. each day. The funeral will be held on Thursday at 10:45 a.m. at St. Christopher's Church at 11 Gale Avenue in Baldwin. Born in Ridgewood, Queens, Sheppard began his tenure as Yankees public address announcer on April 17, 1951 - the opening day of Joe DiMaggio's final season and Mickey Mantle's Major League debut. Among the approximately 4,500 baseball games he worked over his tenure with the Yankees were an incredible 121 consecutive postseason contests (1951-2006), including 62 games in 22 World Series.
Sheppard's incredible career behind the microphone started when he volunteered his services for a charity football game in Freeport, Long Island, in the late 1940s. An executive from the Brooklyn Dodgers football team of the All-America Conference was at the game. He liked Sheppard's style ("clear, concise and correct") and hired him. The football Dodgers folded after only one season at Ebbets Field (1948), but one of their opponents - the New York football Yankees - heard Sheppard's booming voice and offered him their P.A. job at Yankee Stadium. Baseball's Yankees then heard him and offered him the same role for them for the 1950 season. Though his teaching schedule could not accommodate the 77-game home schedule for baseball (plus World Series games) and he turned down the offer for 1950, he reconsidered the next year.
In addition to his baseball duties, Sheppard was the public address voice for the football Giants for 50 seasons--from their move to Yankee Stadium in 1956 until his retirement after the 2005 season. Sheppard also served the New York Titans of the American Football League at the Polo Grounds, the New York Stars of the World Football League at Downing Stadium, the New York Cosmos (soccer) and St. John's University basketball and football. Sheppard also handled PA duties for five Army-Navy football games in Philadelphia.
Some of the events he listed as the most memorable of his incredible career were: Don Larsen's perfect game in Game 5 of the 1956 World Series on October 8, 1956; Roger Maris' 61st home run on October 1, 1961; Reggie Jackson's three home runs in Game 6 of the World Series on October 18, 1977; and the Giants-Colts overtime NFL Championship Game on December 28, 1958.
In one of the game's truly memorable moments, Sheppard introduced President George W. Bush before Game 3 of the 2001 World Series (on October 30) as Mr. Bush became the first sitting President to throw out a ceremonial first pitch at Yankee Stadium.
Sheppard attended St. John's College, which eventually became St. John's University. Always a talented athlete, he received a full athletic scholarship to the school, playing quarterback on the football team all four years. He later enrolled at Columbia University, where he received his master's degree in speech and worked his way up from teacher-in-training to substitute teacher to permanent teacher to department chairman. In order to supplement his teaching salary, Sheppard played semi-professional football on Sundays in Long Island with the Valley Stream Red Riders and the Hempstead Monitors, earning $25 a game.
In 1998, Sheppard was presented with the prestigious William J. Slocum "Long and Meritorious Service" Award by the New York chapter of the BBWAA as well as the "Pride of the Yankees" award by the ballclub. Yankee Stadium's media dining room was named "Sheppard's Place" prior to the 2009 season to commemorate his legacy.
The native New Yorker was elected to the St. John's University Sports Hall of Fame, the Long Island Sports Hall of Fame and the New York Sports Hall of Fame. He was awarded honorary doctorates from St. John's University (Pedagogy) and Fordham University (Rhetoric), and in 2007, received St. John's' Medal of Honor, the highest award that the university can confer on a graduate.
Sheppard also made cameo appearances in numerous motion pictures and television shows, including 61*, It's My Turn, It Could Happen to You, Anger Management, Seinfeld and Mad About You.
Sheppard announced his final game at Yankee Stadium on September 5, 2007, a 3-2 Yankees victory over the Kansas City Royals.
At the request of Derek Jeter, a recording of Sheppard announcing his name has been played prior to each of his at-bats since Sheppard's absence in 2007.
(Information from the New York Yankees and the Associated Press was used in this report.)
