A Yankee Icon Passes Away

I was going to write a post ripping Joba Chamberlain apart for causing the last two Yankees' losses by blowing 1-0 leads in the eighth inning, but on a day like today, that's about all I have to say about it. Bob Sheppard, the longtime, legendary Public Address Announcer of Yankee Stadium, sometimes referred to as "The Voice of God," died Sunday morning at the age of 99. This is a major loss for the Yankee family, and I won't be surprised to see the team wearing black armbands for the rest of the season, starting today.

Sheppard came to Yankee Stadium in 1951, and hardly ever missed a game up until 2007, when failing health caused him to be absent from the American League Division Series. Sheppard was not there for the final game at Yankee Stadium, but the Yankees did the right thing. They went to Sheppard's home in Baldwin, and had him record the starting lineup, as well as a brief "valedictory," which was played on the video board during the seventh inning. No icon was synonymous with Yankee Stadium the way Bob Sheppard was.

He will always be enshrined in Monument Park with a plaque. He will always be heard at Yankee Stadium when Derek Jeter steps to the plate. More importantly, he'll be remembered by every Yankee fan who ever sat at Yankee Stadium, took a moment, and really listened to the announcement of the starting lineup. He was not a screamer, or a rooter, just a professional announcer with a one-of-a-kind voice. I'm looking forward to attending Old Timers' Day next Saturday, when the Yankees are sure to pay tribute to the only Public Address Announcer in sports who was almost as famous as the team he worked for.