Major League Baseball

Yankees icon Sheppard helped shape this fan's life

Published Jul. 16, 2010 1:00 a.m. ET

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I first heard “the voice of God” in-person on June 8, 1969. To most of the nearly 70,000 there that day it was “A Day to Remember,” the day that, between games of a doubleheader against the Chicago White Sox, the New York Yankees retired Mickey Mantle’s revered No. 7. To me, a budding Yankee fan just shy of his ninth birthday, I remember that it was my first-ever trip to The House That Ruth Built, and one of only two I would take with my dad before his death the following year. Like so many, I never saw grass so green and colors so bright, all rushing at me as the subway emerged from the tunnel and slowed towards the most hallowed address in sports, 161st Street & River Avenue in the Bronx.

Eleven years, three pennants and two World Championships later, while still a student at St. John’s University I began working for the New York Yankees, and had the honor of working with the greatest public address announcer ever, Robert Leo Sheppard, who passed away Sunday at age 99. It was that St. John’s connection that would provide Bob and I an instant bond. See, for decades he taught speech and public speaking at the Queens-based school, mostly to students hailing from the New York City area. Can you imagine the challenges of a career trying to make “fuhgedabowdit” sound like “for-GET ... a-BOUT ... it,” in his singularly rich, refined and unmistakable tone?

Most stories about Bob will mention his unique annunciations of many Yankee greats, like DiMaggio, Mantle and Berra of the long ago past, Reggie, Thurman and Nettles of my teen years, Jeter, Rivera and Pettitte of today. Since Bob was also the public address voice for the New York “football” Giants, you might also hear in your memory “Simms to Bavarro, touchdown Giants!” While all that is to be expected, there are other names that I loved hearing Bob say firsthand-- too bad I didn’t love seeing them play -- names like Ce-CIL-i-o Gu-AN-te, Rod SCU-rry and Lee GUE-tter-man. He crafted each player’s pronunciation with the same style and grace, scrub or star. And he hated missing defensive changes.

There were times I cringed for Bob, wondering what a man with such poise had going through his mind as he read the pre-game promotional copy. The one that stands out most, the one I’ll always remember, was for an appearance by none-other than the popular 1980s skateboarding martial artists, The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, or as Bob elegantly said it, “... come see Michel-ANGELO, Leon-AR-do, Dona-TELL-o and Rapha-EL, The Teen ... age ... MU-tant ... NIN-ja ... TUR-tles ... TUR-tles.” Poor Bob.

One of the coolest things anyone ever said to me during my 30-year career in sports came from Bob Sheppard. For most of the time Bob and I knew each other I was the Yankees’ Assistant Media Relations Director, so we interacted often. I was in my 20s, hustled, had graduated from St. John’s, was dating, then married, an SJU girl, so for Bob, what was there not to like? One day, out of the clear blue, R.L. Sheppard, the legendary PA voice of the New York Yankees and Giants sat me down and said to me, “Looou, in the event that I am unable to be at a game, and Professor Hall (an SJU colleague who was Bob’s substitute on those rare occasions he could not make a game) is unavailable, I think YOU should be prepared to handle the public address.” Stunned and flattered, I told him I didn’t think that was a good idea, but I swear he said it to me. Cool, right?

About 23 years later, now as head of communications with FOX Sports, I found myself in Bob Sheppard’s booth at the original Yankee Stadium, just two months before the last game was played there and four days before the 2008 All-Star Game, and read over the PA system the pre-game script as FOX and MLB rehearsed on-field festivities. Somebody had to do it, so why not me? My voice booming over the Yankee Stadium PA, occupying the same air-space as the great Bob Sheppard -- given the chance, I had to do it. Now twice as old as I was when Bob told me to be ready I thought to myself, “Maybe I could do this now.” Too bad I have a day job. Folks who heard it said I wasn’t bad. But, let’s be clear. There will only be one Bob Sheppard, a man of class, dignity and poise, and I ain’t he. But that’s OK; no one else is either.

Lou D'Ermilio is the Senior Vice President - Communications for FOX Sports Networks.

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