Bob Sheppard
From BR Bullpen
Robert Leo Sheppard (The Voice of God)
- Born: October 12, 1910? in New York, NY, USA
- Debut: April 17, 1951
The long time public address announcer of the New York Yankees, Bob Sheppard is the most famous PA voice in sports history. His slow, deep cadence has rung out from "Now batting for the Yankees, number five, Joe DiMaggio" to "Now batting for the Yankees, number two, Derek Jeter."
He is New York through and through having graduated from St. John's University in the class of 1932. At St. John's, he spent four years on the football team and also was the first baseman for the baseball squad.
He joined the Yankees in DiMaggio's last year, 1951. He has been at the microphone high above Yankee Stadium ever since. He has announced thousands of players over more than 4000 games. Of course being the announcer for the Yankees, meant Sheppard was the PA announcer for dozens of World Series games. He has worked twenty World Series in all. He has also been the public address announcer for the New York Football Giants, a position he has held since 1956.
Since announcing is a part time, seasonal job, 81 games a year plus the postseason, Sheppard also taught speech at St. John's for 25 years.
During his winter stay in Florida, Sheppard reads at daily Mass. He is often approached after Mass by fans who say, "you sound like the guy at Yankee Stadium..." He then stops them and confirms he is the voice of Yankee Stadium.
Sheppard has kept his age a guarded secret through the years but the combination of his college graduation (1932), his 1910 birthdate given on imdb.com seems plausible.
His last season of regular work was 2007; he officially retired in 2009.
