Being a Voice of God
by Stephanie Raha, Editor-in-Chief of The Christophers
September 6, 2010
I heard Bob Sheppard’s voice long before I heard of him. Growing up in New York, Yankee ballgames on radio and TV were part of the background of my summers. Then, in the early 60’s, my sister and I started going to Yankee Stadium where we heard the public address announcer described by Reggie Jackson and others as “The Voice of God.”
When Sheppard died this past July at 99 years of age, he’d lived a long and amazingly full life. His career with the Yankees began in 1951, Mickey Mantle’s rookie season and Joe DiMaggio’s last, and it didn’t end it until 2007. But it was much more than putting in 56 years on the job that made Sheppard the legend he became: it was the professionalism, style and grace with which he performed his job. His goal was simple: “Be clear, concise, and correct.”
He never drew attention to himself by doing anything that he considered “colorful, cute or comic,” focusing instead on the ballplayers he introduced. He made a point of checking the pronunciation of each man’s name. He asked the broadcasters for visiting teams about any names he wasn’t sure about, and then went to the player himself if he still had doubts.
Sheppard’s career included far more than spending his summers with the Bronx Bombers. He served in the Navy during World War II commanding a gunnery crew in the Pacific. For years, he announced football games for the New York Giants. He also passed along his knowledge to young people by teaching speech, first at public and parochial high schools and then at St. John’s University, his alma mater.
He also volunteered his talents as a lector at St. Christopher’s, his parish church on Long Island, where he was a daily communicant. He and his wife, Mary, also spoke at Marriage Encounter weekends. “We got so much out of it ourselves and enjoyed seeing other couples benefiting,” he said. “They grow closer to each other.”
Clearly, his faith was important to him and he encouraged others to express their beliefs as well. Jacqueline Twohie, a friend who was also an associate director for Yankee broadcasts, recalled how Sheppard asked her to be a lector at the Mass held in a locker room at Yankee Stadium on Sundays before afternoon games. She refused because she hated to speak in public. Instead of dropping the subject, he gave her some coaching and Twohie was able to address her fears and become a regular reader.
If you never had the pleasure of hearing Bob Sheppard’s mellifluous voice, it’s not too late. Visit Yankee Stadium and when Derek Jeter comes to the plate, you’ll hear Sheppard say, “Now batting for the Yankees, the shortstop, Number 2, Derek Jeter, Number 2.” Before illness and age sidelined the announcer, Jeter asked to have his introduction recorded and used for every game he will ever play. And so it is.
The Voice of God?
Well, no. But, as someone said at his funeral, he was certainly “a voice of God.” And that can be true for you and me, too, if we live our lives with faith, hope, love – and the passion for being all the Lord asks of us each and everyday.
(This essay is this week's "Light One Candle" column, written by Stephanie Raha, Editor-in-Chief of The Christophers; it is one of a series of weekly columns that deal with a variety of topics and current events.)
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