OPEN COURT: The ‘voice of God’ calls it a career

Bob Sheppard seems to have figured out the secret to a happy life.

There’s no real trick to it, but it’s much harder to pull off than you‘d think. On the surface, it’s one of those silly, overly sentimental greeting-card clich/s, but it takes on an entirely different level of gravitas when it’s actually implemented properly.

You can instantly spot the people who figured out the secret. These are the types of people who tell their friends “have a good day” and genuinely mean it. They truly appreciate their good luck and fortunate circumstances, yet have a certain knack for creating their own luck.

Sheppard spent the last 58 years as the public address announcer for the New York Yankees. Can you imagine a better seat in the house to witness nearly six decades of iconic baseball moments?

Appropriately enough, Sheppard, 99, decided to call it a career on Friday, the day after Thanksgiving.

“I think at my age, it’s time to accept the fact that I had a great run,” Sheppard told ESPN.com. “A great run.”

Geez, he isn’t kidding.

Sheppard took over the gig in 1951, after a successful run as a speech teacher and PA announcer at St. John’s. Look through any story on Sheppard, and it’ll show him talking about how his work as a professor was more important to him than the announcing.

The first Yankee lineup card Sheppard read looked like a who’s who of baseball lore: Berra, Mize, Rizzuto, Mantle, DiMaggio.

As that franchise continued to rack up pennants and titles and awards, Sheppard was there, providing the soundtrack for those in the stadium.

I’ve never been to a Yankee game, but I know people who have. Sheppard’s distinct “Good evening, and welcome, to Yankee Stadium,” call immediately snapped everyone into that baseball mindset.

Reggie Jackson, Mr. October himself, famously called Sheppard “the voice of God.”

From his perch atop Yankee Stadium, he saw it all. Mantle trading bombs with Maris, Thurmon Munson blocking the plate, Billy Martin’s tantrums, Reggie’s heroics, Jeter’s flip to home.

Heck, I don’t even like the Yankees, and that list still gives me goosebumps.

Sadly, Sheppard’s health has started to betray him. A bronchial infection kept him out of the 2007 ALDS, and various health issues kept him out of commission in 2008.

I don’t know if it’s because baseball is such a routine-driven sport, but someone like Sheppard can take on a larger-than-life role in the day-to-day ballpark experience. Even as Sheppard battled illness, Derek Jeter insisted on a recording of Sheppard’s introduction (“Now batting for the Yankees…No. 2...Der-rick Jeet-uh) to be played each time before he steps in the batter’s box. In fact, Sheppard’s voice will be a part of Jeter’s routine in every home game he plays until he hangs up his pinstripes. Pretty cool.

Sheppard belongs to an elite fraternity of elite baseball voices. Along with Vin Scully, Jack Buck, Harry Caray, Mel Allen, Ernie Harwell, and a handful of others, Sheppard’s soothing, yet authoritative approach set the standard.

Sheppard was the voice for every Yankee game from his debut in ‘51 to the home opener on April 11, 2006. It’s not Cal Ripken’s streak, but it’s still darn impressive.

It was during those five decades when Sheppard personified that corny, yet 100 percent effective secret to a happy life. Find something you love to do, and do it every single day you possibly can.

It really was a great run, Bob. A great run.

nprevenas@gvnews.com | 547-9747