The future voice of Bob Sheppard

July 16, 2008 by Benjamin Kabak 28 Comments

Last night, prior to the game, the Yankee Stadium crowd gave Bob Sheppard a big round of applause. His voice was the most noticeable absence of the All Star festivities, and it’s now been nearly 10 months since the Voice of God last announced a game. While Sheppard is working to return to the booth, the reality is that he’s in his late 90s and is recovering from a debilitating illness. He won’t be around forever. To that end, Darren Rovell at CNBC suggests that the Yankees should look into preserving Bob’s voice forever. The technology exists for a company to spend a whole bunch of hours recording Sheppard — approximately 10 — in order to pick up his speech patterns so that his voice could be saved digitally forever. The cost — in the six-figure range — is pocket change to the Yankees, and I sincerely hope they look into this idea. Bob Sheppard won’t be around forever; his voice filling Yankee Stadium should be.

JRVJ

With all due respect, I disagree.

Time goes on. Someone else will eventually fill-in Mr. Sheppard’s shoes, even as great as he was.

But eventually he will be replaced, as Ruth, Gehrig, Dimmaggio, Mantle, Houk, Stengel were all eventually replaced.
- http://riveraveblues.com Mike A.
  
  Word. Sometimes you just have to let things go. You may not want to see Yankee Stadium get demolished, but it’s better than having it turn into Tigers Stadium. The best way to honor Sheppard is to let someone else take over and look back on him as a great Yankee, not by keeping his computerized voice around forever.
- Joey
  
  Agreed, I love Mr. Sheppard as much as the next crazy Yankees fan, but that is getting to the point of creepy. Jeter is one thing, any young kids in the farm is quite another.
  - Joey
    
    Plus, there is only one Voice of God. No computer replace that.
Guiseppe Franco

It’s not the worst idea in the world, but my guess is that the Yankees would see it as very tacky.

Everyone has to die some day. Like every other Yankee legend.
whozat

Also, I think I remember reading an interview in which someone asked him if he’d thought about recording intro for at least some guys like Posada, ARod, Mo, etc and he said he wasn’t really interested.
yanke

love the idea!
yanke

his voice is yankee stadium… it would be a good way to make the new stadium feel like the old one. but then again throwing out a lineup that consists of ruth gehrig dimaggio mantle jeter a rod and yogi would also be a good way to bring in the new stadium
http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/CRsmithT1.jpg tommiesmithjohncarlos

Hi, I’m Troy McClure. You may remember me from such voiceovers as “Last Night’s Game at Yankee Stadium” or “The Game At Yankee Stadium The Sunday Before That”.
- Count Zero
  
  coffee snorting incident…lol
Corey

Hi, I’m Troy McClure. You may remember me from such voiceovers as “Last Night’s Game at Yankee Stadium” or “The Game At Yankee Stadium The Sunday Before That”.
==========================================

I never post here, but read here all the time. That’s hands down the best thing I’ve read in my time here, no offense to the writers
http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/CRsmithT1.jpg tommiesmithjohncarlos

“In a world… where the New York Yankees take the field of play to do battle against their opponents… a man will rise to become a hero… and that man’s name is Derek Jeter, and he plays shortstop and wears #2.”
http://nosenseworrying.vsport.tv Jen

I think it would just be creepy. They have a recording now for Jeter, which is fine. But having to hear his voice for every player through the course of a game knowing that he is not up in the booth would make me sad.
- Art Vandelay
  
  Agreed. My initial instinct was a resounding “creepy.” We really want a digitized Darth Vader voice speaking to us from beyond the grave? It’s weird enough that the current guy tries to sound exactly like him.
http://www.TheBronxStop.com Mark M.

I am running a poll on my Blog asking this question.

I am really interested in seeing what everyone thinks on this, so open a new tab and vote real quick…(just click my name)!!!

Thanks!!!
monkeypants

My wife suggested that they should record a few standard bits–maybe announcements about the ground rules or safety, and play those in the future (sort of like how they used canned Eddie Layton bits). But for all the “real” announcing they should hire someone in the Bob Sheppard: deep voice, understated, no screaming, etc.

No, you can’t replace the Voice of God. But you can’t replace DiMaggio either. All you can do is plug in Mantle or Murcer or Bernie, very different but still very great players in their own right. As they carried the tradition so too will Bob Sheppard’s replacement.
http://www.pinstripeprospectus.com Austin

I think itd be a cool idea, but if they want a new one then thats fine too, i just hate how Jim Hall tries to sound like shepard.
Andy in Sunny Daytona

Johnny #5 is available.
Adrian-Retire21

I think they should try someone new.What in 100 years are we gonna clone Derek Jeter(Thats alot of DP) to play short forever.

Okay that would be cool but every generation there needs to be a new person for that generation(even though Bob Shepard was for like 5 generations).Lets try someone new.
K.V.C

I love Bob’s voice, but I’ve always thought he should retire after this year, and let a new voice in the new stadium. I think recording him, and keeping him around forever would be criminal.
A.D.

I think the recording would be a little cheezy, its okay for something like God Bless America with Kate Smith, but the computer stuff is always a litte fuzzy, and there are undoubtly some whack names out there that the computer will mess up on, and then it will be a huge joke.

Get someone classy, who can make it their own
UNION YES.

You wouldn’t have to use his voice at all times. Why not just use his voice when he announces “please stand for a moment of silent prayer…” in the future.
Brandon

Love Mr.Sheppard, respect him will always remember him for calling all those names but let it gooooooooooooooo…….
alex

get morgan freeman………..or james earl jones
- Steve
  
  Seriously, how about John Sterling?
  
  His play by play leaves much to be desired, he seems to be going blind by some of the calls he makes, and he’s the biggest weapon Mets fans have to bash us over the head with. I get a kick out of John, but it might be time for a new position in the organization.
http://derekjetersbat.blogspot.com/ Joey H

yeah i think the paining reality of it all is that he wont come back. his voice is legendary and god willing his return to the new yankee stadium i will probably get goosebumps. god bless him!
Steve

Somewhere, there is somebody doing voice over work who has a tremendous voice, is a huge Yankee fan and could really use the money. That guy is shaking his head reading this right about now.
MD

I think Bob is part of the old Yankee Stadium….however, maybe it would have been nice to record him reciting a listing of Yankee immortals, that could be played prior to games…you know, just hearing his voice echo Joe Dimaggio, Mickey Mantle, Whitey Ford, Thurman Munson, etc….often thought it would have been good to hear Mel Allen recite the list……..might be a nice touch before games……but for contemporary players in the new stadium, let’s find the next Bob…….