Bob Sheppard May Miss the Final Season at Yankee Stadium

Legendary Yankees public address announcer Bob Sheppard has had some health issues over the last two seasons, limiting his appearances at Yankee Stadium. Unfortunately, the 97-year-old (!) Sheppard may not see any time at the Stadium in 2008.

Bob Sheppard, who has been the public-address announcer at Yankee Stadium since 1951, may not be able to resume his duties this season.

"He's struggling to regain his health," Yankees spokesman Howard Rubenstein said. "He's in poor health. He and the Yankees both hope he's back in the booth. For now he's not."

Sheppard missed the final homestand of last season and the playoffs with what the team called laryngitis.

Rubenstein said Sheppard's son, Chris, will "try out" for a spot as a substitute by working some spring-training games.

You might have known that Sheppard was also the PA announcer for the New York Giants for many seasons. What you may not have known unless you were there (or if you check Sheppard's Wikipedia page) is that Sheppard also did the public address announcing for St. John's basketball and football games (he was a professor at the school as well). It always amazed me that the same voice known the world over for announcing names like Mickey Mantle, Joe DiMaggio, and Reggie Jackson in front of crowds of over 50,000 was the same voice that announced Division III football in front of crowds of 800. But whatever the sport, whatever the crowd size, he brought the same professionalism to every game he worked. Hopefully, there will be more announcements from Sheppard at some point in '08.