Archive for April 17th, 2011

New York Yankees – Bob Sheppard

Posted by on Sunday, 17 April, 2011

Yankee Stadium
The Bronx, New York

April 17, 2011

The Voice That Announced  Millions of Yankees Names
Today we celebrate the 60th anniversary of the very first game worked by Public Address Announcer Bob Sheppard at Yankee Stadium in 1951 (o4/17/51).  It was also Mickey Mantle’s first Major League Baseball game.  Yankees 5 – Boston 0

LINE-UP

Boston Red Sox
CF – Dom DiMaggio
RF – Billy Goodman
LF – Ted Williams
3B – Vern Stephens
1B – Walt Dropo
2B – Bobby Doerr
SS – Lou Boudreau
  C – Buddy Rosar
  P – Billy Wright   

New Y0rk Yankees
LF – Jackie Jenson
SS  – Phil Rizzuto
RF – Mickey Mantle
CF – Joe DiMaggio
  C  – Yogi Berra
1B – Johnny Mize
3B – Billy Johnson
2B – Jerry Coleman
   P – Vic Raschi

In his Major League debut,  Mickey Mantle went 1-for-4 with a 6th-inning single off Bill Wright.  

Bob Sheppard worked 121 consecutive postseason contests, including 62 games in 22 World Series from 1951 – 2006.  He worked his final Yankees home game on September 5, 2007 vs. Seattle Mariners, before being sidelined by illness.  Although he passed away on July 11, 2010, Bob Sheppard’s voice is still heard during Yankees games at Yankee Stadium in a special recording as he announces “now batting for the Yankees #2 Derek Jeter, #2”.

PLAY BALL!

“TAPE MEASURE HOME RUN”
April 17, 1953
Mickey Mantle clears the left-field wall at Washington’s Griffith Stadium with a 565-foot home run of Chuck Stobbs in the 5th inning of a 7 – 3 Yankees win.  The Yankees PR Director Red Patterson retrieves the ball and measures off the distance, it was the start of the phrase “tape measure home run”.    On May 30, 1956 Mickey Mantle connected the longest home run in Yankee Stadium History.

TOMORROW IN YANKEES  HISTORY
April 18, 1923
The original Yankee Stadium opens its doors for its Inaugural Game as the Yankees defeat Boston 4 – 1.  Starter Bob Shawkey records the win and Babe Ruth hits the park’s first home run, a three-run shot in the 3rd inning.