For Yankee Stadium announcer Bob Sheppard 2008 may have been his last time up in the press box. After 57 years announcing for the New York Yankees, Sheppard supposedly told the New York Times on April 1 that he is retiring at the age of 98, ending an era that was almost uninterrupted in Yankee lore.

Announcer Bob Sheppard began with the New York Yankees back on April 17, 1951. He got the job after some of the Yankee front office had heard him announce for the Brooklyn Dodgers years earlier. The first Yanks team he announced for included legends Joe DiMaggio, Mickey Mantle, Yogi Berra and Phil Rizzudo. DiMaggio was the first player that Sheppard ever announced. From that first game, the Yankee stadium announcer worked every single game until his first absence on April 11, 2006–almost 55 years. His streak of over 4,500 games announced in a row is a record streak that was ended when Sheppard threw out a hip while at his Long Island home.

During his tenure, Sheppard saw the Yankees dominate the Major League. Their winnings include 13 World Series Championships and 22 American League pennants during his time with them. The announcer developed an individual style that included his staccato style of drawing out each word over the PA system and beginning each announcement with his now famous “Ladies and gentlemen, your attention please” refrain. For Bob Sheppard 2008 never saw him at Yankee Stadium. He tried to announce the final game of the regular season (the last ever at the old stadium) but could not get his health to comply. Instead, he taped the player names and a short video, both of which were played during the game. Derek Jeter, the Yankee shortstop, has asked that the recording of Sheppard’s announcement be played in front of each of his at-bats.

As stiff as the words may have come from him as an announcer Bob Sheppard was had a tender side that he did not mind sharing with the 30,000 or so fans who happened to be at the ball park during a momentous occasion. Sheppard wrote poetry for several special milestones in history. For the visit of Mother Theresa, for the death of Mickey Mantle, and for the untimely death of Yankee Thurman Munson, Sheppard read his poems before the beginning of the game. Munson’s reading was especially poignant since he delivered it at the first game Munson missed.

Although, Sheppard was often coy about his real age and date of birth, his body couldn’t keep up the deceit. His final two seasons were riddled with health problems that caused increasingly long absences and when he was not able to attend any of the 2008 games, many suspected his time at age 98 may finally be through. His son, however, maintains a website that apparently says he has not retired and his agent says his still drives his car. The Yankees, in the meantime, can’t quite accept what his health has dictated–they have hired Paul Oden as the “temporary” Yankee stadium announcer.

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