Thursday, November 4, 2010

Matt Birchenough, Favorite Audio Piece

I really love this piece remembering Bob Sheppard, the longtime public address announcer for the New York Yankees. Sheppard, who died in July, had a legendary voice that became a key part of the experience of going to a Yankees game. His longevity and the eloquence of his voice made him one of the few P.A. announcers whose name was just as well known at the players he introduced during the games. This NPR piece captures the unique qualities of the man who became known as "The Voice of God." NPR used the audio of his actual game announcements to give an idea as to why he was so unique. The sound bites from the interview with Sheppard explains why he adopted that style and revealed parts of his job that one would never really think about, such as the enjoyment of saying certain names. I also like how it ended on the fact that Derek Jeter will continue to have a recording of Sheppard introducing him before every at-bat at Yankee Stadium for the rest of his career. It acts as a way to extend the story and Sheppard's legacy into the future.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=128470514


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