A friend reminded me of the time I requested an interview with Bob and he 
called me back and left the message on the voicemail–which I somehow accidentally deleted one day like an idiot.
“Mike…This is Bob Sheppard… of the New York Yankees…I would be happy…to talk with you…any afternoon….on Monday….Tuesday….or Wednesday….as your schedule allows. I should be home…anytime after…1PM…My phone number….is 5-1-6…..”
Hysterical.
I talked to him on a bad skype line once and he couldn’t hear me.
“Mike, speak slowly and distinctly. This line is awful!”
I called him back and explained the technical issue and he was overly apologetic which I was quick to tell him not to worry about. But how gracious was this man. I just wanted him to not think that I was a moron.
A group of us reporters got together one day and said, “We should give Sheppard $1000 to say a bunch of things that we could never picture him saying.” Nothing dirty, just silliness. Some of my favorites were:
“Every-body… have fun to-night…every-body….Wang…Chung…tonight.”
“Ladies and gentlemen….your attention please….Will the person….in box 302….row A….Seat 5 please stand up…..and pull down…your pants!”
“Ladies and gentlemen….let’s….get….jiggy…with…it.”
One of my roommates, got angry with me once when I moved out but had to leave my bed behind for a few days until I could get a van to transport the mattress. He said, “Until that’s out of here…Bed Pays Rent!”
It was so ridiculous that some friends just jumped on it and said in their best Sheppard baritone…
“Bed…Pays…Rent.”
When I was sitting in the booth with Bob and his back-up announcer Jim Hall, (who I also thought was pretty good), the Yankees were rallying.
Sheppard: “OK, move around third… and score! Well,…I think I might have been faster…in my day.”
He absolutely loved St John’s and chided me about being a Fordham graduate.
“That’s… a great school! Good Catholic education…with those Jez-u-its…(long pause). Not…quite… as good…as St John’s though.”
I asked him if he ever butchered a name or made a mistake and he said a few stood out.
At Giants Stadium, he once said “Good Afternoon, Ladies and Gentlemen and Welcome to Yankee Stadium.”
And at an Army/Navy Football game, President Kennedy was leaving his seat on the “Army” side of the field to go and sit on the “Navy” side of the field for the second half. It was freezing out and JFK just wore his suit jacket.
“Why he doesn’t even have a top coat on!” Sheppard noted loudly. What he didn’t know was that his microphone was open. His wife would later tell him, “Boy, you goofed today!” Sheppard had no idea it went out.
I don’t think I ever heard him make an error. But I do recall sitting in that booth that one day and the Yankees were making a pitching change. The PR crew would always announce in the press box who the incoming player was and they did so this time as well. They announced “now pitching for the Yankees, number 28, Scott Kamieniecki (Cam-in-ick-ee).”
Sheppard looked towards the bullpen and said to me, “No. That’s Wickman. 27, not 28.”
The stadium producer was saying, “Go ahead Mr. Sheppard.” And he just gently waved her off, giving her a signal to wait.
“CORRECTION!” came over the press box loudspeaker. “Now pitching for the Yankees, number 27, Bob Wickman.”
Before the producer could even apologize Sheppard’s mic was open.
“Ladies and gentlemen…your attention please…now pitching…for the Yankees…number 27….Bob Wick-man.”
He just looked at me and winked and said, “That’s what 50 years gets you!”
It got him a lot more than that.
God bless, Bob and your family. Until we meet again.
Can I wear number 28, when I get to heaven, Bob?