The Daily News
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Friday, July 16th 2010, 4:00 AM
Patches to be worn on Yankee uniforms for the rest of the 2010 season.
At Bob Sheppard's last Mass Thursday, his friends and family were reminded what it was like to be in the presence of "a good and decent man" who, as a husband, father, athlete, wartime naval officer, teacher and public address announcer, lived about the most perfect life, for 99 years, as anyone God ever placed on this Earth.
It was just too bad that not a single player whose name Sheppard introduced, ever so properly and eloquently, over 57 years as the Yankees' P.A. announcer, was among those paying their final respects to the "Voice of God." Even if one player - certainly one among the former players employed by the team for this very purpose - would have shown up, it would have provided the touch of class George Steinbrenner always made sure to exhibit in these circumstances.
It's been a tough week, no doubt, for the Yankees, who are mourning the loss of Steinbrenner, which came on the heels of Sheppard's death on Sunday. Sheppard, especially, probably would not have felt slighted that no player, past or present, was among the hundreds paying their respects at the Church of Saint Christopher in Baldwin, L.I.
As his son, Paul Sheppard, put it: "My father was a man of such humility. He could not understand why anyone would want his autograph."
And besides, the Yankee delegation that was there, led by GM Brian Cashman and Senior VP of Marketing Debbie Tymon, was made up of the behind-the-scenes front office folks Sheppard knew the best. About the only times he ever fraternized with the players, other than asking the new ones how they wanted their names pronounced, was at Sunday Mass at Yankee Stadium. Cashman, who admitted to being "a nervous wreck" at having to deliver a eulogy for the greatest public speaker of them all, talked about how Sheppard would do the Sunday readings before home games.
"One day, he asked for volunteers to take his place," Cashman said, "and you never heard such a silence in that room.
"Bob will not be remembered as a good teacher of speech. He'll be remembered as a great teacher of life."
It was Giants co-owner John Mara who proudly reminded everyone that Sheppard was also their P.A. voice from 1956-2006 despite the fact that he never had a contract and worked on a handshake agreement. One time, Mara recalled with a sly grin, Phil Rizzuto asked Sheppard what was the greatest Yankee Stadium game he had presided over.
"The day Pat Summerall kicked the field goal in the snow in 1958," Sheppard replied instantly, much to the chagrin of Rizzuto, who was no doubt expecting him to pick a historic Yankee game.
Another time, Mara remembered, his father, Wellington, had been asked to give a speech and sought out Sheppard for advice. Sheppard's reply was classic.
"Remember Lou Gehrig's farewell address?" he said. "It was 90 seconds! Keep it brief!"
That was Sheppard's credo, as even Steinbrenner came to learn on the day he summoned him and handed him a long-winded apology to Canada, one he had penned himself after a guest anthem singer had butchered "O Canada" at the Stadium the night before.
"This will not do," Sheppard said as Steinbrenner looked at him in disbelief. "It must be succinct."
Just as Sheppard was always proper, he was always right, too, and he led a blessed life, the last 50 years of it spent with his wife, Mary. It was after his first wife, Margaret, died that Sheppard promised his Lord he would attend Mass every day and it was there where he met Mary. Could it have been any other way for this man of faith whose only hate was for foul language?
"The closest he ever came on that," said his son, Paul, "was when he got a flat tire on his '48 Dodge and as he was changing it, the jack snapped on his wrist and left him bloodied. He looked up and exclaimed: 'Darn!'"
In his homily, the Rev. Steven R. Camp talked about his visits with Sheppard at his house during these past couple of years .
"He wasn't afraid of death," Camp related. "He wanted to know why God was taking so long. I told him: 'Your mission in life is not over.'"
Now that it is, Paul Sheppard surmised what his father's new mission is.
"God is already recruiting him," he said, "and if we're fortunate to get there, we'll be greeted by the voice saying: 'Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Heaven.'"
And if Sheppard has happened to meet up with Steinbrenner, one can just imagine the Boss telling him:
"I'm embarrassed we didn't have any players at your funeral, Bob. You have my deepest apology. But this is what happens when I'm not around."
bmadden@nydailynews.com
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