Commending Bob Sheppard for his long and respected career as the public-address announcer for the New York Yankees and the New York Giants.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 1529) commending Bob Sheppard for his long and respected career as the public-address announcer for the New York Yankees and the New York Giants.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks.

Mr. Speaker, I now yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, I am proud to present H. Res. 1529 for consideration. This legislation commends Bob Sheppard for his long and respected career as the public-address announcer for the New York Yankees and the New York Giants. Introduced by my friend and colleague, Representative Carolyn McCarthy of New York, on July 15, 2010, H. Res. 1529 was favorably reported out of the Oversight and Government Reform Committee on September 23, 2010. In addition, this legislation enjoys the support of over 50 Members of Congress.

Mr. Speaker, born on October 20, 1910, in Queens, New York, Bob Sheppard served as the public-address announcer for the New York Yankees from opening day in 1951 through 2007 and was also the PA announcer for the New York Giants from 1956 through 2005. During this period, Mr. Sheppard announced 4,500 Yankees baseball games, including 22 pennant-winning seasons and 13 World Series championships. Additionally, during his half century covering the New York Giants, Mr. Sheppard announced nine conference championships and three NFL championships.

Mr. Sheppard prided himself on being clear, concise, and correct; and his distinctive style earned him the nickname ``the voice of God,'' which was first coined by Yankee Hall-of-Famer Reggie Jackson. Mr. Sheppard's distinctive style has set the standard of sports announcing, and as New York Times writer Richard Goldstein notes, ``In an era of blaring stadium music, of public-address announcers styling themselves as entertainers and cheerleaders, Mr. Sheppard, a man with a passion for poetry and Shakespeare, shunned hyperbole.''

Notably, Mr. Sheppard did not limit his oratory skills to the baseball diamond and the football field. In fact, he also served as chairman of the speech department at the John Adams High School in Queens and as an adjunct professor of speech at St. John's University in the Bronx. For his tireless dedication to his craft, Mr. Sheppard was elected to the St. John's University Sports Hall of Fame, the Long Island Sports Hall of Fame, and the New York Sports Hall of Fame. He also received honorary doctorates from St. John's University and Fordham University and received the St. John's Medal of Honor, the highest award that the university can confer on a graduate, in 2007.

On May 7, 2000, Mr. Sheppard's legacy was enshrined in Yankee Stadium's Monument Park with a plaque that reads: ``Bob Sheppard, the voice of Yankee Stadium. For half a century he has welcomed generations of fans with his trademark greeting, `Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Yankee Stadium.' His clear, concise, and correct vocal style has announced the names of hundreds of players--both unfamiliar and legendary--with equal divine reference, making him as synonymous with Yankee Stadium as its copper facade and Monument Park.'' Sadly, on July 11, 2010, Mr. Sheppard passed away at the age of 99 in his home in Baldwin, New York.

Mr. Speaker, let us further honor the life and legacy of Mr. Sheppard through the passage of H. Res. 1529, which recognizes his distinctive style of announcing, influence on the entire field of sports announcing, and also commends him on his 52 years of service as a public-address announcer and speech professor. I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting H. Res. 1529.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I again urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this measure, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I certainly thank my colleague. I want to thank Ms. Norton and again my colleague and I want to thank everybody on the committee.

I do rise today to ask my colleagues to support H. Res. 1529, commending Bob Sheppard for his long and respected career as the public-address announcer for the New York Yankees and the New York Giants. As someone who has spent my whole life in New York, his voice was very, very distinctive not only to New Yorkers but to many, many of my colleagues across the country.

On July 11, 2010, Mr. Sheppard passed away at the age of 99 in his home in Baldwin, which is part of my district, the Fourth Congressional District in New York. Mr. Sheppard was a constant in sports announcing for over 50 years. His distinctive voice was recognized by both players and fans. Each game began with his trademark cadence--as we in New York kind of talk sometimes funny--``Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen, and welcome to Yankee Stadium.''

He performed the role as a public-address announcer at Yankee Stadium from opening day in 1951 through the year 2007, and as the public address announcer for the New York Giants from 1956 through the year 2005. At the age of 62, he announced the World Series games, two All- Star games, and has introduced more than 72 Hall-of-Famers throughout his career. He will always be remembered for his clear, concise, and correct announcements and pronunciations, taking pride in the name of every player he introduced.

Bob Sheppard utilized his great oratory skills not only in the sports arena but, as was mentioned, as the chairman of the speech department at John Adams High School in Queens and as professor of speech at St. John's University. Bob Sheppard was honored for his 50 memorable years of service as the announcer at Yankee Stadium with Bob Sheppard Day, celebrated on May 7, 2000, and with a permanent plaque in Monument Park behind Yankee Stadium in the Bronx. His voice will always continue to live on as the recorded introduction of Yankees' shortstop Derek Jeter.

My resolution serves to recognize the legacy of Bob Sheppard and his distinctive announcing style as a revered tradition not only to the New York Yankees and to the New York Giants, but also, as I said earlier, to the games of baseball and football and the field of

sports announcing. I do want to thank my 52 colleagues, cosponsors of the resolution, including many Members who are fans of other teams. I have to say, though, the majority of us were over a certain age that certainly remembered Bob. Additionally, the resolution commends Mr. Sheppard for his 52 years of service in the field of sports announcing and his dedication to spreading his knowledge and skill through teaching speech at both the high school and the college levels.

Today, we do salute Bob Sheppard. I ask my colleagues to support this resolution.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of House Resolution 1529, commending Bob Sheppard in his long and respected career.

At this time, Mr. Speaker, I would like to have the honor of yielding to the gentlelady from New York (Mrs. McCarthy) so that she has plenty of time to address this item.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.