Courtesy Bloomberg

(July 22, 2010) New York Yankees public-address announcer Paul Olden is counting his calories and taking care of his voice, hoping for the same longevity as the man he replaced.

Olden’s predecessor was Bob Sheppard, who died on July 11 at age 99 after introducing players from Joe DiMaggio to Robinson Cano during a 57-year career with the Major League Baseball team.

Olden, 56, who wasn’t born when Sheppard started with the Yankees, says he keeps in shape. In the club’s media dining room -- called Sheppard’s Place -- he skips the fried chicken in favor of steamed vegetables and salad.

“I try to stay fit because I want to be around for a long time,” Olden said in a July 20 interview from his booth overlooking the field at Yankee Stadium. “It’s a job that if you take care of yourself and take care of your voice, you shouldn’t have a problem doing it into your 80s and beyond.”

Sheppard, dubbed the “Voice of God” by Yankees Hall of Famer Reggie Jackson, announced his last game for the franchise in 2007. He missed the 2008 season with a bronchial infection, and retired in 2009.

Olden said he built a relationship with Sheppard through telephone conversations the two had a couple of times a month after he took the job.

The last week has been difficult for Olden and the Yankees, who lost team owner George Steinbrenner at age 80 two days after Sheppard passed away.

“I knew Bob so well, and just being around the organization and knowing what Mr. Steinbrenner did to bring this team back to prominence, it’s just been really emotional,” he said.

Sheppard Tribute

The Yankees paid tribute to Sheppard at their first home game following his death by silencing the public address microphone. Players and coaches will wear uniform patches honoring Sheppard and Steinbrenner for the rest of the season.

“Here was the guy who was part of the soundtrack of coming to Yankee Stadium since 1951,” Olden said. “It was something that tied together the generations hearing the same voice, and especially his voice.”

Olden’s style is similar to what Sheppard called his “clear, concise, correct” manner, having grown up in Southern California listening to John Ramsey’s businesslike voice as a public-address announcer for the Los Angeles Dodgers and Lakers.

His game-time habits differ though. Olden, who is a freelance photographer, spends the time between introductions seeking images to make from his perch. While he’s always looking for interesting shots, Olden said he knows that photography isn’t the priority.

‘PA Comes First’

“The PA comes first and I make sure I get that straightened out, the name announced, and then I can go back to concentrating on the pictures,” he said.

Only one photo sits on Olden’s desk in the booth that overlooks home plate. In a small New York Yankees picture frame is a shot of Sheppard at work.

Olden, who was the public-address announcer for the Super Bowl from 1994 to 2005, already was familiar to many Yankees fans when he formally succeeded Sheppard in 2009. He worked as a broadcaster in the Yankees’ television booth alongside Bobby Murcer and Phil Rizzuto in 1995-96. Olden also has done play-by-play work for the California Angels, Cleveland Indians, New York Jets, Philadelphia Eagles, New Jersey Nets and Tampa Bay Rays.

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