Chapter 16: Murph

Sad news for Mets fans. The voice of summer nights, Bob Murphy, passed away due to lung cancer at 79. I went to the game at which he was honored last year, his final game as a Mets announcer. Players and fellow announcers recognized him for his 42 seasons of service.



Murph was one of the three original announcers for the team, working with Hall of Famer Ralph Kiner and Lindsey Nelson from game one in 1962. His voice was perfect for the radio, conveying the excitement of a strikeout in a crucial situation, or a "long drive to left field ... it could be ... it is ... Gone! a home run for Mike Piazza. Mike Piazza has just given the Mets the lead."



There was a cadence, a rhythm to the way he broadcast a game. It carried you from the early innings through the final out. He knew when to add the interesting anecdote and when to keep his mouth shut and let the constant din of the crowd, the roar of the planes over Shea, and the vendors hawking Budweiser fill up the air. He was a Mets fan, but as a listener you didn't feel he lost his objectivity. He was broadcasting the game, not espousing a company position. He helped give the Mets dignity even when their teams scoured the depths the National League.



As this season of mediocrity continues, I only wish he could have seen the Mets win it all one more time. But at least he witnessed two world championships, four World Series and two additional post seasons while earning his position in Cooperstown as a broadcast Hall of Famer. You are missed, Murph.