Bob Sheppard is more than an announcer; he's an institution. For 57 years, fans at Yankee Stadium have listened to him introduce everyone from Joe DiMaggio to Bernie Williams, from Mickey Mantle to Derek Jeter.

Unfortunately he's been able to announce a single game this season while recovering his stamina and strength following a serious bout of bronchitis last winter. There was hope early in the season that he'd recover in time to announce the All-Star game, but it wasn't meant to be. Fortunately, though, there's still hope that he could make an appearance at the team's final game at Yankee Stadium on September 21st. From Jim Baumbach of Newsday:

"The doctor is questioning my stamina," Sheppard said. Then he repeated the word stamina while slowly and carefully annunciating all three syllables. "Sta-min-a."

"In other words, can I leave my home in Baldwin at 4 o'clock in the afternoon and get home at midnight and not suffer any relapse?"

[...] So, really, the only thing Sheppard can do is wait and see. And there are other options. Sheppard said his backup Jim Hall, who has filled in for Sheppard all season, is willing to sit by his side during the final game. "And if I begin to get too tired, he would be my relief speaker, like a relief pitcher," he said.

That's a compromise I think every fan would be willing to accept. Sheppard is as ingrained in Yankee Stadium lore as Monument Park and the bleacher creature's role call. Just having him at that final game, in any capacity, only seems right.