Remembering Bob Murphy

[seawolf17]

Two years ago today, we lost a legend.



The only time I've ever cried over a death of a non-family member... because Murph was part of our family. We'll always remember you, Murph.

[Guest KC]

[metirish]

Nice one Seawolf

[Guest cooby]

Bless his heart, I will never forget him.

[Elster88]

.....

[Guest ScarletKnight41]

I was in vacation in San Diego that day. I swear we drove by Qualcomm a/k/a Jack Murphy Stadium at the time that we lost him.

RIP Bob.

[HahnSolo]

]BEHIND THE BAG!!!!

That was Scully. You meant "GETS BY BUCKNER!!!!"

If you can ever get a hold of it, try and get a copy of Murph calling NLCS Game 6, from the 9th through 16th innings. I had a tape of highlights from that game that is now long lost. But Murph was unbelievable.

[Elster88]

Steve's got it a little below.

[Guest Iubitul]

Best damn broadcaster I ever listened to.

[Guest Edgy DC]

Speaking of Bob, it's Friday night at Shea tonight. I guess that means we get Ralph.

MLB.tv better not give me the Phillies pheed.

[Theoldmole]

Bob was always great. But it was when the Mets broke up their original triumvirate, and Bob switched to radio only, that I came to appreciate just how great he was.

[Benjamin Grimm]

Edgy DC wrote: Speaking of Bob, it's Friday night at Shea tonight. I guess that means we get Ralph. MLB.tv better not give me the Phillies pheed.

I know I'm doomed to listen to Phillie announcers tonight, because I'm in Phillie territory, and the feed on MLB Extra Innings will be blacked out.

I had to listen to Marlin announcers for all three games in Florida. I've gotten very little SNY for the last month or so, and I miss Gary and Keith and Ron. And Ralph on Fridays.

[stevejrogers]

]Now the pitch by Stanley...and a bouncing ball GETS BY BUCKNER! ROUNDING THIRD IS KNIGHT! THE METS WILL WIN THE BALL GAME, THE METS WIN! THEY WIN!

]He STRUCK HIM OUT! STRUCK HIM OUT! THE METS HAVE WON THE WORLD SERIES! And they are jamming and crowding all over Jesse Orosco, the dream has come true! The Mets have won it, Coming from behind to winnthe seventh ball game!

[Guest Johnny Dickshot]

It began:
Ground ball, trickling...

[Guest Edgy DC]

That's because Bob let the play develop. He gave you the factual report first and the emotional response after. Maybe he'd slightly underscore "deep fly ball." But he rarely let an emotional response deceive you.

That reserve is Scully's grace also.

[Benjamin Grimm]

The quote I remember best from that Game 6 was actually Scully's. (I was at the game, but when I got home that night I watched the tenth inning on videotape.)

"The Mets are not only alive; they are well!"

I didn't hear Murphy's call until years later.

[Guest old original jb]

As a little kid pitching an imaginary game against a target on a wall or a pitchback, sometimes you'd imagine the announcer doing the play-by-play. When the little kid was me, the announcer's voice was always that of Bob Murphy.

[stevejrogers]

One time I was in Shea's memorabillia office looking for a program with Edgardo Alfonzo on the cover, and as I was saying Edgardo's name I couldn't help but slip into a Bob Murphy style voice.

Alot of names just sound right when they came out of his mouth.

[Guest Rotblatt]

When I was a kid, before I was aware of who Bob Murphy was--or the Mets, really, aside from "they're better than the Yankees and Red Sox,"--my dad & his friends would do Murph impressions on just about any occasion when they got together--as a way of greeting, playing whiffleball, etc. I didn't really understand what they were doing, but I associated it with "fun." It wasn't until after college in Minnesota, forced to listen to games on the radio, that the lightning bulb flashed over my head. "THIS is the guy they were imitating!"

Over the next few years, I listened to Bob relay the goings on of many, many Mets games. I felt like I was getting to know a beloved and much-talked-about uncle whom I'd never been lucky enough to meet before.

I'm truely grateful I got that chance. RIP, Bob.

[metirish]

Was Bob mentioned during the game last night?, I don't recall if Gary said anything.

[Guest Iubitul]

="Yancy Street Gang"]The quote I remember best from that Game 6 was actually Scully's. (I was at the game, but when I got home that night I watched the tenth inning on videotape.) "The Mets are not only alive; they are well!"

Oh yeah. "If a picture paints a thousand words, then you have seen about a million of them"

[HahnSolo]

Names I loved hearing Murph say:

Mike Schmidt
Heathcliff Slocum
Benny DiStefano
Mike Kingery

I'm sure I can come up with others if I think some more.

One aspect about Murph's radio calls that bothered me was on fly balls that had a chance to leave the park. He'd often say "Maybe....Let's watch!" Well, Murph, if I'm listening to you I'm probably unavailable to watch

[Guest Edgy DC]

Names I loved hearing Murph say

David Arthur Kingman
James Rodney Richard
Felipe Alou
Steve Carlton
Whitey Herzog

[Benjamin Grimm]

Willie Mon-tan-yez!

[Guest Iubitul]

Yancy Street Gang wrote: Willie Mon-tan-yez!

Yancy - iubitul sim score goes up even higher....

[Guest cooby]

Little Al Downing

[Guest old original jb]

Yancy Street Gang wrote: Willie Mon-tan-yez!

I don't know why, but thinking of Bob Murphy saying "Willie Mon-tan-yez" made me think of the Shea Stadium announcer saying "John Boc-a-Bell-a". How's that for a shot of random?

[Guest ScarletKnight41]

="Iubitul"] ="Yancy Street Gang"]The quote I remember best from that Game 6 was actually Scully's. (I was at the game, but when I got home that night I watched the tenth inning on videotape.) "The Mets are not only alive; they are well!" Oh yeah. "If a picture paints a thousand words, then you have seen about a million of them"

That was definitely Scully.

In fact, I saw/heard the play this evening. D-Dad and I were out and The Best Damn Sports Show on Television had its 50 most memorable moments show. The ball through Buckner's legs was #2 (the touchdown with the laterals through the USC marchin band was #1). Scully was great.

[Theoldmole]

I always liked his mispronounced sponsor, "Nobody beats the Whiz."

And that he took pride in always using correct grammar on the air,

[Theoldmole]

The Mets win! They win the damn thing!"