BRONX, NY — Paul Olden arrived at Yankee Stadium Friday evening two hours prior to the anticipated first game of the Subway Series. The Yankees and Mets annual rivalry had more drama this time with the return of Juan Soto in Mets colors after crossing town and securing a 15-year/$765 million contract.
Olden took his usual ride and walked to the ballpark, public transit from downtown Brooklyn, either the 4 or A train. Then a 20-minute walk to admire scenery and stretch out his legs for a long night ahead. He arrives and heads to a booth adjacent to the media row and quickly gets to work.
Paul Olden takes his usual ride and walk to the ballpark for each Yankee home game – Image Credit: Latino Sports
The New York Yankees’ public address announcer quickly has the lineup cards. A microphone swings in position, an enthused crowd filing into their seats are ready to hear his golden voice. Olden is the voice of Yankee Stadium, has been for 17 years and succeeded the late Bob Sheppard, a legendary voice who had a style that can’t be duplicated.
Fans will always say Sheppard will be the voice of Yankee Stadium, the old one that once sat across the street and the new since 2009. Special occasions such as annual Old Timers Day festivities and the recorded voice of Sheppard is heard “Welcome to Yankee Stadium.” And when Derek Jeter returns to his old stomping grounds it’s “Number Two, Derek Jeter.”
“Have a photo of Bob on my desk,” says Olden, the 71-year old born in Chicago and raised in Los Angeles, though always an admirer of the Yankees.
“See his face everyday when I’m there. Make sure, has a little plastic frame and has notations when he started in ‘51 and ended in ‘97. Shows him at the mic, so I see him every day. Gentle reminder of doing the job professionally every day, not taking it for granted.”
Paul Olden doing what he enjoys most in the booth – Image Credit: Bill Menzel/Latino Sports
It has been a privilege to assume the role, now the voice of Yankee Stadium. His offseason home is St, Petersburg, Fla. and that also enables him to be in proximity of the Yankees’ spring training complex across the bridge in Tampa. At “The Boss” George Steinbernner Field, Olden is the PA announcer for spring training ball games. He ventures back to New York in late December and returns to the booth for the Pinstripe Bowl, an annual and big time football game. During his down time, it’s reading, traveling, and watching YouTube instructional videos.
But he keeps the voice sharp and develops a certain tone when “Number Ninety Nine” Aaron Judge is announced. That for sure has become an equivalent to the Sheppard announcement of Jeter, though Olden is not one to duplicate or compare.
“I really don’t think about preparing for the season other than keeping your voice in good shape,” he says. “Read aloud everyday. I read aloud to keep my voice in condition. Enjoy watching MLB baseball games every day. That’s pretty motivating right there. You run into a lot of people unhappy with their profession but after you get through a certain point you believe what are you doing and supposed to be doing.”
And he enjoys the comradery, working with friendly and professional staff at Yankee Stadium. The immense scoreboard operations personnel that work hand-in-hand with him to assure his voice and announcements are correct. He socializes and greets the media dining room staff, others that make Yankee Stadium a special place to work and visit.
On the Judge introduction he says, “He developed and the development started really fast when he was a rookie. I like it, look at bringing the crowd if any drifted away from the game. It gets people’s attention… Number 99, you don’t want to be a carnival barker or screamer. This is not an ordinary moment here. It’s a must see, must pay attention of baseball because you do not know what he’s gonna do.”
And Judge, the reigning two-time American League Most Valuable Player is paying attention along with 43,000 or more Yankees fans that have set attendance records in the Bronx. Recently, when asked prior to a Yankees home game near the dugout area, Judge said the Paul Olden at-bat introduction “caught my attention the first time and hope he does it here a long time.” You can’t get a better compliment, coming from the Yankees captain who could be the best player on the planet.
Paul Olden’s voice and Aaron Judge will forever be connected at Yankee Stadium – Image Credit: Bill Menzel/Latino Sports
However all of the accolades don’t change the persona of Olden. Many will tell you he is the best person on the planet, kind and also a credit to his craft. Though most fans have never met him they have become accustomed to the golden voice.
“I think the curiosity about life and about people,” Olden says. “Makes it easy to be friendly with other people when your goal is not to talk about yourself. If I can get people to talk about themselves I don’t have to.”
He does have a history heard on the air in New York, a career of anchoring sports reports on PIX 11 newscasts, public address announcer and one-time play-by-play talent for NY Jets football. And noted. Olden was the official PA announcer for the NFL Super Bowl, (12 consecutive years) prior to the league going in another direction from their simple approach at the big game.
“I would like to think then the PA job was really full bodied at that time we were still introducing individual players and starting lineups,” he says. “It’s a big production, was more simplified. So I had a good 12-year run happy with my legacy.”
Each time Aaron Judge comes up to the plate in the Bronx, you’ll hear Paul Olden’s voice in the stadium – Image Credit: Bill Menzel/Latino Sports
A legacy that also says something about a new found hobby and passion for photography. Olden will quickly reveal a Cannon Lumix and capture the moment. Scenes of fans at the ballpark, players sliding into the plate from his perch up in the booth, images of New York City, and flower beds with color.
“Interested in photographing mostly anything, basically I see what it looks like make it interesting,” he says. “Spur of the moment capture of images. Try to do more portrait work. Did a lot of portraits of dogs for years. Preparing myself for probably what I will be doing when I leave the Yankees in a few years. Just something I think I would be good at and interested in. I only work 110 days a year.”
He hopes PA announcing does not become obsolete and in this era of technology, with stadiums and venues gearing more to loud sound effects also fewer live organ players, you sense a new trend has arrived and more often.
“There are some things you can’t pre record,” Olden says. He continues to use that golden voice with a regular Yankee Stadium 7th inning introduction rendition of God Bless America. Olden also stands up and salutes America in the booth.
Paul Olden is also the voice of Yankee Stadium’s 7th inning introduction rendition for God Bless America – Image Credit: Latino Sports
And the Yankees have gone the traditional route. They still consider Sheppard the original voice, and Olden has carried the tradition. Until they say no more, he intends to stay in his booth. Sheppard has a plaque in Monument Park along with other Yankees greats in the outfield enclosed area. Perhaps one day he will get that similar recognition.
He says about that with a smile, “I’m only in year 17, he did 57.”
Rich Mancuso is a senior writer and contributor at LatinoSports.com – X: @Ring786, Facebook.com/Rich Mancuso
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