Jim Hall (May 30, 1933 – June 12, 2017) was the public address announcer for

New York Giants The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. ...

football games at

MetLife Stadium MetLife Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium at the Meadowlands Sports Complex in East Rutherford, New Jersey, 5 mi (8 km) west of New York City. Opened in 2010 to replace Giants Stadium, it serves as the home for the New York Giants an ...

, located in

East Rutherford East Rutherford is a borough in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2020 U.S. census, the borough's population was 10,022, reflecting an increase of 1,109 (+12.4%) from the 8,913 counted in the 2010 census.

New Jersey New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...

Career

Hall served as spotter and understudy to legendary

New York Yankees The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Amer ...

and Giants PA announcer

Bob Sheppard Robert Leo Sheppard (October 20, 1910 – July 11, 2010) was the long-time public address announcer for numerous New York area college and professional sports teams, in particular the New York Yankees of Major League Baseball (1951–2007), a ...

from the opening of

Giants Stadium Giants Stadium (sometimes referred to as Giants Stadium at the Meadowlands or The Swamp) was a stadium located in East Rutherford, New Jersey, in the Meadowlands Sports Complex. The venue was open from 1976 to 2010, and it primarily hosted sp ...

in 1976 until the beginning of the 2006 season, when he replaced the retiring Sheppard as principal announcer. He held that position until the end of the 2015 season. Hall met Sheppard when he was in high school, as Sheppard would judge Hall in speech and debate events. Hall, like Sheppard, taught in high school and at St. John’s University, where he became the chairman of the Department of Speech, Communication and Theater for twelve years out of a forty-five year tenure, before retiring in 2004. Hall also served as Sheppard's understudy at

Yankee Stadium Yankee Stadium is a baseball stadium located in the Bronx, New York City. It is the home field of the New York Yankees of Major League Baseball, and New York City FC of Major League Soccer. Opened in April 2009, the stadium replaced the origi ...

for many years, beginning in the mid-1960s. He filled in for Sheppard for the 2007 postseason when Sheppard developed bronchitis. For the entire 2008 season, Hall served as the Yankees PA Announcer for their final season at Yankee Stadium, as Sheppard was never able to return. In his one full season as the Yankees PA Announcer, Hall got to call the

2008 MLB All-Star Game The 2008 Major League Baseball All-Star Game was the 79th Major League Baseball All-Star Game, midseason exhibition between the all-star game, all-stars of the American League (AL) and the National League (NL), the two leagues comprising Major Le ...

and the Yankees last game at Yankee Stadium.

Paul Olden Paul Olden (born 1954) is the current public address announcer for the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium. He has been the announcer since the Yankees moved to their new ballpark in 2009. Early life and career Born in Chicago, Olden moved with his ...

took over as the full-time Yankee Stadium announcer when the Yankees moved to their new ballpark in 2009. Hall's voice was quite similar to Bob Sheppard's. When he filled in for Sheppard, visiting teams and media often did not know that Sheppard was not announcing. This was purposeful, as Hall has said Sheppard asked him to speak in his same style and cadence so as not to distract the fans.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hall, Jim New York Yankees personnel New York Giants personnel St. John's University (New York City) alumni Living people National Football League public address announcers Major League Baseball public address announcers 1933 births