Yankees announcer Ken Singleton and a farewell tour for class

The Atticus Finch Award

But it wasn’t long before I began to warm to the man who brings so much warmth to the broadcast booth. Soon I saw how he married his old-school toughness with kindness and understanding.

And I soon learned that Mr. Singleton knows that the word, gentleman, starts with, gentle.

It was hard at first to appreciate his humble, self-effacing style. But on those West Coast trips, when it was just he and Ryan Rucco, listeners like me were able to hear his firm, clear but soft and subtle tones peppered with pointed comments come through. And what we heard was the best kind of tough love.

In an era when players collectively bargain for clubhouse chefs, Mr. Singleton remains a bulwark against allowing the trappings of being a major league player interfere with playing the game hard. And respecting what it means to put on an MLB uniform.

A Thundering Velvet Hand

Hurt in Spring Training? Ken will remind you that his coaches told him you can’t win a job in the trainer’s room. Players getting hurt at second base? Don’t change the rule, change how well the players play the game.

But never losing his supple mind, he would always through in a softener to the old school rule to try to blend back then with right now.

You can almost see him in his role of father or grandfather. A child is hurt and crying. But dad or grandpa picks her up and dusts her off, hugs her and looks at her with that wonderfully pleasant and reassuring smile, and tells her to get back out there.

But while I might have missed those attributes early on, it was his voice that led me home.

One day I realized that his not-too-deep baritone, calming and rhythmic that rises in power and pitch with every exciting hit and home run was carrying me through the monotonous moments and lifting me up in the joyous ones.

I had found a new favorite.