The New York Yankees Ken Singleton has given so much to fans and TV viewers: Humility, grace, charm…and of course his amazing voice. Now, still, at the start of the end of his career, we get a chance to say a proper thank you, but never goodbye.
The New York Yankees have so many great announcers that the great Ken Singleton was not at first among my favorites.
Between David Cone’s punchy pronouncements filled with sabermetric facts and historical tidbits, and Paul O’Neill’s old school, shoot-from-the-lip emotional exuberance counterpoint, Ken’s deep voice did not immediately resonate with me.
That’s partially due to Michael Kay. Some New York Yankees fans find him to be the quickest, most erudite broadcaster on the air today, while others think he should take his caustic style to another town, and team; I am in the former camp.
So after hearing his syllabically-filled sentences and overtly wicked jabs, I foolishly found Ken’s more restrained and mature style a bit boring. We all make mistakes.
To be fair to me, some of this was because I was more familiar with the other three. I, like all New York Yankees fans, had spent the nineties and very early 2000’s watching Paulie and Coney win championships. And Kay often took me from his show to the game.
There Was No Google Then
And so I was least knowledgeable about Mr. Singleton, even though I started watching baseball in the mid-70’s. But I only ever watched the New York Yankees play and never checked stats. I barely knew who Ken Singleton was, or how great a player.
Matt Kelly over at MLB.com did such a great job synopsizing all the things I did not know then; it is only fair to present his fine work in total now:
A native of Mount Vernon, N.Y., just outside the Bronx, Singleton was the Mets’ No. 3 overall pick in the 1967 January Draft and went on to play 15 seasons in the Majors, 10 of those seasons with the Orioles. He placed in the top 10 in league Most Valuable Player voting four times, including a second-place finish to Don Baylor of the Angels in 1979 after hitting a career-high 35 home runs. Singleton was a three-time All-Star and led the Majors with a .425 on-base percentage in 1973 while with the Expos, who acquired him the year before in a trade that sent Rusty Staub to New York. Singleton finished his career with a .282/.388/.436 line and 246 career home runs. He helped the Orioles capture an American League pennant in ’79 and a World Series title in ’83.
I knew none of that when I started watching YES in 2006. And so I thought Ken Singleton was the least of a group that included the insightful and loquacious former New York Yankees pitcher Al Leiter, as well.
As I said, we all make mistakes.
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.
Yankees /
Lookout!
More than that, I found my new favorite pairing. Once I thought nothing could make me smile more than the high-spirited debates between Coney and Paulie, and their repeated reminders to Michael that he is in some ways lesser than.
But once I understood the understated greatness of Mr. Singleton, I was able to hear what he and Mr. Kay were doing together.
First is that real sense of warmth and camaraderie they bring. Their ages, experiences and equal intelligence makes them an almost perfect pairing. And their ease in banter and shared cultural references makes the listener feel he is settling into a very comfy chair.
And of course, there is their shared sense of humor. Ken is the master of dry wit and finds an equal interlocutor in Michael. Alone, with no half-witted, half-shouted humor to pander to, they let a series of understated but biting comments fall from their lips, dangling in the air almost daring the viewers to be as clever as they are.
There’s a part of their performance that says, “If you’re sharp enough, you get the jokes. If not, the joke’s on you.” Remember, Ken was always a great competitor.
Going, Going…
But now he is giving New York Yankees fans one last year of broadcast excellence.
And I thought now, during the season, the best time to type my goodbye. I know many did so at the time he announced his retirement in March, and I was tempted to do so then too. That I decided to wait was a personal reason, but I have found a wonderful added benefit.
In preparing to write, I read articles on the topic from a wide variety of sources. And of course, I read the comments from the fans. I found so much love and respect for Mr. Singleton that I decided to not only use some of the sentiments I found there to inform this article but some of the actual comments themselves.
And that’s because Ken Singleton has said goodbye to all of Yankees universe. And more of them should get to say goodbye to him.
So I will close this article with a series of sentiments expressed in articles from MLB.com, pinstripealley, riveravenueblues, and nj.com. And of course I will join them, and Michael Kay in hoping Ken Singleton changes his mind. It’s not too late to convince him how much worse we will all be without him.
Maybe he will change his mind during the season, but I doubt it. He’s a wonderful announcer, funny and smart and has a pleasant personality. Everyone loves him. It might be time to relax and not make those long trips all season.
Kenny, it has been a pleasure listening to your broadcast. Your Sunday afternoon broadcast voice (relax and enjoy the game and maybe a beverage) will truly be missed. Enjoy what life brings next.
Class act! What a voice! And a subtle sense of humor. Besides, a great ballplayer there for a stretch who brings that added wisdom to the booth, a-la- Coney and Leiter.
Personally will miss him, as will, surely, many Yankee fans. Who knows? Maybe Kay can convince him to stick around another year or two. Here’s hoping!
(Photo by Al Messerschmidt/Getty Images) /woodmaninssMar 12, 201 class=inline-text id=inline-text-6 8
Very professional announcer. All class. Singleton will be missed.
Mr. Singleton will go down as one of the most beloved Yankee announcers. How could you not enjoy listening to a game of him and Coney out on the west coast?
At times you know you should be sleeping and other times are halfway there, but then you hear LOOK OUT!!! and you too are alert again and wide awake. Then for another inning and a half, they school you on the game of baseball. Before too long the game is over. Much respect.
It’s great to see the outpouring of affection for Ken Singleton. He is all class and grace. He’s a pleasure to listen to in great part because he comes across as such a fine person. His insights into the game are always superb. And his playing day’s stories are both hilarious and a window into the human side of the game. Moreover, he’s evolved into a superb dramatic announcer bringing real excitement to the games he broadcasts. He’s been their best player-announcer since Bill White and the most beloved since Bobby Murcer.
And am sure I speak for many when I say, God bless you Mr. Singleton and may all your remaining dreams come true.
Love, love, love Ken Singleton as a broadcaster. Best in New York, in my opinion.
My mother, who is a fan in the sense that she’ll go to a game every few years and will occasionally stop and watch the game on TV if it’s a big game, loves Kenny because she saw him give apparently a very touching tribute to Bobby Murcer after he died.
Some years ago, Ken Singleton was the only announcer available for a Yankees game on YES. I don’t recall who was supposed to be the other announcer, or why that person was unavailable. Only two announcers had been scheduled to call the game, so Singleton was on his own. And, man, was he great! He handled the situation so that, if you weren’t paying close attention, you didn’t even realize he was the only announcer. He kept up a banter like there were two people in the booth … except he was the only one there.
Singleton is the best of a fine group. Knows the game as well as any hitter and has a strong knowledge of the history of the game, a sense of humor and voice quality that is easy on the ears. He is my favorite and will be missed.
My favorite announcer and he was one of my favorite non-Yankees when he played. He would have been more famous, but people didn’t focus on OBP until the tail end of his career.
Ken Singleton .282/.388/.436 (.824 OPS/132 OPS+) and 41.6 WAR HOF Kirby Puckett .318/.360/.477 (.837 OPS/124 OPS+) and 50.9 WAR HOF Jim Rice .298/.352/.502 (.854 OPS/128 OPS+) and 47.4 WAR
He is a New Yorker but didn’t play for the Yanks. Very intelligent observations, a class act as a player and an announcer, Hope he stays.
Rstones
He was a good one, much better to listen to than any of the others. His work with Bobby Mercer was the best. Hope he comes back for some home games.
TittleHuffPatton
His picture should be next to “class act” in the dictionary! He will be missed.
Maybe he will change his mind during the season, but I doubt it. He’s a wonderful announcer, funny and smart and has a pleasant personality. Everyone loves him. It might be time to relax and not make those long trips all season.
Ken is a real gentleman and a class act. Will be greatly missed…
NO, KENNY, NO!! I will not accept this either!!
I’ve loved his genuine and warm laughter in the booth. Truly a humble and talented guy on the field and in the booth.
Kenny, it has been a pleasure listening to your broadcast. Your Sunday afternoon broadcast voice (relax and enjoy the game and maybe a beverage) will truly be missed. Enjoy what life brings next.
Genuinely classy guy. Ken will be missed (but I hope he changes his mind!).
Class act! What a voice! And a subtle sense of humor. Besides, a great ballplayer there for a stretch who brings that added wisdom to the booth, a-la- Coney and Leiter.
Very professional announcer. All class. Singleton will be missed.
