I Wonder What Mel Allen Would Have Said About Jeter Last Night?


I Wonder What Mel Allen Would Have Said About Jeter Last Night?

In one of the most surreal and remarkable farewells in Yankee history, leave it to Derek Jeter to deliver the dramatic game-winning hit in the Yankees’ 6-5 triumph over the Baltimore Orioles, just minutes after the Yankees had blown a 3-run lead.

As the longtime voice of the Yankees, it would be interesting to know what Mel Allen would have had to say, but here is a little known story about a conversation he once had with Lou Gehrig that may give us some insight. This will put a lump in your throat.

Allen once recounted an event that occurred during his first full season as the announcer of the Yankees. Lou Gehrig had been forced to retire the previous year due to what would be a fatal illness. Speaking with Allen in the team’s dugout, Gehrig told him “Mel, I never got a chance to listen to your games before, because I was playing every day. But I want you to know they’re the only thing that keeps me going.” Allen waited until Gehrig left, then broke into tears. Enjoy and share! -Bobby Ellerbee

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7 Comments

  1. Jack Gallagher September 27, 2014

    “How about that!”

  2. Dennis Degan September 26, 2014

    I know exactly what Mel Allen would have said. He’d have said “How ’bout that?” 😉

  3. John Coleman September 26, 2014

    I know what he’d say: “How about that!”

  4. Kevin Vahey September 26, 2014

    Here are the play by play call of:
    Michael Kay (YES Network)
    John Sterling (WFAN radio)
    Bob Costas (MLB Network)
    Gary Thorne (MASN Baltimore)

    http://m.mlb.com/video/topic/11493214/v36608583/must-c-captain-jeter-scripts-one-last-bronx-memory#

  5. Patrick Sweeney September 26, 2014

    Of course, he would have said, “How about that!”

  6. Eyes Of A Generation.com September 26, 2014

    How’s this for rare? This the last time the Yankees dugout board will ever have the name Derek Jeter on it. Thanks to Ray McDonough for sharing this.

  7. James Stanley Barr September 26, 2014

    I always liked him on “This Week in Baseball” when I was a kid. One of the greats.