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Thursday, Sept. 25, 2003 - 10:35 p.m.

The voice of summer in New York

It's something I've never done, but I've seen dozens of people do it over the years, particularly at the ballpark, at Shea Stadium.

I brought the radio out into the living room, found the Mets game and muted the TV. People do it at the ballpark for the extra info listening to the game on the radio can provide. They do it at home because they prefer the call of the radio to the often idiotic ramblings of the television announcers. But tonight, I did it because it was Bob Murphy's last night announcing the Mets.

Murph has been with the team every year since its inception in 1962. Eight years before that, he called games in Boston and Baltimore.

I've grown up with his smooth, deep voice. He's one of the best in the game, and it's more than Mets fans who think so: he's in the broadcasters' wing of the Hall of Fame. I've grown familiar with his voice on hot summer days, and when I'd turn to 660 AM on a weekday in March and hear him relaying an exhibition game from warm, sunny Florida, springtime didn't seem so far away.

In the past few years, however, Murph's age and his health have forced him to cut back on his duties. He's cut back on road trips until, this year, he only made it into the booth when the Mets were at home.

A few weeks ago he announced his retirement, and the Mets chose tonight to honor him with pregame festivities. I spent most of the game watching Survivor and CSI, but I've settled in for the ninth inning of a game the Mets are losing 3-1 to the Pirates. Bob sounds as clear and smooth as he ever has. None of the long silences or the coughing fits that have dotted his broadcasts in recent years. The picture he paints with his voice is as clear as those shown on my television. The radio feed is a few seconds ahead of that on the screen, so that I hear a strike called, or a line drive hit before I see it on TV.

And now, for the final batter, Fox Sports Net New York has brought in the feed from WFAN, allowing Bob to be the last play-by-play voice any Mets fan hears tonight. It's a groundout to the right side, the second baseman fields it and throws over to first. The Mets go in order in the ninth and lose their home finale 3-1.

On TV and on the radio, Bob Murphy runs down the final inning, checks off the last few batters on his scorecard, and throws it to commercial with his catchphrase, albeit one word short: "We'll be back with the recap in just a moment."

It's a shame Bob didn't get a happy recap on his final night.

"I'll say goodbye now to everybody out there. Stay well, wherever you may be. And God bless you."

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