Monday, January 7, 2008

About Steve Palermo

Maybe you don't know his name but you know his voice. He brings a particular and special touch to the game. He is the real voice behind the "HE'SSSS OUT!" and the "STTTTT-RIKE!!!!" vocal sounds. His name is Steve Pamerlo and he was a real Major League Baseball umpire, from end 70's to late 80's in the American League.

« His career highlights also include umpiring two of the most famous games in New York Yankees history. In 1978, he worked the Yankees one-game playoff against the Boston Red Sox in Fenway Park to determine the AL's Eastern Division winner. Palermo, serving as the third base umpire, signaled "fair ball" when Bucky Dent hit the game-winning home run. On July 4, 1983, Palermo worked behind the plate for Dave Righetti's no-hitter against the Red Sox at Yankee Stadium.

On July 7, 1991, he and several friends were dining after a Texas Rangers game when they were alerted that two waitresses were being mugged in the parking lot. In an attempt to apprehend the assailants, he suffered a bullet wound to his spinal cord, resulting in instant paraplegia. It seemed that Palermo's umpiring career might have ended as doctors told Palermo and his wife, Debbie, that he would probably never walk again. Through rehabilitation and a lot of determination, however, Palermo managed to recover, walking with the use of one small leg brace and a cane. »

One particular thing we can say about this Ken Griffey Jr's baseball game is that Steve Pamerlo's voice is really unforgeable. Everyone who played this game remember those voice's sounds. Just play the sample stand-alone and some people who hasn't played this game in years will recognize the voice like "Hey, where the fuck I already heard that?" Then, put the game on, haha. Here is what the official instruction booklet who came with the game says about Steve :
«The voice you hear in Ken Griffey Jr. Presents: Major League Baseballbelongs to American League Umpire Steve Palermo. Since breaking into the league in 1977, Steve has received many accolades and been involved in hundreds of big games. Throughout his career, Steve has appeared in 5 American League Championship Series (1980, 1981, 1982, 1984, 1989), 1 All-Star Game (1986), and 1 World Series (1983). Other historical events include the 1978 playoff between the Red Sox and the Yankees featuring Bucky Dent's unlikely, but timely, home run and working home plate during Dave Righetti's no-hitter in 1983.»
Pretty strange to say, but the White House's homepage has a official Steve Palermo biography because he is the White House Tee-Ball Commissioner. (????) (I thought that Tee Ball was for little kids before playing baseball with a pincher who throw a ball instead of putting it on a stick.) (After reading a bit on this, I found out that it's a special Tee Ball game where all the kids who is playing has permanent injuries like Pamerlo himself.)


Random links I found about the man :
Wikipedia's page
White House's bio page
Midamericangames.com
Answers/Questions on Pamerlo
Autographed Sports Illustrated


Always follow your dreams because it is possible that it can become a reality.” -Steve Palermo













P.S. I really like the quote line on that cover. I'm a Star Wars fan by the way.

4 comments:

KmU said...

arent you going to update this?

Anonymous said...

Would you happen to know the man behind the voice of the "Aw, C'mon!" strikeout reaction? I would like to know, seeing as I strike out all the goddamn time.

braincras said...

I think this is the same guy since the official game's Booklet says "the voice you hear". I mean, all the vocals samples seems to be done by Steve Palermo.

dfrey said...

it's actually Steve Buschemi. Yes, you heard that right. youtube it