More than 1000 individuals including Cardinal John O'Connor, family members, colleagues and fans attended a moving interfaith memorial tribute to legendary sports broadcaster Mel Allen.  Held at St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York, the service was sponsored by the CCJU and was open to the public. Allen, who died on June 16, 1996, at age 83, was known as "The Voice of the Yankees."  He provided radio and television play-by-play announcing for over 25 years (1939-1964).

During his tenure, he announced 19 World Championships and 24 All-Star Games. Some of Allen's sayings, like "How about that!" and "That ball is going, going, gone!" have become a standard part of baseball jargon.


"Mel was an ambassador of good will long before the word ecumenism entered our vocabulary," said Rabbi Joseph H. Ehrenkranz, Executive Director of the CCJU, who noted how Allen often traveled to the Vatican to meet with seminarians and brought along tapes of World Series games (which he had narrated) for the students.

Cardinal John O'Connor recalled how Allen had always referred to St. Patrick's as the "Yankee Stadium of all churches" and that he was "a decent man" who "had good things to say about everybody."

Sacred Heart President Anthony J. Cernera, Ph.D.,  also praised Allen, saying he was everything the CCJU stands for.  "I cannot think of a more wonderful, symbolic expression of what our Center for Christian-Jewish Understanding is trying to do:  Jews and Christians gathered together in a Catholic cathedral to honor a great Jewish American," he said.  "In the spirit of people like Mel Allen, I hope that we will recommit ourselves to taking that understanding [between the two faiths] even further."

Yankee Hall of Famers Yogi Berra and Phil Rizzuto, and Allen's former broadcast partner, Curt Gowdy, joined members of the Allen family at the cathedral.  Gowdy called Allen "a giant" in sportscasting and "one of the most decent men you'll ever meet."

Additional tributes were delivered by sportscaster Marty Glickman and New York Yankees Vice President Arthur Richman, Glickman, a former New York Knicks announcer, said, "I respected Mel's ability to appreciate the other guy, the opposition.  He was a baseball fan first, a sports fan-and a sports fan is one who believes in fair play and  good sportsmanship."

Rabbi Ehrenkranz served as chair for the tribute.   Committee members included Louis O. Schwartz, president of the American Sportscasters Association; NBC sportscaster Dick Enberg, Yankee legend Yogi Berra, and legendary boxing announcer and ASA Hall-of-famer Don Dunphy.

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