1961 New York Yankees Broadcasters

"The New York Yankees are big news summer and winter, spring and fall. The Yankees are covered daily from coast to coast ... on TV and radio, in the newsreels, by magazines and press services ... and, of course, in the daily metropolitan press in Greater New York City. Yankee games are broadcast daily, are televised frequently in the club's drawing area, and sent out on the CBS Game of the Week telecast from the Stadium most Saturdays and Sundays. Words ... millions of them ... are filed and spoken daily about the game's most renowned team."

-The New York Yankees Official 1961 Yearbook

WRITERS
Arthur Daley (New York Times, columnist)
Dan Daniel (New York World-Telegram and Sun)
Joe Dietz (Newark Star-Ledger, sports editor and columnist)
John Drebinger (New York Times)
Til Ferdenzi (New York Journal American)
Hy Goldberg (New York News)
Milt Gross (New York Post, columnist)
Jack Hand (Associated Press)
Tommy Holmes (New York Herald Tribune)
Steve Jacobson (Newsday)
Jack Lang (Long Island Press and Star-Journal)
Jim Ogle (Newark Star-Ledger)
Dan Parker (New York Mirror, sports editor and columnist)
Len Schecter (New York Post)
Ken Smith (New York Mirror)
Joe Trimble (New York Daily News)

-The New York Yankees Official 1961 Yearbook


BROADCASTERS
"Virtually every baseball fan knows [them] ... the outstanding announcing team of the Yankees. Mel Allen long has been known as the Voice of the Yankees, having aired Yankee games among other top sports attractions for more than 20 years. Red Barber has had a distinguished sports broadcasting career dating back more than a quarter of a century. Phil Rizzuto won his fame as the Scooter, the great Yankee shortstop of the '40s and early '50s, and now he's winning popularity as a sportscaster."

-The New York Yankees Official 1961 Yearbook

MEL ALLEN (WPIX, WCBS)
"Hello there, everybody, this is Mel Allen." That introduction is one of the most familiar in the world of sports.
Yankee fans always want to hear what Mel has to say- the Yankees making an inning-ending double play or some Pinstriped hero driving in the winning run in the ninth. The Voice of the Yankees is like an old friend- with a sad recollection of Lou Gehrig's final days as a Yankee or an awe-inspiring story of DiMaggio's hitting streak or one of Mantle's most towering home runs. Mel's on-air narration of a Yankee game is as much as part of the New York scene as the Empire State Building or a Broadway show.


RED BARBER (WPIX, WCBS)
Red Barber is a man who tells it like it is, no matter what.
In 1939, he broadcast the first major league game shown on television. The Ol' Redhead has also broadcast the NFL Championship Game, the Army-Navy Game and the Orange Bowl.
Hired by the Yankees away from Dodgers in 1954, the legendary broadcaster is known throughout baseball for his fairness. And when following a long fly ball, Red watches the outfielder, not the ball, and always makes the right call.


PHIL RIZZUTO (WPIX, WCBS)
The all-time Yankee shortstop has been covering the club on radio and television since 1957.  Playing for the Yankees from 1941-56, with three years of military service in World War II, Phil was the American League's Most Valuable Player in 1950.

"Phil's spirited play and hustle earned him the M.V.P. award in 1950. The Yankee Scooter, who was once turned down by the Dodgers and Giants as being too small, hit a solid .324."

-1961 Topps No. 471