“The Voice of the Tigers” Bob Smith to Retire

“The Voice of the Tigers” Bob Smith to Retire

by Larry E. Slaughterbeck

At the end of the 2016/2017 athletic seasons , North Baltimore’s public address announcer, Bob Smith is retiring after 32 years as the “Voice of the Tigers”.

Bob’s career began co-announcing the Cooperstown “Over 30” softball league that began in the 1970’s and ran for approximately eight years. In 1984, Gwen Mauk, NB’s athletic director, asked Bob if he would be the public address announcer for football to replace her husband, Bruce Mauk,  as his work required him to be in Indiana. Bob’s baritone voice has been a part of NB’s landscape ever since.

In 1986 Bob began announcing for the high school basketball games taking over for Rick Utz who was hired as the head basketball coach. Bob was the primary announcer for the “Good Ole Summertime Festival” for many years.   If there was a microphone; there’s a good chance Bob was behind it.  Bob being a musician and  choir director enjoyed announcing the band shows at halftime of the football games. He was also a part of Homecoming Courts, Hall of Fame Inductions and other events.
Bob said: “I set three goals after hearing many announcers, both good and bad.  Number One: announce in as professional manner as possible, keeping listeners aware of calls and plays happening on field or court.  Number Two: Try to announce all names, on both teams, with correct pronunciations by visiting with both coaching staffs   prior to the games. Number Three: Try to announce with as little bias as possible toward either team.” Bob said the “last one was a tough one.”

Beryl Hemminger, former athletic director, football and track coach,   said it best about Bob when he wrote in 1991:  “Over the past 25 years or so I have attended a number of games in all sports, and at all levels.  In all that time, I don’t remember many announcers who did a better job than Bob Smith have done for us at North Baltimore.  I KNOW no one at the high school level is any better…I am impressed.”

Bob would like to thank all those who supported him, the athletic directors, coaches, students, parents and fans from NB and other schools. He appreciated your kind words, and GO TIGERS!

And we say: “A JOB WELL DONE!”