"And now for the happy recap."

Bob Murphy, the voice of the Mets since the franchise started in 1962, is dead at 79.

His geniality seldom faded, but one day in the early 1990's he showed, what was for him, nearly blasphemous frustration at the end of a game against the Philadelphia Phillies. The Mets were leading by 10-3 in the ninth and the Phillies scored six runs without a sharply hit ball.

"Line drive - caught!" he said, relieved. "The game's over. The Mets win it. A line drive to Mario Diaz. They win the damned thing!"