The New York Yankees announced that legendary New York Yankees radio broadcaster John Sterling is retiring from the broadcast booth, effective immediately. Sterling, 85, will be honored on Saturday, April 20th in a pregame ceremony before the Yankees game against the Tampa Bay Rays.
The Yankees statement read: “Fans find a certain comfort in the daily rhythms of baseball. Day in and day out, season after season, and city after city, John Sterling used his seat in the broadcast booth to bring Yankees fans the heartbeat of the game, employing an orotund voice and colorful personality that were distinctly, unmistakably his own. John informed and entertained, and he exemplified what it means to be a New Yorker with an unapologetic and boisterous style that exuded his passion for baseball, broadcasting and the New York Yankees * There is no shortage of adjectives to describe John and what he means to this organization and our millions of fans around the world. But what makes John a goliath of the sports broadcasting world was how sacred he held his role as voice of the Yankees. Showing up to perform virtually every single day since 1989, he was a pillar for Yankees fans who relied on the comfort and familiarity of his voice to be the soundtrack of their spring, summer and fall. Given the tremendous care he had for the team and his performance on the air, it’s not a stretch to believe that our fans live and die with every pitch because John Sterling did the same * We congratulate John on a remarkable and illustrious career. His contributions to this great game and to the Yankees franchise will echo long into the future.”
Sterling made his final broadcast during the Yankees’ 8-3 win over the Toronto Blue Jays on April 7 in New York. Sterling shared in a statement: “I am a very blessed human being. I have been able to do what I wanted, broadcasting for 64 years. As a little boy growing up in New York as a Yankees fan, I was able to broadcast the Yankees for 36 years. It’s all to my benefit, and I leave very, very happy. I look forward to seeing everyone again on Saturday.”
Sterling, a NYC native, was best known for his enthusiastic, personalized home run calls. He started his broadcasting career in 1970 as the play-by-play announcer for the NBA’s Baltimore Bullets, and is in his 36th season as a Yankees broadcaster — overall, Sterling has been in the broadcasting industry for more than six decades. He has called more than 5,600 games, including 5,420 during the regular season and 211 playoff contests, which included a stretch of 5,060 consecutive games spanning from 1989 to 2019.
Editorial credit: Debby Wong / Shutterstock.com
