John Sterling Dies at 87, Radio Icon Was Voice of Yankees for Parts of 36 Seasons
Legendary New York Yankees announcer John Sterling died Monday at the age of 87.
Sterling first joined the Yankees booth in 1989 and was a fixture there until his retirement in 2024. He called 5,631 total games, maintaining a streak of 5,060 consecutive appearances until illness forced him to miss a series in July 2019.
Sterling's legend grew thanks to his tenure overlapping with the Yankees' dynastic run in the late 1990s. The Bronx Bombers won four World Series titles over a five-year span from 1996-2000 and captured another in 2009.
"He's synonymous with those five championships," broadcaster Michael Kay said when Sterling retired. "If you're coming into people's homes, at the beach, the pool or their car, and you're constantly telling them good news—it made him part of the Yankee firmament. He became a part of forever, because those championships are never going to go away."
Even leaving the team's success aside, Sterling's singular style set him apart. Christening each victory with an exaggerated "theeeee Yankees win" was his most notable signature. He also tailored a lot of his home run calls for individual players.
Prior to working Yankees games, Sterling also had stints in the booth for the New Jersey Nets, New York Islanders, Atlanta Braves and Atlanta Hawks.
The New York City native was a two-time nominee of the Ford C. Frick Award, which the Baseball Hall of Fame uses to honor one prominent broadcaster in the game each year.
