BRONX, NY: The bottom of the ninth inning is here for longtime broadcaster of the New York Yankees, John Sterling, who officially retired yesterday, per Bryan Hoch of MLB.com.
It was first reported that legendary Yankees broadcaster John Sterling was expected to hold a press conference Saturday with retirement a strong possibility, per Andrew Marchand of The Athletic. Just moments later, the Yankees announced that Sterling would retire, effective immediately.
Trying to cover John Sterling’s career in one piece is going to be almost impossible in itself, but the impact he left on the game of baseball is triumphant.
Sterling started his broadcasting career 64 years ago. He then found his way broadcasting for his favorite team growing up 30 years later.
"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."
John Sterling will be recognized in a pregame press conference on Saturday. Sterling will visit the WFAN radio broadcast booth during the game.
The Yankees released a statement regarding Sterling..
"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 has left an impact on every single Yankee fan, as well as some of the players. Aaron Judge, Aaron Boone, and Derek Jeter had some words for the retiring broadcaster..
Judge: "We'll be sitting on the bus & we trade for somebody new or it's somebody's first game, we'd always go back & forth, 'Hey, what's John going to come up with this time?'"
Boone: "His voice is legendary. His calls have been legendary. ... I'm bummed out and sad about it, but certainly just want him to be in a good spot and healthy moving forward. I know this is the right time and the best thing for John."
Jeter: Congrats to John Sterling on an amazing career. I've had the pleasure of listening to and working with John for decades. He is a major part of Yankee history and will be greatly missed.
One of the closest people to John was co-broadcaster Suzyn Waldman who had this to say..
"Nothing will ever be the same. It can't be. Life goes on and we all go on but nothing else will be the same."
John reached many milestones in his career including calling a total of 5,420 regular season games and 211 postseason games. John was inducted into the New York State Broadcasters Hall of Fame in 2016 and is a 12-time Emmy winner while hosting “Yankeeography”.
Many wondered if John’s retirement had to do with health concerns. Michael Kay was sure to report that isn't retiring for health reasons, he just thought it was time. Sterling will be turning 86 on July 4.
As Yankees baseball goes on without John, it is important to remember one of the most iconic voices in the game of baseball. His last game called came on April 7, 2024 when Dennis Santana struck out Cavan Biggio. The game ended in a 8-3 Yankees victory over the Blue Jays. We were honored to hear “Theeeee Yankees Win!” one last time.