Legendary Yankees radio voice John Sterling announces retirement
John Sterling, the legendary radio voice of the Yankees for over three decades, has announced his retirement and will be honored by the team on Saturday.
"I am a very blessed human being. I have been able to do what I wanted, broadcasting for 64 years," Sterling said in a statement. "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."
The Yankees also released the following team statement:
"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, 85, reduced the number of games he called in 2022, often not traveling on the road with the team.
Known for his elaborate home run calls, Sterling was the voice behind the Yankees’ dynasty run, calling the triumphant final outs of the World Series in 1996, 1998-2000, and 2009.
WFAN had already cut back the number of road games Sterling was going to call this year. It’s expected that Justin Shackil and Emmanuel Berbari, both of whom have already been filling in for Sterling, will take over as his replacement alongside Suzyn Waldman.
Sterling has called 5,420 regular season Yankees games and 211 postseason Yankees games.
