John Sterling Announces Retirement from Yankees Booth
John Sterling is a man whose legacy is larger than life.
The John Sterling Legacy
The voice of New York Yankees baseball for the past 36 seasons, he has become as synonymous with New York City and Yankees baseball as any broadcaster in the field. When you think of the Yankees, you can hear Sterling’s ever-familiar call after each Yankee victory, “Yankees Win! DAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA Yankees Win!”
On Monday afternoon, the man known for unique home run calls, John Sterling officially hung up his headset for good at the age of 86. After 64 years in the business.
Sterling’s career in sports broadcasting wasn’t just limited to the Yankees. His career started in Baltimore as the voice of the Baltimore Bullets basketball team in 1970. He would go on to call all four major sports, coming back up to New York City to call games for the New York Islanders and New Jersey Nets.
As much as people remember Sterling for home run calls like “Robby Cano, don’t ya know,” and “the Bam-Tino,” he was known for shouting “Islanders Goal! Islanders Goal!” after every goal by the Islanders during his days on the mic.
Finally in the years prior to his joining the Yankees booth in 1989, Sterling was the voice of the Atlanta Braves for six seasons (1982-87) and Atlanta Hawks for eight seasons (1981-89).
Throughout his career as lead voice of the Yankees, Sterling had a front-row seat to arguably one of the greatest dynasties in Yankees history from 1996-2009, calling seven World Series, including five championships in 1996, 1998, 1999, 2000, and 2009.
My entire generation grew up listening to Sterling call Yankees games. He, like his former radio partner for so many of those Yankees World Series wins, Michael Kay, will always be the voice of Yankees baseball. He will be impossible to replace.
Best of luck to a happy retirement, John.
