Legendary New York Yankees radio voice John Sterling is retiring effective immediately, the team announced in a statement on Monday.
Sterling, 85, is reportedly retiring due to health concerns, per The Athletic. He said in an interview with the outlet last month that he was “near the end” of his career, though he didn’t give a timetable.
Sterling will be honored by the Yankees on Saturday during a ceremony at Yankee Stadium amid their series with the Tampa Bay Rays.
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“I am a very blessed human being,” Sterling said in a statement. “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.”
WFAN, the station where Sterling’s signature calls like “Theeeeeee Yankees win” after each victory has been heard, also released a statement.
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“Yankees radio will never quite sound the same without the signature voice, wit and humor of John Sterling,” WFAN said. “To generations of Bronx Bombers fans, he was a beloved companion that when you heard John, you knew it was time for baseball. Though he never wore the pinstripes, except of course for his fine tailored suits, he was one of the most colorful personalities in Yankees history and in all of New York City radio. All of us at WFAN tip our cap and salute our colleague and friend on a truly iconic career.”
The New York Post reported that Sterling was given a chance to work in a reduced role, but as he said, he’s happy walking away for good. Sterling had a reduced role already in recent seasons, as his health concerns didn’t allow as much travel during the 162-game regular season.
“Fans find a certain comfort in the daily rhythms of baseball,” the Yankees wrote in a statement. “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.”
Since 1989, Sterling has been gracing the New York airwaves as the voice of the Yankees, and that has included the multiple World Series titles.
“It is high, it is far, it is gone!” is something Yankees fans have heard for decades, and Sterling usually followed it up with specific calls for each player, including, “It’s an A-bomb from A-Rod” for Alex Rodriguez and “Here comes the Judge!” for Aaron Judge.
“There is no shortage of adjectives to describe John and what he means to this organization and our millions of fans around the world,” the Yankees’ statement continued. “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.”
Justin Shackil and Emmanuel Berbari are the expected replacements for Sterling on WFAN.
