New York Yankees and MLB Honor John Sterling After Passing

There are certain announcers who serve as the soundtrack for fans over a long period of time in a given sport. While radio play by play announcers aren’t always as well known as their television counterparts, New York Yankees radio play by play man John Sterling was an exception.

His enthusiasm, creativity and passion for the team he covered was apparent during over 5,600 hundred games he called over his career.

Sterling passed away in early May, but memories of his calls and impact were shared throughout the Yankees family and through Major League Baseball in general.

The Yankees mourn the loss of legendary broadcaster John Sterling. Our thoughts are with John’s family, friends and loved ones at this time. pic.twitter.com/1rCeRC1D61

— New York Yankees (@Yankees) May 4, 2026

“I don’t even know if they know what I’m doing,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. “But as soon as the final out is made and I get up to shake players’ hands, I go, ‘Ballgame over! Yankees win! Theee Yankees win!’ And I’m shaking all my coaches hands. I got goosebumps thinking about that.”

Boone’s postgame tradition imitates the call Sterling would make whenever the Bronx Bombers secured a victory.

“He was his own,” Boone continued. “He was an original. Never before, never will there probably be anyone like him the way he did it. And I appreciate that. And I ate it up. I loved it.”

Sterling had unique home run calls for Yankees players when they went yard. For example, when Bernie Williams went deep, Sterling would say, “Bernie goes boom! Bern, baby, Bern!”

When Alex Rodriguez touched them all, Sterling would say “It’s an A-Bomb! From A-Rod!”

When infielder Robinson Cano hit a homer, Sterling said “Robbie Cano, don’t cha know?!”

Derek Jeter shares a message for the legendary John Sterling 💙🙏

(via @derekjeter) pic.twitter.com/KOFDTK9152

— B/R Walk-Off (@BRWalkoff) May 4, 2026

Sterling never envisioned that he would get a chance to call Yankees games, or do it as long as he did, since the late 1980’s.

“This is one of those lucky things that happen in our nutty business,” Sterling recalled. I got a phone call in September of ’88… and he said, ‘Would you like to do the Yankees?’ I never auditioned for the Yankees. What a nutty business. I didn’t apply for it and I didn’t audition, and I got it right away.”

Sterling was also a favorite of late legendary Yankees owner George Steinbrenner.

“The team was very bad: ’89, ’90, ’91, terrible teams. I said, ‘Blame the players. They’re the ones who are making outs. They’re the ones who can’t get anyone out,’” Sterling said. “So two nights later, we’re in Milwaukee and there’s a rain delay. George stopped me and—think of how good this made me feel—he said to me, ‘I just want you to know you’ll always be the Yankee announcer. And if they try to hire anyone (else), I’ll veto it.”

Suzyn Waldman was Sterling’s radio partner since 2005, and the two became peas in a pod. When something happened on the field that defied explanation, Sterling would often say, “that’s baseball, Suzyn.”

“John had an effect on people—generations know him as the voice of the Yankees,” Waldman said. He was their childhood, he was their summers. I hear it from ballplayers that grew up in New York. I hear it from people you wouldn’t expect. He was people’s summers.”

John Sterling was 87 years old.