John Sterling, the legendary radio voice of the New York Yankees known for his theatrical home run calls, has died at the age of 87. The team and radio station WFAN confirmed his passing on Monday. Sterling died in a New Jersey hospital following heart bypass surgery he underwent this past winter.
Sterling called 5,631 Yankees games, including 5,420 regular season and 211 postseason contests. He broadcast 5,060 consecutive games from September 1989 through July 2019. He retired in April 2024 citing fatigue, though he briefly returned for the 2024 postseason.
Born Josh Sloss on July 4, 1938, in Manhattan, Sterling began his radio career in 1960 in Wellsville, New York. He worked for the NBA's Washington Bullets, Morgan State football, and the NHL's New York Islanders before joining the Yankees in 1989, replacing Hank Greenwald.
Sterling created personalised home run calls for players, such as “Bernie goes boom! Bern, baby, Bern!” for Bernie Williams and “It’s an A-bomb from A-Rod!” for Alex Rodriguez. He was inducted into the New York State Broadcasters Hall of Fame in 2016 alongside his longtime partner Suzyn Waldman.
