The Yankees have enjoyed a scorching hot start to the season, but Monday brought an unexpected end of an era in the Bronx.
Longtime Yankees radio broadcaster John Sterling announced his retirement, effective immediately, ending a 36-year run as the radio voice of baseball's biggest brand.
It isn't often that a radio play-by-play voice reaches a national audience as Sterling did, but he was on the call for countless memorable moments through one of the best stretches in the Yankees' storied history. New York won five championships with Sterling behind the microphone, and he's been present for a stretch of 32 consecutive winning seasons for the franchise.
Also helping Sterling reach national prominence were his unique home run calls, crafted individually for each Yankees hitter. From "An A-bomb for A-Rod" for Alex Rodriguez to “A thrilla from Godzilla” for Hideki Matsui, Sterling gave each Yankee their moment.
Sterling's signature "The Yankees win" call -- which sounded more like "Thuhhhhhhhh Yankees win" -- after each victory is also etched in the minds of multiple generations of fans.
Sterling has called his final game, but he's set to return to Yankee Stadium on Saturday to be honored by the team and its fans.
Here's a look at Sterling's career and why he's retiring midseason.
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Why is John Sterling retiring?
Sterling didn't reveal his reasoning for Monday's decision, only calling himself "a very blessed human being" and saying he will "leave very, very happy." The Yankees released a statement expressing their appreciation for Sterling but didn't expand on why the radio legend was stepping away.
John Sterling has announced his retirement, effective immediately. The longtime voice of the Yankees will be recognized in a pregame ceremony on Saturday and will visit the WFAN booth during the game. pic.twitter.com/opXzpsjFwZ
— Mark Feinsand (@Feinsand) April 15, 2024
Sterling is believed to be stepping away because of "health concerns," according to a report from The Athletic.
While it's likely Sterling will explain his decision Saturday when he's scheduled to hold a press conference before being honored at Yankee Stadium, he's in his mid-80s and has been cutting back his schedule in recent years. Sterling didn't miss a game during a streak that lasted from 1989 to 2019, but he primarily stuck to home games since 2022 due to the stress of traveling at his age.
It's not hard to reason with Sterling retiring at his age, but the news came as a surprise considering the season began less than three weeks ago. Sterling said two weeks ago that he wasn't ready to step away, telling Spectrum News, "I shouldn’t retire as long as I can still do it, but I’m working far fewer games, which is a big thing. So, we’ll see what this year looks like. And if this is good and it works out, fine. If not, we’ll see.”
Barring a different explanation from Sterling, it's possible he simply realized he wasn't up to the task any longer. Yankees fans can expect to hear more from him over the weekend.
John Sterling age
Sterling is 85 and will turn 86 on July 4.
It's rare for any broadcaster to still be going strong deep into his 80s, but Sterling found a way. While occasional mistakes did make headlines, Sterling still had a strong grasp on how to weave stories into play-by-play calls during long games.
The legendary Vin Scully received widespread praise for calling Dodgers games until he was 88, and Sterling wasn't far behind before he retired at 85 on Monday.
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John Sterling replacement
Sterling will be replaced by Justin Shackil and Emmanuel Barberi, who were already scheduled to call a majority of road games alongside longtime color analyst Suzyn Waldman this season.
Shackil and Barberi are 37 and 24, respectively, so they are bringing a much younger flair to the WFAN broadcast booth. Because they already worked numerous games in 2023, there won't be much of an adjustment period when they take the reins alongside Waldman.
John Sterling streak
Sterling called a remarkable 5,060 consecutive games on the radio for the Yankees from 1989 to 2019. He didn't miss a game until he decided to take a day off near his 81st birthday five years ago.
Age required Sterling to take more of a step back in 2022, forcing the broadcast great to reduce his schedule, and an illness sidelined him for multiple weeks in 2023.
While Sterling has signed off one last time, his streak of more than 5,000 consecutive games over a 30-year span is unlikely to be matched by anyone in the sport any time soon.
