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John Sterling, the Yankees broadcasting legend, passed away after suffering a heart attack in January. He remained engaged with sports, discussing the NFL draft shortly before his death.
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Rickie Ricardoâs cell phone buzzed two Fridays ago. On the other end: John Sterling, calling to talk football the morning after Round 1 of the NFL draft.
The Yankees broadcasting legend hadnât been able to walk or even stand on his own since he suffered a massive heart attack in January, but he still closely followed sports from his home in Englewood.
âJohn wanted to know what I thought about the Eaglesâ draft pick, then we got around to talking about the Giants,â Ricardo, the Spanish-language voice of the Yankees and Eagles, told NJ.com by phone on Monday morning.
Ricardoâs strong voice was quivering because heâd just heard that Sterlingâs legendary baritone had been silenced forever.
Sterling, the Yankeesâ radio voice for 36 seasons from 1989-2024, has died, WFAN radio announced Monday morning.
Ricardo confirmed the death to NJ.com after receiving the news in a text message from Suzyn Waldman, Sterlingâs longtime partner in the Yankeesâ radio booth.
âWe kind of knew this was coming,â Ricardo, also a backup Yankees broadcaster and talk-show host on WFAN, said. âJohn was back in the hospital on Saturday and things were heading in the wrong direction.â
The last time Sterling was on the air was as a guest on Ricardoâs WFAN radio show.
âThat day John sounded pretty good,â Ricardo said. âHe was very, very crystal clear. He wasnât slurring his words. He thought he was making progress. He referred to his rehab place as his hotel.â
Sterling was upbeat again during his phone call with Ricardo during the NFL draft.
âFollowing sports was what kept John going,â said Ricardo, who has a home in Edgewater that is four miles from Sterlingâs apartment. âHe would call me every Monday after Eagles games and ask me why the quarterback didnât do this or that on a certain play.
âI asked him several times since he retired, âWhy arenât you in Boca Raton at the 5:30 buffet walking around like a king? Youâre John Sterling.â Heâd say, âNo, no, no! Iâm happy just where Iâm at.â He had his three TVs watching all the games. He was happy in Edgewater. He was content in his post-retirement life ⊠until, you know.â
Sterling never fully recovered, and his health worsened over the last few weeks.
John Sterling passed away after suffering a massive heart attack in January.
Despite his health issues, John Sterling followed sports closely and discussed the NFL draft with friends until shortly before his passing.
John Sterling's last conversation was about the NFL draft, specifically discussing the Eagles' draft pick.
John Sterling's last phone call was with Rickie Ricardo, the Spanish-language voice of the Yankees and Eagles.

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âWhen we last talked, he said he was still having a little difficulty with his legs, but he was home and doing OK,â Ricardo said. âHe said his kids were fantastic. He said they were taking care of everything.
âThe last thing he said to me was, âI canât wait until we can go out to dinner for a big steak.â That would have been great, but heâd been back and forth from the hospital several times the last several months, and my gut told me this wasnât going to end well.â
I last spoke with Sterling during spring training. He was excited about the upcoming Yankeesâ season and knew everything that was going on. He said heâd be watching every game.
Before hanging up, Sterling wanted a message passed along to the other writers: âTell everyone that Iâm doing fine. Tell everything that I said hello and I miss them.â
The Yankees quickly set up a pre-game tribute to honor Sterling, the playing of some of his memorable calls, bouquets of flowers being placed on home plate by Yankees TV voice Michael Kay and Waldman plus a moment of silence.
Also, Marc Chalpin, the Bleacher Creature who starts the Roll Calls after the first pitch of every home game from his Section 203 seat behind right field, decided to include said Sterling at the end on Monday night.
âJohn was the voice of the Yankees for not one, but two generations and a lot of people obviously are feeling the effects,â Chalpin said. âI grew up with Phil Rizzuto, Frank Messer and Bill White calling Yankees games, so I know how attached you can get to announcers that really were the voice of the team.
âItâs a big loss to the Yankee family. God bless his family. Obviously weâre thinking of Suzyn Waldman right now, too. They were partners for so many years.â
Sterling, like so many Yankees he chronicled, was a franchise legend.
Born John Stoss in Manhattan on July 4, 1938, Sterling joined the Yankeesâ radio booth at age 50 for Opening Day 1989 and went on to call 5,060 consecutive games, teaming with Jay Johnstone from 1989-90, Kay from 1992-2001, Charley Steiner from 2002-04 and then Waldman for two decades.
Sterling abruptly retired early in 2024 and was honored before a Yankees home game six days later.
Asked how heâd like to be remembered, Sterling responded. âNever missing a game. I was working and I would do the next game and do the next game. Luckily, I had good health and good stamina. So they can remember me anyway. I hope the people who like it who will remember that they liked it.â
Sterling was original with his famous home-run calls: âItâs an A-bomb for A-Rodâ and, of course, his final out call after victories, âYankees win ⊠Theeeeeeeee Yankees win!â
Sterling missed calling games in his first year of retirement and returned to the radio booth that September to finish out the regular season and call the Yankeesâ playoff games, which included a run to the World Series.
After the â24 season, the Yankees hired Dave Sims, a longtime broadcaster for the Seattle Mariners, to replace Sterling.
Sterling toyed with asking the Yankees if he could return for select home games in 2025, but opted to enjoy retirement.
A 12-time Emmy Award winner, Sterling was a finalist three times to make the Baseball Hall of Fame as a Ford C. Frick Award winner, including in 2025.
**â**I donât think Iâll ever make it, and I think itâs style,â Sterling told NJ.com in 2021. âI donât think itâll happen, and Iâm cool about it.â
Curt Smith, a longtime Frick Award voter and baseball historian, thinks Sterling is deserving.
âLike Saul on the road to Damascus, I have seen the light on John Sterling,â he told NJ.com five years ago. âHe gives you all the qualities that you would want in a broadcaster. He has the voice, the knowledge of the game, the ability to tell a story. He keeps you up to date on what has transpired in the field and he has a great sense of humor. I think he captures the ambiance of the greatest franchise in all of professional sport.â
Sterling wasnât just a great baseball announcer. Before joining the Yankeesâ booth, he was the voice of the NBAâs Baltimore Bullets and Atlanta Hawks, the ABA/NBAâs New York/New Jersey Nets, the NHLâs New York Islanders and the World Football Leagueâs New York Stars.
Sterlingâs dream job was calling Yankees games. He was a fan as a kid.
âI met him in â87,â Waldman said in 2024 right after Sterlingâs sudden retirement. âI want everyone to know that this is the only job that John Sterling ever wanted in his whole life, and the fans ⊠I hope everybody appreciates the love and dedication and how much he gave to this, he gave his life to this team.
âHe adores this team. It is the only thing he has ever wanted to do since he was a little boy and used to go to the ballpark with his buddies way back.â
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