John Sterling, beloved voice of Yankees for 36 seasons, dies at age of 87

TL;DR

John Sterling, the iconic voice of the New York Yankees for 36 seasons, has passed away at 87. He called over 5,420 games and was known for his passionate commentary and signature phrase, 'The Yankees win!'

Key points

John Sterling died at age 87
He was the voice of the Yankees for 36 seasons
Broadcasted 5,420 regular-season games
Known for his phrase 'The Yankees win!'
Won 12 Sports Emmys during his career

Mentioned in this story

John Sterling

New York YankeesWorld Series

Yankees star Aaron Judge greets John Sterling before a game in 2024. Photograph: New York Yankees/Getty Images (Photograph: New York Yankees/Getty Images) John Sterling, whose voice became synonymous with the New York Yankees, has died at the age of 87. Sterling, a native New Yorker, started broadcasting Yankees games on radio in 1989 and continued until he retired in April 2024. During that span, he called 5,420 regular-season games and 211 in the postseason. He rarely missed a game and worked 5,060 consecutive games between 1989 and 2019. During one memorable game in 2023, he was hit by a foul ball during a broadcast and returned to work the next day. Related: The world’s most expensive losers: the New York Mets are very rich … and very, very bad “We are devastated to hear about the passing of John Sterling, a WFAN and Yankees radio icon whose voice was synonymous with an entire generation of Yankee fandom,” WFAN Sports Radio said in a statement. Sterling’s career coincided with an era of immense success for the Yankees: he was on the call when the team won five World Series titles. He was known for his passion, knowledge and exclaiming “The Yankees win!” after victories. “Through his unique style and passionate play-by-play calls, Sterling endeared himself to generations of players and fans as radio voice of the Yankees from 1989 to 2024,” Major League Baseball said in a statement. “His signature punctuation of Yankees victories included calling the final out of five World Series championships.” Sterling, a father of four, won 12 Sports Emmys during his long career.

Q&A

What was John Sterling's role with the New York Yankees?

John Sterling was the radio voice of the New York Yankees, broadcasting their games from 1989 until his retirement in April 2024.

How many games did John Sterling broadcast during his career?

John Sterling broadcasted 5,420 regular-season games and 211 postseason games throughout his career.

What impact did John Sterling have on Yankees fans?

John Sterling became synonymous with Yankees baseball, endearing himself to fans through his passionate calls and memorable phrases during the team's successful era.