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

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.

“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.

New York Yankees radio broadcaster John Sterling looks out from the broadcasting booth one final time prior to retiring before the game between the Yankees and the Tampa Bay Rays at Yankee Stadium on April 20, 2024, in New York, New York. Photograph: New York Yankees/Getty Images

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 and was nominated for baseball’s hall of fame. Prior to his career with the Yankees, he covered the NBA’s Hawks and MLB’s Braves in Atlanta; and NHL’s Islanders and the NBA’s Nets in New York and New Jersey.