John Sterling, the iconic Yankees broadcaster, passed away at 87, leaving behind a legacy of memorable catchphrases. His unique calls defined a golden era of baseball for fans in the Bronx.
Key points
John Sterling was a longtime Yankees broadcaster.
He developed unique catchphrases during his career.
Sterling passed away at the age of 87.
He called his final game less than two years before his death.
Tributes to Sterling's legacy are circulating on social media.
Longtime New York Yankees broadcaster John Sterling was the voice of a golden era of baseball in the Bronx, but he didn't rise to prominence just because he was in the right place at the right time.
Sterling stayed true to himself throughout his 36 years behind the microphone for the Yankees, developing more than a few signature catchphrases and calls that made his broadcasts unique.
Sterling died on Monday at the age of 87, less than two years after he called his final game at Yankee Stadium. As tributes poured in, many of Sterling's best calls started to circulate on social media.
Here's a look back at Sterling's signature lines, from his end-of-game call to his best home run calls.
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"Ballgame over! Yankees win! Theeeeeee Yankees win!" Sterling would say in grand fashion.
Sterling might have hung on a little bit longer with the "Theeeee" for the Yankees' biggest wins, including World Series victories, but he brought the energy for the final out of a win in April about the same way he did for a win in October.
'It is high, it is far, it is GONE!'
Before any custom home run call for the player, Sterling's home run calls would begin with the same line: "It is high, it is far, it is GONE!"
'An A-bomb, from A-Rod!'
Sometimes, the simplest calls are the best calls. Sterling likely didn't have to spend much time coming up with his call for Alex Rodriguez's (many) home runs in pinstripes: "An A-bomb, from A-Rod!"
'Bern, baby, Bern!'
One of Sterling's earliest iconic home run calls came courtesy of Bernie Williams, and it was another example of a simple but ultra-effective call: "Bern, baby Bern!"
'Back-to-back and belly-to-belly!'
When the Yankees hit back-to-back home runs, not an uncommon occurrence during much of Sterling's 36 years on the call, he would refer to Harry Belafonte's "Zombie Jamboree" with his call, "Back-to-back and belly-to-belly!"
'Robbie Cano, don't ya know!'
Before Robinson Cano's departure for Seattle after the 2013 season, his home runs provided Yankees fans with one of Sterling's best calls. "Robbie Cano, don't ya know!" is how Sterling would react to every Cano homer.
'All rise! Here comes the Judge!'
"All rise" has become synonymous with Aaron Judge in New York, but Sterling was one of the earliest to use the phrase for his signature call on Judge home runs.
'A thrilla by Godzilla!'
Nicknamed "Godzilla," Hideki Matsui became a fan favorite as soon as he put on the pinstripes in New York, and Sterling leaned into that nickname in his home run call for the Japanese slugger. "A thrilla by Godzilla!" Sterling would shout after every Matsui home run.
'El Capitan'
Derek Jeter wasn't a pure power hitter by any means, but he hit enough home runs during his two decades with the Yankees that Sterling's "El Capitan" label after every Jeter homer became one of his most iconic calls.
'Cut on and missed'
When you consider Sterling called 5,060 consecutive games at one point, think about how many swinging strikes he must have seen. For almost every one of them, he had the same line: "Cut on and missed," Sterling would say, dragging out the first word every time. While it became mundane for everyday listeners, it's a four-word phrase most Yankees fans will probably have in the back of their heads forever.
