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Michael Kay reveals the shocking moment his career move ‘hurt’ John Sterling
TL;DR
Michael Kay discussed the impact of his career move on his relationship with John Sterling during a recent podcast. Kay's promotion to lead play-by-play voice for the YES Network strained their partnership after a decade of working together.
Key points
- Michael Kay discussed his career move impacting John Sterling.
- Kay and Sterling worked together for a decade.
- They called five World Series together.
- Kay became the lead voice for the YES Network.
- Their relationship was tested after Kay's promotion.
Mentioned in this story
Michael KayJohn SterlingYES Network
World SeriesYankees
When you think of broadcasting legends who defined Yankees baseball, John Sterling’s name lands first. But behind that iconic voice and those unforgettable home run calls was a partnership — a deeply human one — that very few people got to see up close.
On this week’s episode of “The Show” with Joel Sherman and Jon Heyman, Michael Kay sat down to share memories of Sterling following his death.
Kay spent a decade alongside Sterling in the radio booth, calling five World Series together.
By any measure, it was a dream run. But when the YES Network launched and Kay was tapped as the lead play-by-play voice, the relationship was tested.
“That was one of the few times that John and I had a difficult time,” Kay said, via YouTube. “John was really hurt that I left to go to YES.”
“I would have been very content — 30 years being John Sterling’s sidekick,” Kay said plainly. “I really would have been.”
Sterling taught him about pacing, timing, voice, and perhaps most importantly, investment. The Yankees legend once told Kay that he wanted the team to win because bringing good news into people’s homes made them like you — and when people like you, you have job security.
The conversation also touched on Sterling’s legendary eccentricities — the flip phone, the white pieces of paper with phone numbers in his pocket, the engineers who drove to his house to program his VCR.
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Q&A
What did Michael Kay reveal about his relationship with John Sterling?
Michael Kay shared that his promotion to lead play-by-play voice for the YES Network tested his long-standing partnership with John Sterling.
How long did Michael Kay and John Sterling work together?
Michael Kay and John Sterling worked together for a decade, during which they called five World Series.
What was the context of Michael Kay's comments about John Sterling?
Kay's comments came during a podcast episode following the death of John Sterling, reflecting on their professional and personal relationship.
