NEW YORK (AP) — Yankees captain Aaron Judge is advocating for a permanent tribute to honor the late John Sterling by playing the beloved broadcaster’s signature victory call throughout Yankee Stadium after each win, right before Frank Sinatra’s “New York, New York” fills the air.
“I think it’d be a nice little tip of the cap to John and what he meant — so much to this franchise and this fan base. I think it would be pretty cool,” Judge commented following New York’s dominant 12-1 victory over Baltimore Monday evening, which completed a four-game series sweep on the same day the iconic announcer passed away.
The stadium’s public address system broadcasted Sterling’s distinctive “Ballgame over! Yankees win! Theee Yankees win!” call immediately after the game’s conclusion.
Judge contributed significantly to the victory with his league-leading 14th home run in the opening frame, plus a two-run hit in the eighth inning that gave him four RBIs total. This performance came after the team honored Sterling, who died at 87, with a pregame ceremony.
Sterling served as the Yankees’ radio voice for 35 years, from 1989 through 2024. As Judge rounded the bases following his two-run blast off Shane Baz, he recalled the personalized home run call Sterling created for him: “A Judgian blast! All rise! Here comes the Judge!”
“Definitely seeing that tribute hit home because he loved the Yankees,” Judge reflected. “He loved this team. He loved this franchise. He loved the fans. He loved everybody he talked to on a nightly basis. So to do that there in the first, just kind of was chuckling around the bases thinking what he was probably saying.”
Yankees skipper Aaron Boone disclosed before the contest that he’s been honoring Sterling in the dugout for several years by shouting “Ballgame over! Yankees win! Theee Yankees win!” prior to celebrating with handshakes.
During Monday’s game, supporters joined in loudly as Sterling’s deep voice echoed at amplified volume through the stadium speakers.
“It drowned me out a little bit, happily,” Boone remarked.
Similar to Judge, the manager supports making Sterling’s voice a permanent postgame fixture.
“Yeah, I’d love it,” the manager stated. “Right on into Frank.”
Judge currently tops Major League Baseball with six first-inning home runs this season and has accumulated 91 career first-inning homers, ranking behind only Babe Ruth’s 126 and Mickey Mantle’s 103 among Yankees players. His latest homer marked his 53rd in 124 career games against Baltimore.
“It’s a pretty good advantage to have that guy coming up in the first inning for you,” Boone noted.
Judge, who shared the major league home run lead with Munetaka Murakami of the Chicago White Sox after Monday’s games, is currently batting .272 with 27 RBIs.
Following his first batting championship last season, when he maintained a .427 average through April, Judge struggled initially this year and was hitting .212 with three homers and seven RBIs after 14 games. Since that slow start, the three-time American League MVP has posted a .329 average with 11 home runs and 20 RBIs across 21 contests.
“Even if I’m hitting .400 in April, I’m tinkering with something new every single day. It could be something subtle with hands or feet, the sights, approach,” Judge explained. “When you stink, you’re trying to get better. When you’re doing well, you’re also trying to get better.”
Every Yankees player wore caps featuring Sterling’s “JS” initials stitched on the back. A Bronx vendor quickly created the tribute at the team’s request.
“I thought it was a nice little touch for John,” Judge said.
