NEW YORK (AP) — John Sterling, the legendary radio voice of the New York Yankees celebrated for his dramatic and personalized home run catchphrases, passed away Monday, according to announcements from the baseball team and radio station WFAN. He was 87 years old.
Sterling had received heart bypass surgery during the winter months and was recovering at his Edgewater, New Jersey residence with professional care assistance. The Yankees organization confirmed his death occurred at a New Jersey medical facility.
The veteran broadcaster had covered 5,631 total games — including 5,420 regular season contests and 211 playoff games — before stepping away in April 2024 shortly after the season began, saying he was experiencing exhaustion. Sterling maintained an incredible streak of 5,060 straight games from September 1989 through July 2019 after initially joining the Yankees organization as a pregame show host. He briefly returned from retirement to cover the team’s 2024 playoff run.
Sterling’s signature home run announcements became as iconic to Yankees culture as the team’s famous pinstripe uniforms or World Series trophies. When new players joined the roster through trades or call-ups, supporters eagerly anticipated what creative phrase he would craft for their first long ball.
His memorable calls included “Bernie goes boom! Bern, baby, Bern!” for Bernie Williams, “It’s a Jeter jolt!” for Derek Jeter, “It’s an A-bomb from A-Rod!” for Alex Rodriguez, “The Giambino!” for Jason Giambi, and “A thrilla from Godzilla!” for Hideki Matsui. These personalized signatures became beloved from the team’s locker room to the stadium’s upper deck.
“It wasn’t meant that way. I just happened to do something for Bernie Williams. He hit a home run and I said, ‘Bern, baby, Bern!’ And it kind of mushroomed from there,” Sterling explained during his retirement announcement. “But it never was intended for every player, because, frankly, I’m not smart enough to do something for every player. But I did the best I could, and it’s amazing what started out as — became so big.”
“I did say ‘A-bomb from A-Rod!’ when he hit a home run and I did say: ‘Robbie Canó, don’t you know,’ and I think those were pretty good,” Sterling reflected on his calls for Rodriguez and Robinson Canó.
Originally named Josh Sloss, Sterling was born on July 4, 1938, in Manhattan and left his college studies to pursue radio work. His broadcasting dreams began after listening to “The Eddie Bracken Show” during the 1940s.
“I didn’t want to be Eddie Bracken. I wanted to be the guy who says: ‘Live from Hollywood!’” Sterling recalled. “And I knew that maybe a year or two later, but before puberty I knew I was going to be on the air. And it really helped me because I didn’t worry about school, because I knew what I was going to do. And it was a good thing because I was a terrible student — terrible.”
His broadcasting journey began in 1960 at a radio station in Wellsville, New York.
“I was preparing this all my life. It was easy,” he said. “I could always open my mouth and talk.”
Sterling drew inspiration from broadcasting legends Mel Allen, Russ Hodges, and Jim Karvellas. He eventually earned his place alongside Allen in Yankees broadcasting history, joining the ranks of Red Barber, Phil Rizzuto, Bill White, and Frank Messer.
During his early career, Sterling called games for the NBA’s Washington Bullets and Morgan State football, gaining recognition for his enthusiastic “Islanders goal! Islanders goal!” calls during the hockey team’s broadcasts from 1975-78, as well as covering the NBA’s Nets from 1975-80.
Sterling’s initial Yankees connection came through WMCA pregame radio programs from 1971-78. He later relocated to Atlanta, working with the Braves from 1982-87 and Hawks from 1981-89, before returning to New York to join the Yankees, taking over from Hank Greenwald.
Sterling rarely visited the team’s clubhouse and maintained his professional appearance in Brooks Brothers suits despite working in radio.
Throughout his Yankees tenure, he worked alongside various broadcast partners including Jay Johnstone (1989-90), Joe Angel (1991), Michael Kay (1992-2001), Charley Steiner (2002-04), and Suzyn Waldman (since 2005). Sterling and Waldman received induction into the New York State Broadcasters Hall of Fame in 2016.
Sterling took pride in his distinctive broadcasting approach.
“Harry Caray told me some years ago,” he remembered in 2024, referencing the famous Chicago Cubs and White Sox announcer, “and he says, ‘John, all the guys are great. We just have different styles.’ And no one has a more different style than I have.”
