John Sterling, the booming and theatrical radio voice of the New York Yankees whose personalized home run calls became part of the team’s identity, has died at age 87.
The Yankees and WFAN announced his death Monday.
Sterling, who underwent bypass surgery earlier this year, was being cared for at his home in Edgewater, New Jersey.
His career spanned decades and culminated in 36 seasons behind the Yankees’ microphone.
He retired in April 2024 after calling 5,420 regular-season games and 211 postseason contests, including a streak of 5,060 consecutive broadcasts from 1989 to 2019.
He returned briefly that fall to call the Yankees’ postseason run.
His exuberant style made him a fixture in baseball culture.
Fans eagerly awaited his signature home run nicknames: “Bern, baby, Bern!” for Bernie Williams, “It’s a Jeter bump!” for Derek Jeter, “That’s a bomb off a pole!” for Alex Rodriguez, “The Giambino!” for Jason Giambi and “A thrill from Godzilla!” for Hideki Matsui.
Each call became a badge of honor for players and a source of joy for the Yankee Stadium crowd.
Sterling’s voice carried through five Yankees championships and seven American League pennants.
He was known as much for his eccentric personality, quoting Broadway show tunes, Sinatra standards and soap operas, as for his pinstriped devotion.
“Ballgame over. Yankees win. Thuuuuugh Yankees win,” Sterling would bellow after wins, a refrain that became inseparable from the team’s modern era.
Although critics sometimes questioned the accuracy of his calls, Sterling dismissed critics with characteristic confidence.
“There will always be people who don’t like what you do. It’s like any art form,” he once said.
