Legendary New York Yankees radio voice John Sterling has passed away at the age of 87, according to WFAN Sports Radio.
No cause of death was announced at this time. Sterling, who was the radio voice of the Yankees for 36 years, had his first broadcast in the Yankees’ radio booth in 1989, and he called 5,420 regular-season games and 211 postseason games for the team before he stepped away from the game in 2024.
“We are devastated to hear about the passing of John Sterling, a WFAN and Yankees radio icon whose voice was synonymous with an entire generation of Yankee fandom. Rest in peace, John,” WFAN Sports Radio posted on X.
This is a breaking news post and will continue to be updated as we learn more information related to Sterling’s unfortunate passing.
John Sterling is a New York Yankees Legend
Sterling was born in New York City in 1938, and he grew up as a fan of the Yankees. He listened to the Yankees on the radio as a young boy and always dreamed of becoming a radio host for the team himself, something which he would have the privilege of doing for 36 seasons.
First joining the Yankees in 1989, Sterling called 5,060 consecutive games for the team, showing his longevity for his craft and his love for the team. In 2024 and 2025, Sterling was nominated for the Ford C. Frick Award from the National Baseball Hall of Fame, an award honoring the game’s best broadcasters. During his broadcasting career, Sterling also won 12 Emmy Awards.
Sterling also had the privilege of calling eight World Series in which the Yankees participated, including five series where the Yankees won baseball’s ultimate prize.
In 2025, one year after he retired from the radio booth, Sterling was given the Pride of the Yankees award by the team.
Not only was he an incredible commentator who was known for his strong work ethic and amazing radio voice, but he was also a true Yankees fan and someone who truly cared about the team.
Peers Reflect on the Passing of John Sterling
Announcing the news on the WFAN Sports Radio show on Monday, hosts Boomer Esiason and Gregg Giannotti broke the sad news to Yankees fans that Sterling had died.
“It has been confirmed that one of the great voices of New York sports history has passed away. John Sterling has died,” Giannotti said. “We did not see that coming. Obviously, we know that he was older, but he seemed so spry and energetic the last time we heard from him. Definitely just brutal news this morning. John was as good as it gets, entertained us for years, and we had so much fun with him. He was just everything that a play-by-play man should be in loving his audience, in loving his sport, loving the Yankees, and delivering it in a way that was truly his own. He was a voice that will never be forgotten. A lot of people come through these jobs and through this city, and not a lot of them can say that we will remember them and reference them for many, many years until we pass away. His memory will live on through those calls, through our memories, as long as we’re on this planet.”
We at Heavy express our deepest condolences to Sterling’s family and the Yankees organization for his passing.
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