The New York Yankees are off to a hot start this season, sitting at 23-11, which is good for the best record in the American League. They lead the AL East by 1 1/2 games over the second place Tampa Bay Rays. However, the Yankees community received some sad news on Monday morning.
Legendary radio broadcaster John Sterling passed away at the age of 87. Sterling spent 36 years in the radio booth for the Yankees, beginning in 1989 and retiring after the 2024 season. His tenure with the Yankees saw them win five World Series titles and seven American League pennants.
On X, Hall of Fame shortstop Derek Jeter, who played his entire career with the Yankees, posted a heartfelt tribute to the legendary Yankees announcer.
“John Sterling is as much a part of the fabric of the New York Yankees organization as any player,” Jeter posted. “It was an honor to have him call every one of my games during my career and an absolute pleasure to get to know him on a personal basis. My thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends. He will be deeply missed.”
Derek Jeter Says Goodbye to Sterling
Jeter made his major league debut late in the 1995 season. The following year, he was the American League Rookie of the Year and helped guide the Yankees to their first World Series since 1981. New York defeated the Atlanta Braves in six games that fall.
New York won three titles in a row from 1998-2000 and again in 2009. Sterling was certainly just as much a part of Yankees history as the players that were on the team while he was in the radio booth, as Jeter noted in his post.
Sterling was known for some iconic calls, but he always said his famous catchphrase, “Yankees win. The Yankees win” after every Yankees victory, with a special emphasis on “the.” He also would call every Alex Rodriguez home run “An A-bomb for A-Rod.”
He was also present for the glory days of the Yankees’ rivalry with the Boston Red Sox. The Yankees played Boston in the American League Championship Series in 2003 and in 2004. Both series went seven games, but Sterling was behind the mic for Aaron Boone’s iconic walk-off home run in Game 7 in 2003.
Before the Yankees Years
Sterling was a native of New York City and a Yankees fan growing up, but he began his broadcasting career in 1961 and soon was calling games for the Baltimore Colts and Washington Bullets. From 1981-1989, he was the radio announcer for the Atlanta Hawks of the NBA and worked for the Braves from 1982-87.
It was in New York where Sterling became famous, but his broadcasting career expands well beyond just the Yankees and Major League Baseball. In 1975, he began calling games for the university of Morgan State and also served as an announcer for the New Jersey Nets.
Sterling will certainly be missed by all those who knew him, especially those associated with the Yankees and their rich history. But his legacy will live on forever.
Like HEAVY’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on HEAVY
The post Yankees Legend Derek Jeter Posts Heartfelt Goodbye to Iconic Announcer appeared first on HEAVY.