John Sterling, whose voice became synonymous with the New York Yankees, has died at the age of 87.
Sterling, a native New Yorker, started broadcasting Yankees games on radio in 1989 and continued until he retired in 2024. During that span, he called 5,420 regular-season games and 211 in the postseason. He rarely missed a game and worked 5,060 consecutive games between 1989 and 2019. During one memorable game in 2023, he was hit by a foul ball during a broadcast and returned to work the next day.
“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,” WFAN Sports Radio said in a statement.
Sterling’s career coincided with an era of immense success for the Yankees: he was on the call when the team won five World Series titles. He was known for his passion, knowledge and exclaiming “The Yankees win!” after victories.