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TheNew York Yankees Radio Network is anAudacy-ownedradio network that broadcastsNew York Yankeesbaseball games to 19 stations across 5 states.[1] The network'sflagship station isWFAN, which succeeded sister stationWCBS as the flagship in 2014; WCBS had aired Yankees broadcasts since the network was founded in 2002 while WFAN had been the flagship station for the Yankees' crosstown rivals, theNew York Mets, since the station's founding. (In a rare move, WFAN carried the live broadcast of the Yankees day/night doubleheader at theBaltimore Orioles on August 28, 2011, soWCBS could remain within its usual news format for live, continuing coverage ofHurricane Irene.[2]) The full on-air name of the broadcasts is theWFAN Yankees Radio Network Driven byJeep, with theChrysler LLC subsidiary continuing its sponsorship of the network while games are broadcast from the "Duck Duck Go broadcast booth."
TheYES Network provides some technical support for each broadcast, andSirius XM carries the network's feed for every home game the Yankees play per their contract. A separate,Spanish-language broadcast airs on New York'sWADO, 1280 AM.
The Yankees formed their own radio network in 2002 after WCBS outbid longtime Yankees homeWABC for the rights.
From 2005-2024,John Sterling (play-by-play) andSuzyn Waldman (color commentary) have been the Yankees Radio Network broadcast team. Waldman is the first and one of the few women to hold a full-time position with a major league team, and had served as a Yankees beat reporter for theYES Network before moving to the broadcast booth. Waldman was also one of the original personalities atWFAN upon its 1987 launch, where she served as a studio host for various teams (including theNew York Knicks, for whom she hosted the pregame show) and also was the station's Yankees beat reporter.[3]
Sterling joined the Yankees in 1989 (or more accuratelyrejoined; he had done work for the Yankees in the 1970s) after calling games forTurner Sports for the previous decade. Prior to the Yankee broadcasts moving from WABC to WCBS, Sterling worked withJay Johnstone,Joe Angel, andMichael Kay. He is widely known (and perhaps infamous) for his home run calls, which often involve one of his player nicknames or catchphrases and for saying "Ballgame over! Yankees win! Theeeeeee Yankees win!" after a Yankee victory. Sterling will often stretch out "the" for dramatic victories as well as say "Yankees win" in a more excited voice. (If the team loses, Sterling will end with a more subdued "Ballgame over, (opposing team) wins".)
The network uses the instrumental version of "Here Come the Yankees" as its theme song, and highlights from past games are dubbed over it for game opens.
For the inaugural season of the Yankees Radio Network, the team continued the longstanding tradition carried on by WABC, WINS, and other Yankee flagship stations by having a two-man booth where both broadcasters would share play-by-play duties during the game. Because 2002 was also the first season of theYES Network and Michael Kay was called upon to be the team's new lead television voice, the Yankees decided to replace him with longtimeESPNSportsCenter anchorCharley Steiner, who was no stranger to calling baseball on the radio (having beenESPN Radio's lead baseball voice for the previous four seasons) nor to New York sports (having covered New York sports on radio for almost a decade and serving as the voice of both theNew Jersey Generals and theNew York Jets football teams). The duo worked together for three seasons, with perhaps their most notable call being Steiner's call ofAaron Boone's 2003American League Championship Series-winning home run.
The Sterling-Steiner partnership lasted until the end of the 2004 season, with their final game together being Game 7 of that year's American League Championship Series that the Yankees lost to become the first team in Major League Baseball history to lose a series they led 3-0. After that season, to make room for Suzyn Waldman's move to the broadcast booth, Steiner was to become the YES Network's studio host for Yankee games as well as for its coverage of the then-New Jersey Nets, a spot that opened afterFred Hickman left YES forESPN. This did not come to pass, however, as Steiner elected to go west and replace the firedRoss Porter at theLos Angeles Dodgers Radio Network.
In April 2024,Sterling retired abruptly and was succeeded by a rotation of play-by-play announcers includingEmmanuel Berbari,Justin Shackil and Spanish radio broadcaster Rickie Ricardo.[4]
The broadcast begins with the pregame show, which begins approximately forty minutes prior to first pitch and runs for approximately twenty-five minutes. It is sponsored byBMW's New York dealer network, and the proper name for the show is the "Nissan New York Yankees Pregame Program". Sterling opens the broadcast by introducing himself, Waldman, and his producer, then leads into the Manager's Show. This portion of the show features an interview by Waldman with Yankees managerAaron Boone. Sterling then follows with Diamond Notes, relaying news from around the league. The Leadoff Spot feature is next, with Waldman usually talking to a member of the opposing team.
In the opposing half of the fifth inning, a reporter from one of the New York newspapers has joined the broadcast booth to offer some insight on team business. For many years, the reporter was the beat writer from theNew York Daily News and the half-inning was known as theDaily News Fifth. Beginning in 2014 the fifth inning segment is calledPost Time and a reporter from theNew York Post joins the booth.
For the last inning or so, depending on how long the game continues, Sterling will announce the game by himself so Waldman can get a head start on her postgame duties. After the game ends Waldman will choose a player for her "Star of the Game" interview and then head into the clubhouse. Beginning in 2014, the Star of the Game segment is featured after every game; it used to be only featured if the Yankees won the game. Regardless of whether the Yankees win or not, after the final out (and the proceedings to follow), Sterling returns from one last commercial break with the totals and the winning and losing pitchers and closes the broadcast.
After another commercial break the postgame show begins, with Sweeny Murti hosting. The program starts with a recap of the game, with highlights interspersed where necessary. Included in the recap are the Drive of the Game, a home run or extra base hit that drove in multiple runs sponsored byAudi, the best defensive play of the game, and the play determined to be the turning point of the game. As has been the case for years, remembering the turning point of the game could win a fan a prize during the midday show the next morning; in 2014, the prize is a team watch and a pair of tickets to a future home game.
Waldman follows with the Clubhouse Report, relaying information from the postgame press conferences and interviews with players. This is followed by a rundown of scores from other MLB games from the evening and an update on the Yankees' minor league affiliates. An interview from the clubhouse is then played and after this, Murti reviews the next night's pitching matchup and game time and closes the broadcast.
The current affiliates are:[5]