| John Sterling | |
|---|---|
 Sterling in 2010 | |
| Broadcaster | |
| Born: (1938-07-04)July 4, 1938 (age 87) New York City, U.S. | |
| Teams | |
As Broadcaster
| |
| Career highlights and awards | |
John Sterling (néSloss;[1] born July 4, 1938)[2][3] is an American retiredsportscaster, best known as the radio play-by-play announcer of theNew York Yankees ofMajor League Baseball from 1989 to 2024. Sterling called 5,060 consecutive Yankees games from 1989 to 2019.[4]
Sterling was born John Sloss in New York City[4] and grew up onManhattan's Upper East Side,[5] the son of advertising executive Carl H. T. Sloss.[6] Sterling is Jewish.[7] He briefly attendedMoravian College,Boston University, and theColumbia University School of General Studies before leaving school to begin his career in radio at a small station inWellsville, New York.[8]
He changed his name to Sterling and began his broadcasting career inBaltimore, where he served as theplay-by-play announcer for the then-Baltimore Bullets for the 1970–71NBA season. He also did play-by-play forMorgan State University football, a role that he held from 1971 to 1978.[9]
Sterling came to New York broadcasting as a talk show host withWMCA in 1971. He later served as the radio voice for theWHA'sNew York Raiders, theWFL'sNew York Stars, theNHL'sNew York Islanders (where he was paired withBob Lawrence), and theABA/NBA'sNew York/New Jersey Nets (where he was paired mainly with Mike DeTomasso). Sterling also did a stretch with the Yankees as pre-game host on WMCA andWINS radio, as well as co-host on cable segments withMel Allen.[10]
From 1975 through 1980, Sterling announced Nets and Islanders games for WMCA,WVNJ,WOR-TV, andSportsChannel New York, continuing his WMCA talk program until 1978.[10] After his initial stint in New York, Sterling spent nine years inAtlanta hosting a sports call-in show onWSB radio and covering theBraves (1982–1987) andHawks (1981–1989) forTurner Sports.[10]
In 1989, Sterling returned to New York to broadcast the games for the Yankees onWABC radio. In 2013, the Yankees announced a move toWFAN for ten years, and Sterling was retained.[11] His announcing partners wereJay Johnstone (1989–1990),Joe Angel (1991),Michael Kay (1992–2001),Charley Steiner (2002–2004), andSuzyn Waldman (2005–2024).[10]
Sterling called 5,060 consecutive games for the Yankees from 1989 until he took four games off from July 4 until July 7, 2019.[12][10][13] This included all 2,747 regular season and 158 postseason games played byDerek Jeter.[14] On October 18, 2021, Sterling signed a new contract with WFAN for 2022 with the potential for a reduced schedule.[15] On June 6, 2022, Sterling announced that he would start working on a reduced schedule in the second half of the MLB season, primarily taking time off from traveling to road games outside of the northeastern United States. He continued to do road trips toFenway Park,Citi Field, andOriole Park at Camden Yards.[16]
On September 20, 2018, as part of a promotion called "Rivalry in the Booth", Sterling and Red Sox radio broadcasterJoe Castiglione switched places in the fourth inning.[17] From June 29–30, 2019, Sterling called the first MLB games played inEurope.[18]
Sterling was also host of theYES Network'sYankeeography series from 2002 to 2013, which produced biographies of New York Yankees. Among several nominations, Sterling has received twoEmmy Awards for the series.[19] He also hosted the introductions and recaps forYankees Classics. In addition, Sterling had a nightly commentary feature onWCBS newscasts called "Sterling on Sports", in which he gave his take on a recent sporting event or sports news item.[20] This commentary aired nightly during the 6:15 pm sports report.
Sterling and former broadcasting partner Michael Kay commonly worked together representing the Yankees. They announced the annual Yankees'Old-Timers' Day.[21] They presided at the "Key to the City" ceremonies following Yankee World Series victories in 1996, 1998, 1999, 2000 and 2009. The pair often served as masters of ceremonies on and off the field for major Yankee events, including the 2000ticker-tape parade held in the Yankees' honor after theirWorld Series win.[22][23] Sterling has emceed several Yankees pre-game ceremonies including the number retirements ofJorge Posada,Andy Pettitte,Bernie Williams,Joe Torre,Derek Jeter,Mariano Rivera's number retirement in 2013 and Monument Park induction (2016), and the 20th anniversary of the Yankees'1996 World Series victory in 2016. His long association with the Yankees earned him the nickname "Pa Pinstripe" fromNew York Daily News writer Bob Raissman.[24]
Sterling announced his retirement on April 15, 2024, effective immediately, saying he was tired of traveling. The Yankees honored Sterling before their game on April 20.[4][25] He did return to call two innings of the game against theCleveland Guardians on August 20, in celebration of a team T-shirt giveaway intended the celebrate the 20th year Sterling and Waldman worked together in the radio booth, (which was planned before his abrupt retirement). Sterling called the fourth and fifth innings of the game.[26] The following Thursday it was announced Sterling was discussing a potential postseason return, then a final retirement.[27] On September 5, Sterling confirmed he would return to the booth for the final homestand on September 24–26 and the playoffs, including up to the2024 World Series where he would broadcast for the last time. Sterling made his final broadcast on October 30, 2024, in Game 5 of the World Series when the Yankees lost to the Dodgers.[28][29]
From 2013 through 2017 Sterling announced theKitten Bowl on theHallmark Channel.[30]
On December 16, 2018, Sterling called theBrooklyn Nets–Atlanta Hawks game on theYES Network.[31]
In April 2025, Sterling began hosting an hour-long Saturday talk show onWABC from 4:00-5:00 pm.[32]
Sterling has severalidiosyncrasies that mark his broadcasts as distinctive, very unusual, if also divisive.[33] In addition to a colorful vocal personality, Sterling has distinguished himself for sometimes characterizing plays differently than they may appear and for his announcing errors, habits that spark high feelings in fans and lead to comparisons with announcers likePhil Rizzuto.[34][35]
Following the final out of a Yankees victory, Sterling calls "Ballgame over! Yankees win! Theeeeeee Yankees win!"[10][33] The length of the word "the" is held longer after dramatic victories, as well as after victories resulting in championships (which Sterling also punctuates by saying the name of whichever series is over). It has been played over the public address system atYankee Stadium after every Yankees victory for the past several seasons, right beforeFrank Sinatra's cover of "Theme from New York, New York" is played.[36] The phrase evolved from Sterling's call ofMel Hall's game-winning three-run homer in the ninth inning on May 27, 1991, to give the Yankees a dramaticMemorial Day win over theBoston Red Sox.[37]
One of his signature radio remarks is his home run call "It is high, it is far, it is gone!"[38] Sterling is known for devising a personalized home run catchphrase for every Yankee player.[39][40]
For back to back home runs, especially homers from opposite sides of the plate, Sterling referencesHarry Belafonte's "Zombie Jamboree" by saying "it's a back to back! ... and a belly to belly!" In addition, sometimes before a pitch he will say "theeeeeee pitch", lengthening the wordthe. If a batter swings and misses, Sterling will often say "cuuuuut on-and-missed", elongating the wordcut, followed byon-n-miss pronounced as one quick word. After a strikeout swinging, he says "STRUCK HIM OUT SWINGING!", and for a strikeout looking he calls "STRIIIIKE THREE!", elongating the 'I' in strike.[citation needed]
In all cases when Sterling emphasizes the word "the", as is one of his signatures, he uses not thelong ē ("thee") but theschwa ə ("thuh").[41]
Sterling's style of play calling is heavily criticized in the media.[42] He is regularly criticized byCraig Carton andPhil Mushnick for his inaccurate calls.[43]Jim Norton ofThe Opie and Anthony Show routinely mocked Sterling's player nicknames and his emphasis on the "mmm" sound before saying "mmm-it is high, mmm-it is far. ..."[44]
Sterling has won 12 Emmy Awards during his career, including two forYankeeography.[45]
In 2024 and 2025, he was nominated as a finalist for theFord C. Frick Award from theNational Baseball Hall of Fame.[46] In April 2025, he was given the Pride of the Yankees award at the team's annual Welcome Home dinner.[47]
Sterling is a resident ofEdgewater, New Jersey.[48] He had previously resided inTeaneck, New Jersey.[49] He was divorced in 2008 after 12 years of marriage to wife, Jennifer[5] and is the father of four, including a set of triplets, born in 2000.[10] In January 2015, he was among hundreds of displaced residents after a fire destroyed the Avalon at Edgewater complex building.[50][51]
In August 2020, Sterling was hospitalized for a blood infection.[52]
On September 1, 2021, after calling a Yankees game remotely fromYankee Stadium, Sterling was stranded in his car about a mile from his home in Edgewater by flooding followingHurricane Ida. Spanish-language Yankees broadcasterRickie Ricardo, also an Edgewater resident, was driving hisJeep Cherokee home and rescued Sterling.[53]
On June 10, 2023, while broadcasting a game against theBoston Red Sox atYankee Stadium, Sterling was hit in the head by a foul ball off the bat ofJustin Turner. He continued broadcasting and returned to the booth the following night.[54]
...changed his last name from Sloss to Sterling because, he said, it gave him more shine.
Born in 1938 and raised on Manhattan's Upper East Side, Sterling began his radio career at a small station in upstate New York.
At the new Yankee Stadium, they no longer will play 'Theme from New York, New York' after games.
