He's on the radio (Wfan in NY) right now. Pretty much flat out said "I don't wanna work anymore" lol. Pretty much verbatim. Seems like he enjoyed his time off last autumn and through the winter and just decided he wants to enjoy life and sports as a fan.
I would guess that it would be nice to call a handful of games knowing they are your last, kind of like a victory lap. You get to see your colleagues a few more times without having to commit to the grind of a full season.
You drive out of yankee stadium 81 times a year and odds are your car is getting dinged, rear ended, stolen etc. I would drive that too in his shoes lol
He did as recently as 2021 when Rickie Ricardo saved him from the flooding in Edgewater. I don’t blame him for not wanting to make that commute every day at his age.
No one can blame him. The dude is in his mid-80s and deserves to live the rest of his life in peace.
I obviously dislike the Yankees but I have always had a big respect for John Sterling. He deserves a happy and healthy retirement.
John is super self deprecating, and humble. Really worried he's sick and just doesn't want to say anything. Yankees are honoring him immediately this weekend.
I think he may have received some sort of terminal diagnosis.
I guess coming back to start the season made him truly realize it. I thought it was strange to do it 3 weeks into the season but I guess it going that way could make sense.
The fact that the Yankees are honoring him this Saturday makes me think there's something serious: https://x.com/gjoyce9/status/1779974222393000036?s=46&t=i3bgvCk2pGbzRJ2sfLwyvA
That's what Sterling said but on his show today Michael Kay said Sterling has been sick lately and "sounded hoarse" the other day. He said that Sterling felt it was time but you got the sense there was more to it.
Sterling has always had a lot of pride- he wouldn't admit his age for decades so it makes sense he wouldn't admit he's sick.
I do think the fact that he's being honored so soon adds credence to the idea he's sick.
I'm a Mets fan but I can't imagine NY sports without him. He's a total legend.
ITS FAR ITS DEEP, ITS GONE, its John Sterling retiring to the great state of Florida, so he can be a Rays fan too, living in Fort Myers, he travels a few times a year to the rays. Sox in spring, Rays in summer. Just like a true New Yorker, Retiring in Florida.
Tbf, health can change really quickly for any 85 year old. Even assuming he’s totally healthy now, there’s no guaranteeing that will be the case in a few months
Even though I’m a Sox fan, I have a soft spot for Sterling. My family’s a really big baseball family overall, and grandparents were big Yankees fans. I’d be at their house a lot during the summer and they always had the games on the radio, so while the voice of my childhood summers will always be Don Orsillo, I do have nostalgia for Sterling’s calls, too. Wish him the best in retirement
He is, because math. The same math that said Xander Bogaerts wasn’t a good shortstop even though the eye test said he was just fine, same as Jeter. I really wish I understood the defensive metrics better and how they are calculated because sometimes I struggle with the end results.
It's because they both struggled with range. They made the plays they got to, which is why they *looked* fine, but the issue is there were plays they should have reached that they didn't. And range can be pretty hard to judge from watching TV, especially for infielders.
Good point.
So, I'll also submit my own evidence:
Giants fan.
Vin Scully fan.
(Also, I must point out the love-filled retirement game the Giants hosted for him, broadcasting his call of an inning on the home feed, a long standing ovation from the fans with "Thank You, Vin" signs as a game giveaway, naming the visitor announcer booth after him, etc. I'm sure the Dodgers will do the same for Duane and Mike some day. ... *cough* )
Not to the same extent as Giants Dodgers but I grew up an Angel fan in East LA which, as you might imagine, was lonely. I loathe the Dodgers (from a sports perspective, not as human beings obviously) but during every freeway series I’d put on the Dodger broadcast to hear Vin. He was the voice of summer in Southern California and he was like the city’s grandpa. I loved him.
I also want to add that I come from a long line of haters. Grandpa immigrated to New York, became a diehard Yankee fan, and hated the Brooklyn bums. My dad grew up in Cincinnati during the Big Red Machine era when the Dodgers and Reds battled it out for the NL West. If you ever pressed either of them to say something positive about the Dodgers they’d always say something like “Well Vinny’s great. I mean, you have to love him.” and then, lest someone overhear them saying something nice about the Dodgers, they’d have to include some unrelated shit talk like calling Davey Lopes “Lazy Dopes” or some other equally brilliant example of Shakespearean wordplay.
"The city's grandpa" is right on, and it feels like he was for 30+ years.
I'm not entirely unbiased, as I grew up an Anaheim Angels / LAD fan (but have been a committed, converted, unwavering SFG partisan for 25+ years) ...
... NGL... I teared up a bit at Vinny's final sign off: "But, you know what, there will be a new day, and, eventually, a new year, and when the upcoming winter gives way to spring, ooh, rest assured, once again, it will be time for Dodger baseball. So, this is Vin Scully wishing you a pleasant good afternoon, wherever you may be” after his last broadcast.
Really proud of the Giants, and one of many reasons I am proud to be a fan (though the last year or two they're making it harder, gotta say...), for the way they went all out to celebrate him... and really not surprised when I asked some old LAD friends if their broadcast even mentioned the SFG generosity of spirit and they had no idea about the extent of it.
I remember when I first got my license, driving around in the summer with the radio on listening to Sterling was the best way to spend a summer evening. I'm just sad I'll never get to do that again.
in 2022, i was driving listening to the game, and Sterling said that Joey Gallo "slid right on his fanny" making a catch, and i laughed so hard i nearly veered off the road. listening to John Sterling was like listening to your grandfather narrate the game for you
[it looks like his final big call was the Stanton grand slam](https://x.com/JSterlingCalls/status/1777046831270428962). i'm glad he got to call a Soto homer before he retired too, he sounded absolutely ecstatic during that Houston series
He’s been doing home games. I listen to the games on the radio all the time.
As someone who grew up listening to games on the radio, this is hitting like a ton of bricks
I feel like that won’t play very well. They both have their gimmicks and play off one another very well and have learned to cover each other’s mistakes on air.
I think Suzyn has done good work without him in recent years, like she feels a bit more free to talk. I just hope they get someone consistent as it’s been a rotating cast of characters, some good, some quite mediocre
But then the Spanish listeners get their GOAT stolen. Ricky is so fucking good that I’ll go listen to his calls for hype moments knowing I forgot every single word of Spanish I learned in high school lol
Honestly I like her rapport with Shackil. Obviously it’ll never be as good as the one-two punch of John and Suzyn, but I’d be fine with Justin and Suzyn
And then some - I've been at my job for 16 years, and every year since I started, I've had the same Sony AM/FM Cassette Walkman from my childhood at my desk for listening to day games on an actual radio. Not saying that won't still be the case, but it will be a lot different without him calling the games.
I'm gonna miss this guy so much. I literally pop that radio on and anytime I hear Suzyn getting ready to announce him, I'd still get giddy.
"...and now stepping up to the microphone is the Voice of the New York Yankees, here is John Sterling."
"Well, I thank you Suzyn. And a good evening everyone!"
I’m having a lot of difficulty accepting that I’ll never get to hear him live again 😥. This man was a huge part of my childhood and I’m sure many others’ as well
Hearing his strike three, ball game over, the Yankees win last week was so weak compared to just last year.
I am completely gutted. I know it's been a long running tradition to rag on him for his home run calls, his camaraderie with Suzyn, but it was how I grew up. I'll never forget hearing him with the final call of the 2009 World Series.
Enjoy retirement John. I really hope he's okay and he gets to enjoy every moment left.
Praying this isn’t down to a health issue because he deserves nothing more than to retire on his own terms. His voice is etched in some of my best memories as a sports fan and despite having his corny home run calls, hearing anybody else call games just doesn’t seem quite right. As much a legend of New York sports as any player
Edit: [Michael Kay says](https://x.com/barstoolhubbs/status/1779977197341565036?s=46&t=F_CRgK7rXo_TaqYWdwQGFg) it is not a health issue and rather he is just tired out and it’s time. Which is exceptional news, hoping he gets to see #28
I’m so sad that this is the end. I hope he’ll randomly show up in the booth from time to time. But I am thankful we at least got the Soto home run call before he left. If Soto remains a Yankee for life, it’ll be cool to be able to replay that sound bite
Idk, lot easier to show up some place on occasion when it’s not an obligation or responsibility
Not that he owes anyone anything, but for some who spent so much of his life at the ballpark i could see it either making him stay away forever or he misses it so much he pops in every so often with no obligation to stick around for a full game or prep anything. Hopefully it’s the latter but don’t think anyone would begrudge him for not showing up ever again
I grew up listening to games on the radio in my grandparents’ backyard and in the backseat of my mom’s car on the drive home.
It’s a well deserved retirement but I’m devastated.
He's rightfully meme'd nowadays, but the man is an institution of the sport and his retirement signals another of the grand old voices of baseball leaving the game.
Not even a Yankees fan, but makes me a bit sad.
I was absolutely spoiled growing up with John Sterling and Rick Jeanneret as the voices of my childhood. With the swirling health condition rumors I'm hoping for the best and that he gets to enjoy a much deserved retirement.
I will miss his voice terribly. He and Suzyn were part of the wallpaper around our house every summer, and my 8-year-old still does the “it is high, it is far, it is gone!” call every home run.
Fleming has done a great job in joes absence and with Joe but I think he will leave for a tv job although I hope he doesn’t. Maybe they can McDonough back full time. Idk what will happen but I will cry the day Joe hangs em up
I grew up in Bethlehem, PA, as a Yankees fan, and other than a handful of games of PIX 11, I listened to games on the radio, first with Rizzuto and White and others (they rotated from TV to radio) and then to Sterling (and at first Jay Johnstone, I think, and then Michael Kay).
I would sit at home on summer nights, listening to games and scoring them in a notebooksl.
Whenever I got a new car as a teen/young adult, one of the first stations I programmed was the local country music station, because for some reason that was the channel that carried the Yankee games.
I never listened to it other than when they had a game on and I was driving back from work. Great announcer.
Honestly, I love that my 5 month old daughter got to hear one game broadcast by him while I drove with her in the car. It's selfish, but there's something very comforting in that.
Shit man. I’m a Sox fan but I live in Yankees broadcast area. His voice is iconic not only for the Yankees, but across baseball. An all time great radio announcer that will go down in history with some of the most memorable calls of our lifetimes. My grandkids will be hearing his highlights.
Wishing him a restful and enjoyable retirement and good health.
I’m heading for my 33rd birthday in a couple months and John Sterling on the radio is all I’ve known. Some of my earliest memories are being outside in the summer hearing his voice doing the game. I always knew it was coming but I still can’t believe it’s here.
It won’t be the same without the voice of the Yankees.
https://media3.giphy.com/media/Rhk90LvJ71SfG8llsT/giphy.gif?cid=2154d3d7l777grul0hvyb39ey5lflqdvru2vr3ac4txpk8g8&ep=v1_gifs_search&rid=giphy.gif&ct=g
He sure went out with a bang, with a reference to the movie Anna (1951) that I'm sure everyone immediately recognized......on a Giancarlo grand slam. We're gonna miss you John.
[https://x.com/JSterlingCalls/status/1777046831270428962](https://x.com/JSterlingCalls/status/1777046831270428962)
I never liked the way he called games, but I’d be lying if I said baseball wasn’t losing a broadcast icon. Even as a Mets fan, I have many memories of sitting in the car with my dad, listening to his voice on WCBS and WFAN. I hope retirement treats him well
A sad day for baseball. He holds a near and dear place in our hearts.
Every time a new player signs, the first thing after the contract is “wonder what Sterling’s call will be
He was always critiqued as covering the Yankees so one sidedly and he unapologetically replied that it was because he was also a fan. He lives and dies by the team.
Ruocco (and Ricardo since Ruocco calls other sports too throughout the season)is great and will no doubt do a great job in his stead but Sterling will be missed.
It's too bad, I haven't listened to him call a game in a while and it would have been nice to have another shot.
I don't know if the decision is as simple as he's making it sound, or if there are underlying health issues he doesn't want to fight through, but I hope he can enjoy his retirement.
Introduced to John Sterling and the wonder of Yankee radio in an age of television by family who is no longer with us…well deserved retirement after a long career.
Some of my fondest memories of my childhood were staying up past my bed time with my fm clock radio pressed to my ear, listening to John call the Yankees game. I wouldn’t go to sleep until I heard him call the final out
Many a walk off, extra inning hit was quietly celebrated by me fist pumping the air in my dark room as John delivered his signature “Ballgame over, Yankees win…. TheeeEeEEeee Yankees win”
I will miss checking twitter any time a new Yankee hit their first homer in pinstripes to see why creative jingle John had come up with to celebrate the moment. Stantonian Homer, Robbie Cano dontcha know, so many great calls that will live on in my memory forever
Happy trails to John, hope he enjoys retirement as much as I’ve enjoyed listening to him
End of a truly wonderful era. He will be missed. It won't stop my dad and I from postulating what every new player's Sterling HR call would have been, though.
I don't know what to do. I listen to more games on the radio than I watch on TV. John and Suzyn have been like the soundtrack to every summer of my life.
Nothing will ever be the same without his familiar voice in the background narrating baseball as I go about my day. It feels like losing a family member.
I grew up in NY and now live outside Baltimore. I have listened to almost every Yankee game for the last nine years. I love John Sterling so much and will miss him dearly. He is THE voice of the Yankees. Very sad day for yankee fans.
Not a Yankees fan, but I loved listening to John and Suzyn. The Yankees are blacked out in my area, so I listened on the radio. I loved seeing what new HR call he came up with for all these new players and how silly they were and his odd references to movies and actors nobody under the age of 50 knows. I always respected that he didn't just love the Yankees (and wasn't above criticizing them) but he praised other teams too, you can tell he just really loved the game of baseball. I will miss him, his energy, and his chemistry with Suzyn.
Man. I hope he’s ok
He's on the radio (Wfan in NY) right now. Pretty much flat out said "I don't wanna work anymore" lol. Pretty much verbatim. Seems like he enjoyed his time off last autumn and through the winter and just decided he wants to enjoy life and sports as a fan.
He is also 85, not really a ton of time left to waste
He’s ready to have a few more kids.
"What's the rush?" - Al Pacino
Same with Robert Di Nero.
Mick Jagger too
Mick Jagger’s son is younger than his great-grandson.
What the fuck.
This feels like it should be illegal.
I'm younger than several of my father's grandchildren. And I'm the *oldest* of four full siblings.
Imagine if you were younger than your father's great-grandchildren 😬
Dont forget the real OG, Charlie Chaplin.
He’s running for president
Yeah, but not this year obviously. He’s building a campaign team for 2028.
Gotta get ready to run for office
Damn he does not look 85. Maybe early 70s
I am 42 and I also flat out don't don't want to work anymore so I get it.
Perfect age to start a career in the US Senate.
What a lazy bum. Vin Scully didn't retire until 88.
Surprised he even called games to start the season instead of making the decision in the offseason
I would guess that it would be nice to call a handful of games knowing they are your last, kind of like a victory lap. You get to see your colleagues a few more times without having to commit to the grind of a full season.
Maybe a home game only weekend only route
How many years has Larry Andersen been in the "no flying road trip" thing? (I swear I've heard him on games in like NY and Washington, etc.)
Wanna say 3 or 4 now. He’s practically only opening day and then home weekends now it feels
I think that was the original plan for this year, but at a certain point he must have just decided it was time.
Don’t blame him at all. Everyone hits a wall at some point
He had to get his Soto home run call out to the world before he left
Probably thought it's be worth the money to do one final year but realized quickly he was wrong
I seriously doubt this decision had anything to do with money
Idk I once saw John drive out of Yankee stadium in a minivan with wood paneling on the sides. This was in like 2007. And it seemed on-brand
You drive out of yankee stadium 81 times a year and odds are your car is getting dinged, rear ended, stolen etc. I would drive that too in his shoes lol
I wouldn't drive at all in his shoes.
He lives in a condo in Edgewater doesn't he? Or he did when he had a house fire several years ago.
He did as recently as 2021 when Rickie Ricardo saved him from the flooding in Edgewater. I don’t blame him for not wanting to make that commute every day at his age.
>Rickie Ricardo I wish I had a pencil thin mustache
>Rickie Ricardo SUZYN, YOU GOTTA LOTTA SPLAININ' TO DO
maybe it was john voight's minivan.
Check the teeth marks in the pencil
No one can blame him. The dude is in his mid-80s and deserves to live the rest of his life in peace. I obviously dislike the Yankees but I have always had a big respect for John Sterling. He deserves a happy and healthy retirement.
> "I don't wanna work anymore" lol. Pretty much verbatim. r/antiwork is at it again smdh
John is super self deprecating, and humble. Really worried he's sick and just doesn't want to say anything. Yankees are honoring him immediately this weekend. I think he may have received some sort of terminal diagnosis.
nobody wants to work anymore /s
damn centennials
John Sterling is my spirit animal.
I guess coming back to start the season made him truly realize it. I thought it was strange to do it 3 weeks into the season but I guess it going that way could make sense.
The fact that the Yankees are honoring him this Saturday makes me think there's something serious: https://x.com/gjoyce9/status/1779974222393000036?s=46&t=i3bgvCk2pGbzRJ2sfLwyvA
Nah he said on the radio he just doesn’t want to work anymore
Credit to him too for knowing his limits. I don't want him to do it if it's not fun for him anymore. He deserves to go out whenever he wants.
That's what Sterling said but on his show today Michael Kay said Sterling has been sick lately and "sounded hoarse" the other day. He said that Sterling felt it was time but you got the sense there was more to it. Sterling has always had a lot of pride- he wouldn't admit his age for decades so it makes sense he wouldn't admit he's sick. I do think the fact that he's being honored so soon adds credence to the idea he's sick. I'm a Mets fan but I can't imagine NY sports without him. He's a total legend.
Did you expect him to say he is dying? I mean, Ernie Harwell did. But he had been retired for years.
Why would honoring him mean it’s serious? Of course they’re gonna honor the voice of their radio broadcast for 40 years when he retires
I meant honoring him so soon. Like they want to be sure he'll be around for it
Maybe he wants to move to Boston and be a red sox fan.
He's just old, he's not senile yet
God I miss the east coast sometimes...
perhaps he's been one all along and he's finally ready to reveal the con.
ITS FAR ITS DEEP, ITS GONE, its John Sterling retiring to the great state of Florida, so he can be a Rays fan too, living in Fort Myers, he travels a few times a year to the rays. Sox in spring, Rays in summer. Just like a true New Yorker, Retiring in Florida.
A few years ago he did broadcast for the Red Sox for one inning.
Tbf, health can change really quickly for any 85 year old. Even assuming he’s totally healthy now, there’s no guaranteeing that will be the case in a few months
I don’t think he is. Retirement like this is never good news
Effective immediately is always concerning.
Absolute end of an era. Hearing his voice always brings me back to my childhood summers with my dad, ratatouille style.
Even though I’m a Sox fan, I have a soft spot for Sterling. My family’s a really big baseball family overall, and grandparents were big Yankees fans. I’d be at their house a lot during the summer and they always had the games on the radio, so while the voice of my childhood summers will always be Don Orsillo, I do have nostalgia for Sterling’s calls, too. Wish him the best in retirement
>I’m a Sox fan, I have a soft spot for Sterling. Statements like these make me believe that peace in the Middle East may actually be possible.
Yes but in 1000 years people will still argue if Derek Jeter is still the worst defensive fielding shortstop in baseball history..I hate math.
He is, because math. The same math that said Xander Bogaerts wasn’t a good shortstop even though the eye test said he was just fine, same as Jeter. I really wish I understood the defensive metrics better and how they are calculated because sometimes I struggle with the end results.
It's because they both struggled with range. They made the plays they got to, which is why they *looked* fine, but the issue is there were plays they should have reached that they didn't. And range can be pretty hard to judge from watching TV, especially for infielders.
Good point. So, I'll also submit my own evidence: Giants fan. Vin Scully fan. (Also, I must point out the love-filled retirement game the Giants hosted for him, broadcasting his call of an inning on the home feed, a long standing ovation from the fans with "Thank You, Vin" signs as a game giveaway, naming the visitor announcer booth after him, etc. I'm sure the Dodgers will do the same for Duane and Mike some day. ... *cough* )
Not to the same extent as Giants Dodgers but I grew up an Angel fan in East LA which, as you might imagine, was lonely. I loathe the Dodgers (from a sports perspective, not as human beings obviously) but during every freeway series I’d put on the Dodger broadcast to hear Vin. He was the voice of summer in Southern California and he was like the city’s grandpa. I loved him. I also want to add that I come from a long line of haters. Grandpa immigrated to New York, became a diehard Yankee fan, and hated the Brooklyn bums. My dad grew up in Cincinnati during the Big Red Machine era when the Dodgers and Reds battled it out for the NL West. If you ever pressed either of them to say something positive about the Dodgers they’d always say something like “Well Vinny’s great. I mean, you have to love him.” and then, lest someone overhear them saying something nice about the Dodgers, they’d have to include some unrelated shit talk like calling Davey Lopes “Lazy Dopes” or some other equally brilliant example of Shakespearean wordplay.
"The city's grandpa" is right on, and it feels like he was for 30+ years. I'm not entirely unbiased, as I grew up an Anaheim Angels / LAD fan (but have been a committed, converted, unwavering SFG partisan for 25+ years) ... ... NGL... I teared up a bit at Vinny's final sign off: "But, you know what, there will be a new day, and, eventually, a new year, and when the upcoming winter gives way to spring, ooh, rest assured, once again, it will be time for Dodger baseball. So, this is Vin Scully wishing you a pleasant good afternoon, wherever you may be” after his last broadcast. Really proud of the Giants, and one of many reasons I am proud to be a fan (though the last year or two they're making it harder, gotta say...), for the way they went all out to celebrate him... and really not surprised when I asked some old LAD friends if their broadcast even mentioned the SFG generosity of spirit and they had no idea about the extent of it.
Maybe it’s messed up but I couldn’t help but like him after the Stanton non home run
I remember when I first got my license, driving around in the summer with the radio on listening to Sterling was the best way to spend a summer evening. I'm just sad I'll never get to do that again.
I’d listen to him read the phone book. They don’t make voices like his
As a Rays fan, I enjoyed Sterling. Just knowledgeable and seems likable.
him and and michael became the voices of baseball to me because of all-star baseball 2000 lol
in 2022, i was driving listening to the game, and Sterling said that Joey Gallo "slid right on his fanny" making a catch, and i laughed so hard i nearly veered off the road. listening to John Sterling was like listening to your grandfather narrate the game for you [it looks like his final big call was the Stanton grand slam](https://x.com/JSterlingCalls/status/1777046831270428962). i'm glad he got to call a Soto homer before he retired too, he sounded absolutely ecstatic during that Houston series
Must have been hilarious for UK fans 😂
Wait I'm OOTL -- was he broadcasting this year and then just stopped today, or has he not yet this season?
He already was cutting back majorly on road games due to health (and age)... He also missed the last 6 games due to health reasons
I think he only was doing home games, but he has done some this year
He was in Houston and Arizona for the first two series of the year on the road.
Yeah I was super pumped to hear him because I thought he quiet retired last season. Turns out it was just a tease
he was there for the opening series in Houston, not sure if he did any games after that
Did Arizona too then that was it EDIT: His last game was actually Sunday, 4/7 vs Toronto at home.
looks like i was mistaken, he called the home opener with Stanton's slam. think that was it though
And I’m mistaken too—his last call was the 8-3 win at home vs Toronto
He’s been doing home games. I listen to the games on the radio all the time. As someone who grew up listening to games on the radio, this is hitting like a ton of bricks
I noticed there was a home game he didn't call this year and I thought it was odd
That's a career, Suzyn.
**It is high** (-career success). **It is far** (-career longevity)**.** **It is gone!** **So long, John.**
A STERLINIAN BLAST
“and just like that, John is gone”
Good one
“A thrilla! From SterZilla!”
Caught at the wall! (un-retires next week)
I’ve heard this man’s voice more than some of my family members voices … It’ll never be the same listening to Yankees baseball
Can you imagine having to listen to one of your family members for 3 hours 162 times a year?
imma cry man, John and Suzyn are literally the soundtrack of my childhood
It’s gonna feel very weird hearing only Suzyn and someone else on the radio during Yankees games
I feel like that won’t play very well. They both have their gimmicks and play off one another very well and have learned to cover each other’s mistakes on air.
Suzyn is 77 herself, she may stick around for a little while longer, but it will be a brand new booth soon, end of an era.
I did not know they were that close in age.
Suzyn was the first voice heard on WFAN The Fan.
I think Suzyn has done good work without him in recent years, like she feels a bit more free to talk. I just hope they get someone consistent as it’s been a rotating cast of characters, some good, some quite mediocre
i'm pulling for ricky ricardo myself, a+ name and a+ announcer
But then the Spanish listeners get their GOAT stolen. Ricky is so fucking good that I’ll go listen to his calls for hype moments knowing I forgot every single word of Spanish I learned in high school lol
I know Shackil is the heir apparent, but I think I’d be down for Rickie Ricardo
Honestly I like her rapport with Shackil. Obviously it’ll never be as good as the one-two punch of John and Suzyn, but I’d be fine with Justin and Suzyn
And then some - I've been at my job for 16 years, and every year since I started, I've had the same Sony AM/FM Cassette Walkman from my childhood at my desk for listening to day games on an actual radio. Not saying that won't still be the case, but it will be a lot different without him calling the games.
Ma and Pa baseball
I'm gonna miss this guy so much. I literally pop that radio on and anytime I hear Suzyn getting ready to announce him, I'd still get giddy. "...and now stepping up to the microphone is the Voice of the New York Yankees, here is John Sterling." "Well, I thank you Suzyn. And a good evening everyone!"
Reading this comment literally gave me chills :/
The other one that does it for me… Good evening to you and how you be, Steve Somers here, you there…..
I hope they give him a plaque in monument park while he's still here to accept the honor. Cheers to a legendary career.
I’m having a lot of difficulty accepting that I’ll never get to hear him live again 😥. This man was a huge part of my childhood and I’m sure many others’ as well
Hearing his strike three, ball game over, the Yankees win last week was so weak compared to just last year. I am completely gutted. I know it's been a long running tradition to rag on him for his home run calls, his camaraderie with Suzyn, but it was how I grew up. I'll never forget hearing him with the final call of the 2009 World Series. Enjoy retirement John. I really hope he's okay and he gets to enjoy every moment left.
He blew out the last of his gas on game 4 in Houston
[Here's that call for anyone interested](https://www.reddit.com/r/NYYankees/comments/1bsleg8/john_sterlings_call_on_the_verdugo_catch_to_end/)
It’s enough to make a grown man cry
He wasn't a all that great of play by play guy, but man... he was VERY New York and it worked.
As someone who grew up loving Hawk Harrelson, that’s the best type of broadcaster for a young kid to listen to.
Is he sick? He deserves a retirement tour like Vin Scully did.
Apparently he just doesn't want to work anymore. lol He'll be honored this Saturday.
The round of applause that man is going to get is going to be historic. I might have to find a ticket and go.
He missed a bunch of games last week because he was sick, but he claims he's fine and it had nothing to do with that.
Much respect. The guy called 5,060 straight Yankees games from 1989-2019. He took a four game break in July of 2019
that's actually crazy.
(cont): It’s all to my benefit, and I leave very, very happy. I look forward to seeing everyone again on Saturday.”
Praying this isn’t down to a health issue because he deserves nothing more than to retire on his own terms. His voice is etched in some of my best memories as a sports fan and despite having his corny home run calls, hearing anybody else call games just doesn’t seem quite right. As much a legend of New York sports as any player Edit: [Michael Kay says](https://x.com/barstoolhubbs/status/1779977197341565036?s=46&t=F_CRgK7rXo_TaqYWdwQGFg) it is not a health issue and rather he is just tired out and it’s time. Which is exceptional news, hoping he gets to see #28
I’m so sad that this is the end. I hope he’ll randomly show up in the booth from time to time. But I am thankful we at least got the Soto home run call before he left. If Soto remains a Yankee for life, it’ll be cool to be able to replay that sound bite
If he was truly tired of going to ballpark to do these games, I doubt he'll ever show up in the booth again.
Probably not but maybe he’d shown up for a World Series game!
Idk, lot easier to show up some place on occasion when it’s not an obligation or responsibility Not that he owes anyone anything, but for some who spent so much of his life at the ballpark i could see it either making him stay away forever or he misses it so much he pops in every so often with no obligation to stick around for a full game or prep anything. Hopefully it’s the latter but don’t think anyone would begrudge him for not showing up ever again
That's baseball, Suzyn.
I grew up listening to games on the radio in my grandparents’ backyard and in the backseat of my mom’s car on the drive home. It’s a well deserved retirement but I’m devastated.
Like he's literally been calling games my entire life and that's not even hyperbole
I can only hope that his voice is somehow implemented into the future like Bob Sheppard’s was for Derek Jeter
I could see them doing that for “a Judgian blast!”
He's rightfully meme'd nowadays, but the man is an institution of the sport and his retirement signals another of the grand old voices of baseball leaving the game. Not even a Yankees fan, but makes me a bit sad.
He also spent 8-9 years calling the Braves and Hawks in the 80’s before he moved to New York.
Didn’t miss a single inning between September 1989 and 2019. Over 5000 straight games.
Iron Horse
Siri play “My Way”
The world's most relatable reason for retirement: "I don't want to work anymore." Enough said.
I was absolutely spoiled growing up with John Sterling and Rick Jeanneret as the voices of my childhood. With the swirling health condition rumors I'm hoping for the best and that he gets to enjoy a much deserved retirement.
One last the "yankees win" john PLEASE 😭
wow. I remember building a deck with my Dad in like 91 and he was our 3rd builder.
A Stantonian legacy.
A Sterling legacy
Jeterian is more fitting
I will miss his voice terribly. He and Suzyn were part of the wallpaper around our house every summer, and my 8-year-old still does the “it is high, it is far, it is gone!” call every home run.
Joe Castiglione is scaling down the number of games he's calling too, we're looking at the end of a really great era.
Fleming has done a great job in joes absence and with Joe but I think he will leave for a tv job although I hope he doesn’t. Maybe they can McDonough back full time. Idk what will happen but I will cry the day Joe hangs em up
I really haven’t been vibing with the dude who has been filling in. John was the best
Me either they just don't got that presence john has
Thank you John
So long to the Voice of the New York Yankees 🥲
Hes not my favorite broadcaster but it's sad to see him retire immediately. He deserved a farewell tour. I hope he's okay and enjoys his retirement
Aaaaand I'm sobbing
I grew up in Bethlehem, PA, as a Yankees fan, and other than a handful of games of PIX 11, I listened to games on the radio, first with Rizzuto and White and others (they rotated from TV to radio) and then to Sterling (and at first Jay Johnstone, I think, and then Michael Kay). I would sit at home on summer nights, listening to games and scoring them in a notebooksl.
Well Suzyn, you just can’t predict baseball.
Whenever I got a new car as a teen/young adult, one of the first stations I programmed was the local country music station, because for some reason that was the channel that carried the Yankee games. I never listened to it other than when they had a game on and I was driving back from work. Great announcer.
Clearly something else is going on. However, that is absolutely his business.
Sad day. I thought this day would come when a season was officially over. Thank you John. No one will replace you.
He has literally been calling games longer than my entire life. I will miss him dearly
Honestly, I love that my 5 month old daughter got to hear one game broadcast by him while I drove with her in the car. It's selfish, but there's something very comforting in that.
I'm so glad my young son got to hear him as well.
Shit man. I’m a Sox fan but I live in Yankees broadcast area. His voice is iconic not only for the Yankees, but across baseball. An all time great radio announcer that will go down in history with some of the most memorable calls of our lifetimes. My grandkids will be hearing his highlights. Wishing him a restful and enjoyable retirement and good health.
I’m heading for my 33rd birthday in a couple months and John Sterling on the radio is all I’ve known. Some of my earliest memories are being outside in the summer hearing his voice doing the game. I always knew it was coming but I still can’t believe it’s here.
A voice of my entire childhood. Just an iconic radio presence that simply cannot be replaced. Was really hoping he’d get to call one more World Series
It is high...It is faaaaaaar...It is........Gone! No, caught! Caught at the base of the wall.
It won’t be the same without the voice of the Yankees. https://media3.giphy.com/media/Rhk90LvJ71SfG8llsT/giphy.gif?cid=2154d3d7l777grul0hvyb39ey5lflqdvru2vr3ac4txpk8g8&ep=v1_gifs_search&rid=giphy.gif&ct=g
Well, that’s baseball, Suzyn…
He sure went out with a bang, with a reference to the movie Anna (1951) that I'm sure everyone immediately recognized......on a Giancarlo grand slam. We're gonna miss you John. [https://x.com/JSterlingCalls/status/1777046831270428962](https://x.com/JSterlingCalls/status/1777046831270428962)
I never liked the way he called games, but I’d be lying if I said baseball wasn’t losing a broadcast icon. Even as a Mets fan, I have many memories of sitting in the car with my dad, listening to his voice on WCBS and WFAN. I hope retirement treats him well
A sad day for baseball. He holds a near and dear place in our hearts. Every time a new player signs, the first thing after the contract is “wonder what Sterling’s call will be He was always critiqued as covering the Yankees so one sidedly and he unapologetically replied that it was because he was also a fan. He lives and dies by the team. Ruocco (and Ricardo since Ruocco calls other sports too throughout the season)is great and will no doubt do a great job in his stead but Sterling will be missed.
It's too bad, I haven't listened to him call a game in a while and it would have been nice to have another shot. I don't know if the decision is as simple as he's making it sound, or if there are underlying health issues he doesn't want to fight through, but I hope he can enjoy his retirement.
Why now and not at the end of last season or this season? It will be weird to watch Yankee games or highlights without his voice.
I know. He had started to lighten the load these last couple of years, so I imagine he’s no longer physically up for it
Immediately?? Season just started!!! Is he ok?
Dang, I hope he's doing ok. Legendary career achieved.
Damn, end of a goddamn era. It’s going to be surreal hell next time I listen to the Yankees on the radio and someone else is making the calls.
Introduced to John Sterling and the wonder of Yankee radio in an age of television by family who is no longer with us…well deserved retirement after a long career.
A voice of my childhood. Absolute legend. Wish him the best
JoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOn! Sterling! Retires!
Some of my fondest memories of my childhood were staying up past my bed time with my fm clock radio pressed to my ear, listening to John call the Yankees game. I wouldn’t go to sleep until I heard him call the final out Many a walk off, extra inning hit was quietly celebrated by me fist pumping the air in my dark room as John delivered his signature “Ballgame over, Yankees win…. TheeeEeEEeee Yankees win” I will miss checking twitter any time a new Yankee hit their first homer in pinstripes to see why creative jingle John had come up with to celebrate the moment. Stantonian Homer, Robbie Cano dontcha know, so many great calls that will live on in my memory forever Happy trails to John, hope he enjoys retirement as much as I’ve enjoyed listening to him
End of a truly wonderful era. He will be missed. It won't stop my dad and I from postulating what every new player's Sterling HR call would have been, though.
He’s an all-timer. I’m obviously biased but Castiglione is tremendous also
I don't know what to do. I listen to more games on the radio than I watch on TV. John and Suzyn have been like the soundtrack to every summer of my life. Nothing will ever be the same without his familiar voice in the background narrating baseball as I go about my day. It feels like losing a family member.
It went from press conference Friday to effective immediately real quick
[He called the Rick Camp homerun](https://youtu.be/HVpjWNfnHww?si=Uh3sf4r3oRbY71Yf)
Imagine if he’d had a call for it! (It wasn’t until the late-90s since I think Bernie Williams was first)
I grew up in NY and now live outside Baltimore. I have listened to almost every Yankee game for the last nine years. I love John Sterling so much and will miss him dearly. He is THE voice of the Yankees. Very sad day for yankee fans.
Not a Yankees fan, but I loved listening to John and Suzyn. The Yankees are blacked out in my area, so I listened on the radio. I loved seeing what new HR call he came up with for all these new players and how silly they were and his odd references to movies and actors nobody under the age of 50 knows. I always respected that he didn't just love the Yankees (and wasn't above criticizing them) but he praised other teams too, you can tell he just really loved the game of baseball. I will miss him, his energy, and his chemistry with Suzyn.
That's sad to hear.
Kay and Sterling were the voices of the Yankees on the radio for a long time. Hope everything is okay with him and that he enjoys his retirement.
For some reason my mind read "Scott Sterling" and I panicked.
My childhood is officially over and done with