John Sterling, the Yankees' Most Enduring Announcer, Dies at 87

Source: NY Times

John Sterling, the radio play-by-play voice of the Yankees for more than 35 years, who was best known for punctuating his home run calls with colorful — if not wacky — phrases like “an A-bomb for A-Rod!” (for Alex Rodriguez) and “Robbie Canó, dontcha know!” (for Robinson Canó), died on Monday in Englewood, N.J. He was 87.

His son Bradford Sterling confirmed the death, in a hospital, of complications following a heart attack. He lived in Edgewater, N.J.

Mr. Sterling called more games than any other Yankees announcer — more than his distinguished predecessors Mel Allen, Red Barber, Bill White and Phil Rizzuto. Starting in 1989, Mr. Sterling called 5,420 regular season — 5,060 consecutively until his 81st birthday in 2019 — and 211 postseason games.

He retired abruptly early in the 2024 season, saying he did not have the stamina to continue.

Read more: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/04/sports/john-sterling-dead.html