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Longtime Yankees announcer John Sterling is retiring effective immediately

story April 15, 2024
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John Sterling is retiring after playing 36 years for the New York Yankees. (Rich Schultz/Getty Images)
John Sterling is retiring after playing 36 years for the New York Yankees. (Rich Schultz/Getty Images)

The voice that represents the New York Yankees says it's over.

Longtime radio play-by-play announcer John Sterling is retiring effective immediately. The The Yankees announced his retirement on Monday along with a statement from Sterling. The team will hold a ceremony honoring Sterling before Saturday's game against the Tampa Bay Rays.

“I am a very blessed person” Sterling said in a statement. “For 64 years I have been able to do what I wanted: broadcast radio. As a young boy growing up a Yankees fan in New York, I was able to broadcast the Yankees for 36 years. It's all to my advantage and I leave very, very happy. I look forward to seeing everyone again on Saturday.”

Andrew Marchand of The Athletic reports that Sterling is stepping down for “health reasons.” The details of his health concerns were not mentioned. Sterling plans to be available to speak with the media during his ceremony on Saturday.

Sterling, 85, had called Yankees games since 1989, a span that included 5,420 regular-season games and 211 playoff games. He was the voice of the Derek Jeter-era Yankees, who secured five World Series championships from 1996 to 2009. He was on the WFAN microphone for Aaron Judge's record-breaking 62nd home run in 2022.

In their announcement Monday, the Yankees called Sterling “a Goliath of the sports broadcasting world.”

“John informed and entertained, and he exemplified what it meant to be a New Yorker with an uncompromising and exuberant style that radiated his passion for baseball, broadcasting and the New York Yankees,” the Yankees' statement said. … “Given the tremendous care he had for the team and his performance in the air, it's not an exaggeration to think that our fans live and die with every throw because John Sterling did the same. “

This story will be updated.

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