When you’re a professional sports broadcaster, you always want to make the right call. Nobody knows that better than Dave Sims.
The longtime play-by-play announcer is now the radio voice of the New York Yankees on WFAN after 18 years with the Seattle Mariners. His move from the West Coast to the East Coast was hardly a surprise. It had been rumored as a possibility all summer long.
As Sims told Awful Announcing, it was an opportunity that was too good to pass up.
“I’m an I-95 guy,” he said, “Born in Philly. Been in New York all my life, all my professional life, so I have friends and family in the area within a two-hour radius, and it’s the Yankees. Come on, seriously. I mean, it’s the New York freaking Yankees, 41 pennants, 27 World Series. Come on. You’re talking baseball. You’re talking about one of the best brands, not only in the country but in the world. Why would that not be attractive to somebody?”
Sims replaces the retiring John Sterling, who called Yankees games for 36 years. Following a legendary broadcaster is nothing new for Sims. With the Mariners, he stepped in as the lead play-by-play voice for the late Dave Niehaus. Niehaus was immensely popular, having called Mariners games since the team’s first season in 1977. He passed away in 2010.
Sims’ experience replacing Niehaus makes him especially qualified to replace Sterling.
“I’ve done it before, he said. “I did it with Dave Niehaus in Seattle. I’m going to be me. John has had a great run, Hall-of-Fame worthy. I wish him well. I saw him the other day at dinner. Looks like he’s doing pretty well. I get a turn here, and I’m going to do what I do. It’s kind of simple. Everybody asks me that question. I’m not coming here to imitate John. I came here to be Dave Sims.”
His transition to New York should be easy because it’s familiar territory for Sims. He lives in Manhattan and has several relatives and friends in the tri-state area. Sims also worked as a midday sports talk host at WFAN from 1989-93. He’ll also be reunited with a friend. Sims will work alongside play-by-play partner Suzyn Waldman.
Even though they were often at opposite ends of the country, Sims and Waldman kept in contact. Sometimes while working.
“I’m looking forward to working with Suzyn Waldman.,” he said. We’ve been friends for many, many years. We’ve been texting back and forth during games my entire time in Seattle, as a lot of us do in the business. She’s probably one of my closest friends in the game. I’m excited, and I’m looking forward to being part of this.”
From texting cross country during games to partners in the booth! pic.twitter.com/bNXE6VxCBu
— Dave Sims (@davesims_) November 24, 2024
This is a great time to join the Yankees, who are coming off their first World Series trip since 2009. New York is the American League betting favorite to return to the Fall Classic. Its chances will increase if it can resign free-agent slugger Juan Soto.
Sims said he is already familiar with most players on the roster. He’ll learn more as spring training approaches. The Yankees open the season at home on March 27 against the Milwaukee Brewers.
“I’m coming full circle,” Sims said. “I started at the New York Daily News. I worked at WNBC radio and TV. I worked at Channel 2 part-time and then full-time. I was at WFAN, and then when I was doing radio, doing the NFL on Westwood One. I’ve been doing Big East basketball on TV since like ’91, 92. I’m hardly a stranger. I didn’t just land from Mars. I’ve been here all the time.”
