I’ve been a New York Yankees fan since the turn of the 21st century. I grew up in a Met-parent household with plenty of Met fans scattered around my mom’s side. My late Nana was a proud Yankee fan who had no problem passing her fandom down to me.
It was a lot of fun since I became a Yankee fan at arguably their most dominant time. Watching the Yankees with my Nana also became very fun. The Yankees were on MSG Network and Fox 5 New York at the earliest I can remember. Jim Kaat, Ken Singleton, and the great Bobby Murcer were among the first voices I could remember to provide the soundtrack for the pinstripes. Along with them came Al Trautwig, the studio host for their MSG coverage, who also sometimes called the action. MSG was where I first learned of Suzyn Waldman when she contributed to that network.
So having rattled off a horde of names, you might ask yourself, “Well, what about John Sterling?”
I’m glad you asked.
Interestingly, my first exposure to Sterling didn’t come on the radio. No, I primarily watched the Yankees a lot when I was at my Nana’s house in the summer or on TV at my house. The radio never felt like an option because I never went anywhere. And I never went to Yankee Stadium until 2005.
Still, I didn’t know who he was. I only knew the voices on TV. Ken Singleton’s classic “Look out!” entered my lexicon quicker than any fun wordplay attempt after someone hit a home run.
I wasn’t sure when the first time I heard “THEEEEE YANKEES WIN!” belted out. So, my first exposure to Sterling had to come from somewhere else.
Fortunately, I had many interests.
The once-popular All-Star Baseball series by Acclaim Sports was my introduction to Sterling. Fittingly enough, it was with Michael Kay. Now imagine my surprise when I learned they were the Yankee commentators, too!
(Being so new to the team made me not understand the Yankee propaganda. ‘Featuring Derek Jeter’ didn’t mean much to me. In hindsight, it’s hilarious)
From there, it all became elementary. While I still didn’t listen to the radio—I didn’t have one and was rarely on the go—I became aware of Sterling and especially Kay during the 2001 MLB Playoffs. After that, I think I finally made an effort to have them on. I quickly came to enjoy Sterling’s evident enthusiasm while calling the action—especially the home run calls. As a Bernie Williams fan, “Bern, Baby, Bern!” became embedded in my memory bank.
Over the years, as a fan, I came to appreciate Sterling and his stylings. When I moved to Missouri for college, I watched Yankee games on MLB TV and listened to Sterling on the overlay at times, just to mix it up. I couldn’t experience it at the height of the Yankee Dynasty, so I felt compelled to make sure I experienced it here.
Sterling announced this week that he’d retire immediately. He’ll have a ceremony on Saturday before the Yankees play the Rays. As a fan, I admit, it hit me a bit.
He’s the only voice I’ve ever come to really know on the radio through my unconventional ways. Fortunately, I’m not alone in that, but it rings true nonetheless. He and Suzyn Waldman have called the action for eons. This all was abrupt, and it felt a little uneasy. I tried to understand why, and then it hit me:
My generation is approaching unfamiliar territory. Longtime announcers are either calling it a day or clearly close to it. We’re now a world without Verne Lundquist and Marv Albert. Sterling is gone, and soon, Bob Uecker will likely follow. Then there’s Pat Hughes in Chicago. This is, for better or worse, the time we live in now. Generations are fading and emerging in front of our faces. It’s all a lot, but when it makes you recall good things, like thinking about Sterling and his memorable calls, then at least you can smile.
I don’t know that I regret not having any fond memories of Sterling calling Yankees games because I built so many memories of my own playing All-Star Baseball. Gateways come in many forms, and for me, a near-lifelong Yankee fan got it through the Nintendo 64. Mining through the game, hoping to get the PCI right, hearing “It is high… it is far… it is GONE!” after belting home runs with Bernie and Tino Martinez.
A toast to you, John Sterling, for over 30 years worth of memories that will last a lifetime. One voice will always follow the Yankee Dynasty with them during their greatest moments.
A toast to John Sterling for never lacking enthusiasm. Your style might have rubbed others the wrong way, but that’s fine. I don’t think any Yankees fans have had problems realizing that they’re on an island, and for better or worse, you either love ’em or you probably hate ’em.
A toast to John Sterling, the only voice this Yankee fan’s ever known. Godspeed and good tidings. Your last home run call?
It's a GRAND SLAM! Non dimenticar! That ball sure traveled far! Giancarlo! pic.twitter.com/MijTFRDveW
— John Sterling Calls (@JSterlingCalls) April 7, 2024
