New York Yankees radio play-by-play voice John Sterling is finally ready to accept a reduced work schedule.
According to Andrew Marchand of the New York Post, Sterling, who will turn 84 years old on July 4, will miss 25-30 road games for the Yankees and their flagship radio home WFAN during the second half of the Major League Baseball season. Sterling is expected to call all Yankee home games and will travel with the team for broadcasts from Fenway Park, Camden Yards, and Citi Field.
The iconic play-by-play voice broke a 5,060 consecutive game streak during the 2019 season when Sterling missed his first broadcast in 30 years. Despite being advised by some of his broadcasting peers to take a reduced schedule in 2021, the iron man rejected WFAN’s proposal to cut back last season.
Even prior to the start of the 2022 MLB season, Marchand reported WFAN was again planning for Sterling to call every Yankees game this year. But the daily grind and travel have finally convinced Sterling that it’s OK to schedule some off days.
“It is just to recharge my batteries,” Sterling told The Post. “I’ve been doing road games with teams for 52 years. I love this game, but I hate being on the road.”
In the past, WFAN has turned to YES Network and ESPN voice Ryan Ruocco, as well as Yankees Spanish language play-by-play broadcaster Rickie Ricardo, to fill in for Sterling. The Post reports Ruocco and Ricardo are again candidates to step in during Sterling’s scheduled series’ off, along with Jomboy host Justin Shackil and Yankees radio analyst Suzyn Waldman.
About Brandon Contes
Brandon Contes is a staff writer for Awful Announcing and The Comeback. He previously helped carve the sports vertical for Mediaite and spent more than three years with Barrett Sports Media. Send tips/comments/complaints to bcontes@thecomeback.com