John Sterling, the longtime radio voice of the New York Yankees, died at 87, WFAN and the team said Monday. [1]
WFAN Sports Radio said it was “devastated” by his death, calling Sterling “a WFAN and Yankees radio icon whose voice was synonymous with an entire generation of Yankee fandom.” [1] Major League Baseball said his “unique style and passionate play-by-play calls” won him generations of players and fans, and it said he served as the Yankees’ radio voice from 1989 to 2024. [2]
Sterling covered Yankees games for 36 seasons after starting in 1989 and retiring in 2024. [2, 1] He was known as the “voice of the Yankees” and for his signature call after victories. [2, 1] Reports said he was a native New Yorker who grew up on Manhattan’s Upper East Side. [2, 1]
Before joining the Yankees, Sterling worked in radio and play-by-play jobs with the NBA’s Hawks, MLB’s Braves, the NHL’s Islanders and the NBA’s Nets. [2] MLB said he called games for five World Series championship teams. [2, 1] His broadcast work with the Yankees included 12 Sports Emmy Awards, according to one report. [2]
The accounts differ on Sterling’s total Yankees game count. MLB said he called 5,420 regular-season games and 211 postseason games, while WFAN and the Yankees said he worked 5,631 games in all. [2, 1] WFAN and the team announced his death on Monday, May 4, 2026. [1]
