The voice of the Yankees has gone silent.
Announcer John Sterling has died at the age of 87.
The man who would declare “theee Yankees win!” died on May 4, months after having a heart attack and bypass surgery over the winter, The Associated Press reported.
After his hospital stay, he went back to his home in Edgewater, New Jersey, and had health aides in charge of his care. He died at Englewood Hospital, his former wife said.
The team released a statement which read:
“John Sterling breathed life and excitement into Yankees games for 36 years while wearing his passion for baseball and the Yankees on his sleeve.
“He informed and entertained generations of fans with a theatrical and unapologetic style that was uniquely his own. John treasured his role as the voice of the New York Yankees, and his enthusiasm for the art of broadcasting perfectly complemented our city and our fans. The symmetry between John and his audience was both undeniable and magical, and his signature calls will resonate for as long as we put on pinstripes — especially after every Yankees win.”
Sterling called 5,631 games — broken down: 5,420 regular season games and 211 postseasons — by the time he retired in April 2024.
Of those games, he broadcast 5,060 consecutive games from September 1989 to July 2019.
He came out of retirement in 2024 for the postseason, the AP said.
Sterling had a knack for personalizing home runs with nearly every player, from rookie to veteran, having a custom call. Derek Jeter’s homer was “It’s a Jeter jolt” to Alex Rodriguez, “It’s an A-bomb from A-Rod!” Sterling yelled.
He said it all started after a call for Bernie Williams.
“It wasn’t meant that way. I just happened to do something for Bernie Williams. He hit a home run and I said, `Bern, baby, Bern!′ And it kind of mushroomed from there,” Sterling explained. “But it never was intended for every player, because, frankly, I’m not smart enough to do something for every player. But I did the best I could, and it’s amazing what started out as — became so big.”
His partner in the booth, Michael Kay, said after news of his death, “He loved his life,” ESPN reported.
Sterling was born Josh Sloss in 1938 and grew up in Manhattan. He left college to work on radio shows, after growing up listening to Eddie Bracken’s show, the AP reported.
He said he “didn’t want to be Eddie Bracken. I wanted to be the guy who says: `Live from Hollywood!’”
Sterling started his career on the radio in 1960 at a Wellsville, New York, station.
Before calling Yankees games, he was behind the mic for the Washington Bullets and Morgan State football. He also worked for the Braves from 1982 until 1987 and the Hawks from 1981 to 1989 before going to the Yankees, the AP reported.
His call from a 1985 game between the Mets and Braves, a game that went to nearly dawn after rain delays and extra innings and saw as ESPN described weak-hitting pitcher Rick Camp, pinch hit in the 18th, became the stuff of legends.
After telling Ernie Johnson Sr., “Ernie, if he hits a home run to tie this game, it will absolutely be certified as the nuttiest in the history of baseball.”
Then Camp hit the ball, as Sterling predicted, ESPN reported.
“And here’s the 0-2 pitch ... AND HE HITS IT TO DEEP LEFT! HEEP GOES BACK! IT IS ... GONE! HOLY COW! OH MY GOODNESS! I DON’T BELIEVE IT! I DON’T BELIEVE IT! RICK CAMP! RICK CAMP!,” Sterling announced.
Sterling leaves behind his ex-wife, Jennifer, and four children.