John Sterling, the theatrical radio voice of the New York Yankees for parts of 36 seasons, has died, the team and radio station WFAN announced Monday. He was 87.
Sterling had undergone heart bypass surgery this winter and was attended by health care aides at his home in Edgewater, New Jersey, after the procedure.
Sterling had called 5,420 regular-season games and 211 postseason games when he retired in April 2024 just after the season's start. He broadcast 5,060 consecutive games from September 1989 through July 2019 after beginning with the Yankees as a pregame host.
Sterling came out of retirement to call Yankees games during the 2024 postseason.
"We are devastated to hear about the passing of John Sterling, a WFAN and Yankees radio icon whose voice was synonymous with an entire generation of Yankee fandom," WFAN said in a statement.
Sterling was on the air for 24 Yankees postseason trips, seven World Series appearances and five World Series titles.
Known for his signature "The Yankees win!" victory call and his personalized home run calls, Sterling spent his last 20 seasons with the Yankees working alongside Suzyn Waldman.
"Through his unique style and passionate play-by-play calls, Sterling endeared himself to generations of players and fans as radio voice of the Yankees from 1989 to 2024," Major League Baseball said in a statement. "His signature punctuation of Yankees victories included calling the final out of five World Series championships."
Sterling's call for a player's home run became as treasured a part of a Yankees identity as an initial set of pinstripes or a championship ring. As rookies prepared for debuts and former opponents arrived in trades, fans speculated how he would label the newcomer's first long ball.
From "Bernie goes boom! Bern, baby, Bern!" for Bernie Williams, to "It's a Jeter jolt!" for Derek Jeter to "It's an A-bomb from A-Rod!" for Alex Rodriguez, "The Giambino!" for Jason Giambi and "A thrilla from Godzilla!" for Hideki Matsui, Sterling created personal stamps resonating from the clubhouse to the bleachers.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
