It is high... It is far... It is gone!
John Sterling: A farewell to the voice that fueled a love for Yankees Baseball
Fittingly, I’m in Syracuse this week. I say that because this is where I fell in love with the Yankees.
Love, like a vehicle, needs fuel. No matter what Hollywood and romantics will tell you, it cannot last forever on its own. Love is different than passion, which can be very fleeting. Love is intentional. You have to dedicate quality time to it, again, and again, and again… and when you decide that investment is no longer worth it, love fades.
Relationships thrive on the love factor. Sometimes we stay in a loveless relationship, whether that be with our partner, our favorite sports team, our favorite author, etc. But more often than not, without quality time, love no longer exists. People divorce. They find a new team to root for. They get engaged with another hobby.
John Sterling, the long-time radio voice of the Yankees, announced his retirement several days ago, somewhat abruptly. When I told my oldest daughter Stella—who herself has listened to countless hours of Sterling highlights in her young life—that I was sad about Sterling retiring, she was confused.
“Did he pass away?” she first asked, which is a smart thing for my three-year-old to say because she knows a lot of my idols are in their later years of life. I explained to her that Sterling was still alive but that he decided he no longer wanted to call Yankee games. When she still didn’t fully understand my melancholy, I clarified that, in a way, it’s like Sterling died.
Why so dramatic? It’s simple. John Sterling was one of the main fuel sources for the flames of love that became my obsession with Yankee baseball. I, myself, have spent countless hours listening to Yankee games on the radio. In the car, in the garage, out on the back deck of my parent’s old house. The memories are still vivid. The emotions are still strong.
But without Sterling behind the mic, a part of my childhood and most formative years has been taken away from me. Selfish? Sure. Ridiculous? To some. Sorrowful? Undoubtedly.
John Sterling helped me grow to love the Yankees, and more importantly, taught me that you can unabashedly love what you do and be elite at it.
That last point is something I want to dive a bit deeper into. It’s no secret to my “fans” that I quit a job and an industry that I spent a decade in to pursue a new career. One in which I felt I could again be elite, but love more than I would ever love what I used to do. People like John Sterling gave me hope that such a possibility was out there if I only dared to do it. Fortunately, I mustered the courage to give it an honest-to-god try and here we are today.
If you are a baseball fan, it’s clear that Sterling was a polarizing figure during much of his tenure as the Yankees’ broadcaster. Some of that comes with the territory — it’s the Yankees, after all. Some of it was the bravado in which he called games, particularly during the Yankee dynasty years from 1996-2000. Some of it, in later years, was caused by fatigue. People wanted someone new. They thought Sterling had lost his touch. They made fun of him for calling home runs that turned into doubles, or even worse, outs.
Sterling himself began to admit that father time was coming for his job. From his first Yankee game in 1989, until 2019, Sterling called 5,060 straight games. For a sport that loves to debate the viability of records being broken, I feel confident saying that record will stand the test of baseball’s time. But it was clear that many factors played into a quick decline during the last handful of seasons. His health, while never in serious jeopardy, began to slip. And while he was still incredibly sharp about his baseball knowledge as he called games into his 80s, his voice had lost the sparkle that made him so unique.
But Sterling never made excuses. He continued to work hard and has one of the best reputations of any baseball person within the game. It’s a testament to the strong morals he has, as well as his penchant for being an incredible play-by-play announcer.
Was he a homer? I think so. Then again, how can you not be during this era of Yankee baseball? Was he innovative? Of course, especially with his home run nicknames. Was he silly? “That’s baseball, Suzyn.” doesn’t exist without Sterling.
At the end of the day, I think you’d be hard-pressed to find someone who loved their job more than John Sterling did. In a statement given shortly after he announced his retirement, Sterling appropriately said, “It’s all to my benefit, and I leave very, very happy. I look forward to seeing everyone again on Saturday.”
The Yankees honored Sterling during a beautiful pre-game ceremony yesterday that coincided with the make-up date for the Aaron Judge 62nd home run bobblehead. The man who made his career on the radio was presented with an 83-inch television, got his name added to the end of the famous Bleacher Creatures roll call, and even called his final half-inning with longtime radio partner Michael Kay.
I mentioned earlier that Stella has listened to countless hours of Sterling highlights. To cap this column, below are some of what I believe to be the best calls of Sterling’s illustrious career.
7/4/85: Braves pitcher Rick Camp hits an 0-2 offering over the left-field fence, tying the game for the Braves in the bottom of the 18th.
18 inning games no longer exist because of the new extra-innings rules but this call is an absolute classic.
10/23/96: John Sterling and Michael Kay call Jim Leyritz's game-tying home run in Game 4 of the 1996 World Series.
The Leyrtiz homer in 1995, which Kay references here, is peak Sterling bravado. But this homer birthed a dynasty.
10/26/96: John Sterling and Michael Kay call the final out of the 1996 World Series.
I still get unbelievable goosebumps when the ball pops up in the air.
5/17/98: John Sterling calls the final out of David Wells' perfect game.
The first of many magical calls in a truly magical season.
10/26/99: Chuck Knoblauch hits a two-run homer to tie Game 3 of the 1999 World Series.
Knoblauch was the other person who made me obsessed with the Yankees.
10/21/01: Alfonso Soriano's walk-off home run gives the Yankees a 3-1 win and 3-1 series lead in the ALCS.
I love the “She’s gone!” part of this call as Ichiro(!) climbs the wall at the old Stadium.
8/4/07: John Sterling calls Alex Rodriguez's 500th Major League home run.
I was in Canada and listened to this with my Dad in the car on XM Radio.
Finally, “All rise! Here comes the Judge!”
Nothing more needs to be said.
Thank you, John Sterling, from the bottom of my heart. You fueled my love of Yankees Baseball for years to come. Fortunately, your voice lives on YouTube and countless other places online, and will continue to fan the flames of my Yankee and baseball obsession until the end of my time.
Great article and tribute to John Sterling