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george castillo
multiple authors
New York — For the past few seasons, New York Yankees Manager Aaron Boone has celebrated each victory with a line familiar to baseball fans.
“I still do it and my coaches look at me like I’m crazy,” Boone said Monday. “I don’t even know if they know what I’m doing. But as soon as the final out comes and I get up to shake hands with the players, I say, ‘Ballgame over! The Yankees won! The Yankees won!’ And I’m shaking hands with all my coaches. “I got goosebumps just thinking about it.”
John Sterling used that call to punctuate every Yankees victory on the air as the team’s radio voice for parts of 36 seasons, completing his broadcasting career that spanned six decades. This, along with Sterling’s personalized home run calls, became synonymous with his eccentric style. Dear Radio Play-by-Play Broadcaster died on monday In a hospital in New Jersey months after undergoing heart surgery following a heart attack. He was 87 years old.
“A legend in the game,” Boone said before facing the Yankees. baltimore orioles. “Did it my way. To my own tune as best I could and really one of a kind. And a sad day, but also a day where we got to celebrate an iconic man.”
The Yankees honored Sterling with a moment of silence before Monday’s game, wearing Sterling’s “JS” initials sewn onto the back of his cap. Sterling’s two broadcasting partners over the years, Michael Kay and Suzanne Waldman, placed bouquets of flowers at home plate.
Sterling was on the air for 5,426 regular-season and 225 postseason games when he retired in April 2024, before returning for a final stint during the club’s postseason run to the World Series that year.
He was on the microphone for 5,060 consecutive games from September 1989 to July 2019. He called 24 Yankees postseason trips, eight World Series appearances and five World Series titles. He was on the call for milestone milestones ranging from Derek Jeter’s 3,000th hit to Alex Rodriguez’s 500th home run. aaron judgeRecord-breaking 62nd homer in 2022.
“I’ll just remember that he brought New York theater to the ballpark,” Judge said Monday. “I think that’s the best way to describe it. He brings so much enthusiasm. He’s almost a child on the broadcast.”
When Judge went deep in the first inning on Monday for his league-leading 14th home run, Kay paid tribute to Sterling with his own home run call: “It’s high! It’s too far! It’s gone! Aaron Judge! A Judgeian blast! Here comes Judge!”
Judge later said of Sterling, “He loved this team, he loved this franchise, he loved the fans.” “He loved everybody he talked to at night. So, to be the first one there to do that, I was running around the base laughing wondering what he was probably saying.”
The Yankees used Sterling’s signature “The Yankees won!” Played. call after their finals win 12-1 On the Orioles before transitioning into Frank Sinatra’s “New York, New York”.
The judge hopes this is a new Bronx tradition.
Judge said, “I think it would be a nice little tip for John and what he wants to say – for this franchise and this fanbase. I think it would be great.”
Like Judge, Boone hopes Sterling’s voice becomes a regular after the win.
“Yes, I’d love to,” said the manager. “Right in Frank.”
Boone wrote one of the few memorable moments Sterling missed when he sent the Yankees into the World Series with a walk-off home run. boston red sox In Game 7 of the 2003 American League Championship Series. Sterling’s teammate at the time, Charlie Steiner, was on the microphone in extra innings. Years later, when Boone was a broadcaster for ESPN, Waldman gave a tape of Boone calling Sterling.
Boone smiled and said, “What’s that, John.”
Boone said that his best memories of Sterling off the field were the “sweet, funny, encouraging” comments he would regularly make when the team was traveling – whether by bus or plane – and going through a difficult period.
He recalled Sterling’s “boyish” reaction when he was hit by a foul ball in mid-air during a game at Yankee Stadium in 2023.
He recalled Sterling’s booming voice serving as a summer soundtrack for generations of fans.
“He was his own,” Boone said. “He was an original. He never did it like he did, there probably won’t be anyone else like him. And I appreciate it. And I ate it up. I loved it.”
This report included information from the Associated Press.
