Legendary New York Yankees radio broadcaster John Sterling is made a major anouncement on Monday.
Sterling announced his immediate retirement due to health concerns. The 85-year-old has long been reluctant to step away, though he did cut back on his road schedule for the 2024 season. Justin Shackil and Emmanuel Berbari are splitting much of the Yankees’ road schedule on the radio this year.
Though his style can be divisive, Sterling is one of the most recognizable broadcasters in baseball. He has been calling Yankee games on the radio since 1989 and is well-known for his player-specific home run calls and euphoric manner of announcing Yankee victories. Sterling has sometimes been criticized for mischaracterizing certain plays, a habit that some would say has gotten worse in recent years.
Sterling went 30 years without missing a game between 1989 and 2019, but his health issues have increased in recent years. It sounds like that, more than anything else, may be what pushes him into retirement.
