Report: Legendary Yankees announcer could return for big postseason role

New York Yankees Radio Broadcaster John Sterling. Photo Credit: Alexander Lewis / MyCentralJersey via Imagn Content Services, LLC

Legendary New York Yankees radio broadcaster John Sterling retired earlier this year due to health concerns, but there is a chance he could return to the booth in October.

Sterling is considering coming out of retirement to call Yankees games during the playoffs, according to a report from Andrew Marchand of The Athletic. Sterling recently called a few innings of a game alongside analyst Suzyn Waldman, and he is expected to discuss a more significant role with Audacy New York president Chris Oliviero.

Sterling told Marchand that he has not been approached by Oliviero or anyone else from WFAN, which Oliviero oversees.

“The ball is in their court,” Sterling said. “They would have to ask. I would feel bad for the guys who have done the games all year.”

The 86-year-old Sterling stepped away from the booth in April, and it was believed that he was retiring for good. He had cut down on the number of road games he called prior to that. Sterling has been replaced this season by a rotation of Rickie Ricardo, Justin Shackil and Emmanuel Berbari.

While Sterling might only be interested in calling home playoff games, Marchand notes that people familiar with the discussions believe Sterling would have to commit to all Yankees playoffs games if he is serious about returning.

Even if Sterling does return to the booth for the playoffs, he is not expected to call games again next season.

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.