Share and Follow
The tributes kept pouring in after Yankees’ famed broadcaster John Sterling announced his retirement Monday.
Many people, including the Islanders and the governor’s office, wanted to express their appreciation for Sterling as he retired from his remarkable career. His journey began by announcing games for the NBA’s Washington Bullets and later extended to hockey and finally baseball.
Sterling has served as the Yankees’ radio broadcaster since 1989, collaborating with notable figures such as Jay Johnstone, Michael Kay, Charley Steiner, and Suzyn Waldman in the broadcast booth.
Both baseball enthusiasts and fellow broadcasters, like the Mets’ Gary Cohen, Ron Darling, and Keith Hernandez, were eager to demonstrate their admiration for Sterling.
“I know Ron and Keith join me in passing nothing but our best wishes to our friend John Sterling who announced his retirement today,” Cohen said. “After 36 years in the Yankees booth and countless other assignments before that, John was a unique voice of baseball and an entertainment act all into himself.”
“I’ll just add he’s a consummate gentleman, just a wonderful man,” Hernandez said. “Always a smile on his face.”
Mets manager Carlos Mendoza also took a moment at the end of his press conference following their 6-3 win over the Pirates to congratulate Sterling on his career.
“What a great career and I want to congratulate him,” Mendoza said. “This was a guy that was very good for me and I wish him nothing but the best.”
Down in Florida, Angels television play-by-play man Wayne Randazzo gave a nod to Sterling by using the legendary broadcaster’s signature home run call “It is high! It is far! It is gone!” when Mike Trout hit an eighth-inning blast against the Rays.
In the Yankees’ own booth, Waldman spoke with YES Network’s Meredith Marakovits about the impact Sterling had on broadcasting.
“There will never be another John Sterling, there just can’t be,” she said of her broadcast partner of 20 years. “That’s the biggest compliment. Every day was a unique, funny, strange, wonderful experience.”
On the ice, Sterling’s time as the radio voice of the Islanders from 1975-78 was not forgotten by the team’s television voice Brendan Burke during Monday’s broadcast.
During Kyle MacLean’s third period goal, Burke broke Sterling’s signature “Islanders Goal, Islanders Goal, Islanders Goal” call.
Even The Post’s Mike Vaccaro was a bit nostalgic on social media recalling Sterling’s time calling the Isles.
‘For me, John Sterling will forever be the man whose signature call of ‘ISLANDER GOAL! ISLANDER GOAL!’ brought so much happiness to me in the days before we had cable TV. That I grew up to call him a friend is one of the many stunning blessings I’ve received in this career,” he wrote.
Sterling even had the likes of New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy commending him on his broadcast career.
“His vibrant personality and commitment to his craft brought joy to millions. We wish him a restful retirement,” Murphy wrote.
Legendary Yankee Derek Jeter also made sure to offer his congratulations on a career that overlapped with The Captain’s own on the diamond.
“I’ve had the pleasure of listening to and working with John for decades. He is a major part of Yankee history and will be greatly missed,” Jeter wrote on x.
