Michael Kay got emotional Monday afternoon as he reflected on the life of one of his best friends, beloved Yankees announcer John Sterling.
Sterling passed away from heart failure on Monday morning after the 87-year-old underwent heart surgery following a heart attack earlier this year. Despite taking the news of Sterling’s death hard, Kay began his radio show seeking to celebrate the life of one of his best friends.
“I look at John as one of the closest friends I’ve ever had,” Kay said during his Monday radio show on ESPN New York. “And the funny part is, the people that are listening right now probably feel the same way because you spent 36 summers with him as the voice of the Yankees on the radio. The good news that he brought you, the five championships that he brought you, all the great moments he brought you, he was your friend. That’s why baseball on radio is the greatest thing of any sport.”
Sterling retired from a more than six-decade-long broadcasting career in April 2024, after spending 36 years as the radio voice of the Yankees. He briefly returned later that year to call the Yankees’ playoff run to the World Series before fully retiring from the booth. But his longevity was unmatched, with Sterling starting an impressive Iron Man streak of 5,060 consecutive games in 1989. And his signature style was impossible to replicate, with fans gravitating toward Sterling’s home run calls, melodic voice, and gentle personality.
“John Sterling was one of a kind,” Kay continued. “I have never, ever, ever, ever in my life met anybody like him. And I know that as long as I live, I will never meet anybody like him. He was one of one.”
Kay revealed he spoke with Sterling’s doctors after his open-heart surgery earlier this year. And according to Kay, the doctors were excited about how well the procedure went, but Sterling was frustrated that he lost the ability to walk after being bedridden for so long following surgery. Kay said he even encouraged Sterling to slow down as he pushed himself through rehab with persistence.
“His oldest daughter is getting married this summer, and he said, ‘Michael, I have to walk her down the aisle.’ And that’s why he was hanging on,” Kay revealed.
Kay took a moment to compose himself as he understandably teared up while telling this story, with many of his listeners likely getting emotional as well.
“But he had trouble about a week ago. Heart failure, and then he finally succumbed today,” Kay said through tears. “The only thing he wanted to do, he was unable to make it.”
Despite not being there to physically walk his oldest daughter down the aisle, Kay noted that Sterling will surely be looking down on his family at her wedding this summer. Kay admitted he was hit hard after receiving the news of Sterling’s passing from Suzyn Waldman, who received the news from Sterling’s ex-wife, Jennifer.
Yankee fans were able to share their emotions with Kay on the radio Monday afternoon, all stemming from their bond with Sterling. As Kay noted, the bond created is unique to the intimacy of radio, but Sterling’s one-of-one personality only made that connection stronger.
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