John Sterling, the legendary New York Yankees radio announcer, died Monday. He was 87.
Sterling’s death was confirmed by his former station, WFAN in New York.
We are devastated to hear about the passing of John Sterling, a WFAN and Yankees radio icon whose voice was synonymous with an entire generation of Yankee fandom.
Rest in peace, John ❤️ pic.twitter.com/BF267gPGnJ
— WFAN Sports Radio (@WFAN660) May 4, 2026
Sterling, who started with the Yankees in 1989, quickly became a staple of the team’s radio broadcasts. Over the first 30 years of his career, he never missed a game, once appearing on over 5,000 straight broadcasts until eventually missing time in 2019.
Known for his iconic player nicknames, personalized home-run calls and game-winning phrase, Sterling served as the team’s announcer until 2024, when he surprisingly retired that April due to “health concerns.”
While Sterling was responsible for a number of catchphrases as the Yankees’ announcer, his most famous including his signature, “The Yankees win. Theeeeeeeee Yankees win” call following team victories. He was also well-known for his home run call, in which he proclaimed, “It is high, it is far, it is gone.”
This story will be updated.