John Sterling, Yankees radio voice, dies at 87

New York Yankees radio broadcaster John Sterling has died at age 87, WFAN Sports Radio announced on Monday. The station described Sterling as a Yankees radio icon whose voice defined a generation of fans. Sterling retired in April 2024 after 64 years in broadcasting.

Sterling suffered a heart attack in January and had been reported in good spirits. He served as the Yankees' play-by-play announcer since 1989, calling multiple World Series championships. His signature home run call, "It is high, it is far, it is gone," became a staple, often followed by player-specific phrases such as "It’s an A-bomb from A-Rod" for Alex Rodriguez and "Here comes the Judge!" for Aaron Judge.

Sterling called more than 5,000 consecutive Yankees games from 1989 until July 4-7, 2019. He began his career in 1970 as play-by-play announcer for the NBA's Baltimore Bullets, later broadcasting for the WHA's New York Stars, the NHL's New York Islanders and the ABA's New York Nets. He worked in Atlanta before returning to New York for Yankees games, shifting to a reduced schedule in 2022 before his retirement.

The sports world expressed grief over Sterling's death on social media.