Legendary Yankees broadcaster John Sterling has died, WFAN reports
Sterling served as the Yankees’ radio broadcaster for 36 years from 1989 to 2024 and called 5,060 consecutive games from 1989 to 2019.
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John Sterling, the longtime radio play‑by‑play voice of the New York Yankees, according to WFAN. He was 87.
“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,” WFAN posted on X.
Sterling served as the Yankees’ radio broadcaster for 36 years from 1989 to 2024 and called 5,060 consecutive games from 1989 to 2019.
He was known nationally for his colorful and instantly recognizable signature calls. After Yankees victories, Sterling famously declared, “Ballgame over! Yankees win! Theeeeeee Yankees win.”
His home run call, “It is high, it is far, it is gone,” became a staple of Yankees broadcasts. Sterling was also known for creating personalized home run catchphrases for individual Yankees players.
Sterling announced his retirement on April 15, 2024, but returned later that year to call playoff games. His final broadcast came on October 30, 2024, during Game 5 of the World Series, when the Yankees lost to the Dodgers.
Sterling was a resident of Edgewater, New Jersey, and had previously lived in Teaneck. In January 2015, he was among hundreds of residents displaced when a fire destroyed the Avalon at Edgewater apartment complex.
In February 2026, Sterling revealed that he had suffered a heart attack the previous month.
