On John Sterling

 

John Sterling, left, and Michael Kay

I first heard his voice in 1989. After two awkward years of Hank Greenwald and Tommy Hutton as the radio duo for Yankees broadcasts, John Sterling and Jay Johnstone stepped to the mic in 1989.

Jay was gone after 1990 before Joe Angel spent a year in the booth. Then Michael Kay started in 1992. Charley Steiner and, eventually, Suzyn Waldman would follow.

But John has been our Yankees compadre all along.

Today, John announced that he is done, effective immediately. It's time for him to enjoy his life, saying he'll still watch games but that he's "tired." After all, he's 85 years old.

The New York Yankees radio announcer is a legacy position dating back to 1939 when Arch McDonald came to New York from Washington. It didn't quite work out for Arch and he was back in the nation's capital in 1940.

His partner in '39 though, decided to stick around. It worked out quite well for Melvin Allen Israel, forever "The Voice of the Yankees."

Mel would be the constant through 1964. Allen impacted John Sloss, aka John Sterling, growing up on the Upper East Side of Manhattan.

John started in Baltimore with the basketball Bullets and Morgan State University football before coming to New York in 1971 to host a talk show on WMCA. He was an early example of the acerbic talk show host but also called games for the New York Islanders ("Islanders Goal!" "Islanders Goal!"), the Nets, and other teams. He also did the pregame show for the Yankees in the mid-1970s before heading to Atlanta to do the Braves and Hawks. Finally, he cemented his legacy with the Yankees in 1989.

If you know John Sterling, you know the deal. The calls became iconic. He could drive listeners nuts with bombast and, occasionally, missing details. It did sometimes feel he was too concerned with the "big call" versus getting it right.

Admittedly, having my own style, John was a tough listen for me initially. In fact, I had to make my own peace with him, even as I came to appreciate the big moments that were piling up in the 1990s.

Finally, while talking with a coworker, he said something I'll always remember.

"You don't watch or listen to games the way that fans do," he said. 

He was right. It was OK to adjust and recognize that I could listen to John as a fan. That didn't mean his style was ever going to be mine. In the process, I learned to laugh at it as the silly home run calls piled up.

What began with "Bern Baby Bern" grew into every player having a customized call. 

Remembering the sponsor, early editions of getting two outs meant it was a "Jiffy Lube double play." Every break would adjust as the sponsor changed but it was often "the New York Yankees radio network, driven by Jeep."

Using his voice for all it had, he could elongate, especially on every delivery, as in "Thuuuuuuuuuuuh pitch."

Home runs, regardless of height, were always "It is high! It is far! It is GONE!"

And every victory was a symphony of "Yankees win! Thuuuuuuuuh Yankees WIN!"

If anything, in our social media world, I came to look to hear how John would call certain moments.

But, man, was he reviled around baseball, with John and Suzyn routinely being ranked as one of baseball's worst. However, I came to love them, seeing them more as friends. I respect Suzyn fiercely for his position as a pioneer so I don't take much Suzyn slander.

And John? I learned to not be too serious about it, even if this was the hallowed booth of the New York Yankees.

But, ask around, and you'll hear so much disgust for him. Yet, you've done something right when you're so loved and mocked. Even David Ortiz is known for saying "The Yankees lose!" when a defeat has been secured.

But go back and listen. Listen to highlights from 1996 or 98 or 99 or 2000. Or 2009. And everything before as well as after.

Bernie. Jeter. Posada. Mariano. O'Neill, "The BamTino." "The Giambino," and "Robbie Cano, uh-doncha-know."

"The gutty, gritty Yankees."

Sterling will be honored on Saturday by the team.

There are so many moments to highlight. Too many, in fact. But the bottom line is that he called five World Championships for the Yankees but also losses in 2001 and 2003. No matter what, he called each moment with the attention and energy it deserved.

He could baffle but he was always a pro.

And so ... John ... wethankyou.

Thank you for the years of calls where you kept us company as the soundtrack of Yankees baseball. Enjoy our retirement.

Lastly, of course, I have to say it.

That's baseball, Suzyn.

*****

Would I love to get the Yankees radio job? Of course, and I appreciate every message and text I've received over the last several hours regarding that. As of now, the Yankees have two voices all set to handle the job.