Legendary Yankees Broadcaster John Sterling Dead at 87

John Sterling, the legendary voice of the New York Yankees radio broadcast for 36 seasons, has died. He was 87.

The Yankees and radio station WFAN announced Sterling’s death on Monday, but did not share any details about his cause of death. Sterling had previously undergone heart bypass surgery this winter.

“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 said in a statement, as per ESPN.

“The Yankees mourn the loss of legendary broadcaster John Sterling,” the MLB team added in a separate statement. “Our thoughts are with John’s family, friends and loved ones at this time.”

Sterling called 5,420 regular-season games and 211 postseason games when he retired from broadcasting in April 2024 — 5,060 of which were consecutive Yankees games between September 1989 and July 2019. Sterling then came out of retirement to call Yankees games during the 2024 postseason. Throughout his career, Sterling broadcast 24 Yankees postseason stints in addition to seven World Series appearances and five World Series wins.

Sterling, whose seven-decade career in broadcasting also included runs with the Atlanta Braves and Hawks, the New York Nets and Islanders, and the Baltimore Bullets, was known for his theatrical style and his signature call — “The Yankees win!”

The Yankees mourn the loss of legendary broadcaster John Sterling. Our thoughts are with John’s family, friends and loved ones at this time. pic.twitter.com/1rCeRC1D61

— New York Yankees (@Yankees) May 4, 2026

“We are saddened by the passing of former New York Yankees broadcaster John Sterling,” said the MLB in a statement. “Through his unique style and passionate play-by-play calls, Sterling endeared himself to generations of players and fans as radio voice of the Yankees from 1989 to 2024. His signature punctuation of Yankees victories included calling the final out of five World Series championships.”

Suzyn Waldman, Sterling’s longtime broadcasting partner, wrote on Instagram, “Thank you to everyone who has reached out! Very tough day, but a celebration of the life of a man who lived life exactly the way he wanted is in order!”