Girardi Mourns Sterling's Passion in Yankees Tribute
Former New York Yankees manager Joe Girardi paid tribute to late radio broadcaster John Sterling, recalling his passion and humor after fans chanted Sterling's name during Monday's series finale against the Baltimore Orioles at Yankee Stadium. Sterling, who died at 87, served as the Yankees' radio voice from 1989 until April 2024. Girardi, now a YES Network analyst, described feeling only sadness upon hearing the news.
Girardi told Fox News Digital he misses Sterling's voice on the radio, especially alongside broadcast partner Suzyn Waldman. He praised Sterling's passion for the job over 64 years in broadcasting and shared an anecdote from his managing days when Sterling paused a pregame interview to take a call, saying, "Darling, I’m doing the manager’s show. I’ll call you back in three minutes." Waldman told Girardi that Sterling only did what he wanted, a philosophy Girardi called a model for living fully.
Sterling called 5,060 consecutive Yankees games and became known for home run calls like "It is high, it is far, it is gone!" followed by player-specific phrases, such as "Here comes the Judge!" for Aaron Judge. He returned to the booth for the Yankees' 2024 postseason run to the World Series, their first since Girardi's 2009 championship team. Girardi marveled at Sterling's creativity in crafting calls on the spot and his care for players' success.
Girardi said Sterling exemplified finding and pursuing passion, echoing Joe Torre's advice to keep the uniform on as long as possible. Sterling brought energy into listeners' homes and cars, Girardi added, making his absence deeply felt across the Yankees organization and fanbase.
