Voice of the Yankees Falls Silent at 87

For decades, the rhythm of summer nights in New York carried a familiar soundtrack — one voice rising above the crack of the bat and the roar of the crowd. That voice is now gone.

According to the New York Post, John Sterling, the longtime radio play-by-play announcer for the New York ⚾Yankees, has died at 87, closing the chapter on a broadcasting career that stretched across eight decades.

Sterling spent 36 seasons calling ⚾Yankees games, becoming synonymous with the team’s biggest moments.

He was behind the microphone for five World Series championship teams and seven American League pennant winners, bringing those victories to life for generations of listeners.

His path began far from the bright lights of the Bronx.

In the late 1950s, Sterling broke into radio at a small station in Wellsville, New York, taking on nearly every role imaginable. He later described the experience as formative.

“When you work at one of those little stations you did everything,” he said. “I pulled a six-hour shift, afternoons, disc jockey work, you read the news. … Back then you had to work with platters, and tapes and cartridges.”

“It was good training because you find out what you’re good at. You have to find your own style. … That’s how I did it anyway.”

That style would become unmistakable.