LONGTIME play-by-play radio voice of the New York Yankees John Sterling has retired with immediate effect.
The legendary sportscaster, 85, called Yankees games for 36 years – nearly half of his 64-year career.
The Yankees announced the news alongside a statement from Sterling on Monday afternoon.
The team said it will honor the sportscasting legend during a pregame ceremony ahead of New York’s matchup with the Tampa Bay Rays on Saturday.
“I am a very blessed human being,” Sterling’s statement read.
“I have been able to do what I wanted, broadcasting for 64 years.
“As a little boy growing up in New York as a Yankees fan, I was able to broadcast the Yankees for 36 years.
“It’s all to my benefit, and I leave very, very happy. I look forward to seeing everyone again on Saturday.”
Ahead of the announcement, The Athletic reported that Sterling was expected to retire due to health concerns.
The New York native called 5,420 regular-season Yankees games in addition to 211 postseason matchups.
“Fans find a certain comfort in the daily rhythms of baseball,” the Yankees said in a statement.
“Day in and day out, season after season, and city after city, John Sterling used his seat in the broadcast booth to bring Yankees fans the heartbeat of the game, employing an orotund voice and colorful personality that were distinctly, unmistakably his own.
“John informed and entertained, and he exemplified what it means to be a New Yorker with an unapologetic and boisterous style that exuded his passion for baseball, broadcasting, and the New York Yankees.
“There is no shortage of adjectives to describe John and what he means to this organization and our millions of fans around the world.
“But what makes John a goliath of the sports broadcasting world was how sacred he held his role as voice of the Yankees.
“Showing up to perform virtually every single day since 1989, he was a pillar for Yankees fans who relied on the comfort and familiarity of his voice to be the soundtrack of their spring, summer and fall.
“Given the tremendous care he had for the team and his performance on the air, it’s not a stretch to believe that our fans live and die with every pitch because John Sterling did the same.
As a little boy growing up in New York as a Yankees fan, I was able to broadcast the Yankees for 36 years
Legendary Yankees sportscaster John Sterling
“We congratulate John on a remarkable and illustrious career.
“His contributions to this great game and to the Yankees franchise will echo long into the future.”
Sterling started his broadcasting career in Baltimore.
He served as the play-by-play announcer for the then-Baltimore Bullets during the 1970-71 season.
The sportscaster joined the New York sports media in 1971 as a radio host.
Later that decade, he started a nine-year stint covering MLB and the NBA in Atlanta, Georgia.
Sterling returned to New York to broadcast Yankees games in 1989, remaining with the franchise until his retirement.