John Sterling said goodbye after calling it a career and retiring from the broadcast booth. The Bronx Bomber faithful have been treated to some of the most iconic moments in baseball history over the past thirty years. This includes the remarkable late nineties run or when legends like Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez, and Mariano Rivera set records. Throughout all of them, fans can remember each moment with fond nostalgia. Sterling was that great commentator who brought Yankee Stadium to everyone’s homes. At the same time, he also got everyone’s instant reactions into the commentary box as history unfolded.
Great commentators can bring the game to life, but Sterling inscribed it into the minds of every Yankee fan forever. So when the great commentator finally said it was time to hang up the mic early last week, it was a great and sad shock to all. Sterling was and is the only commentator Yankee fans born within the past thirties have known. His voice has been and will always be a part of the home of every Yankee fan.
His voice and unique calls are forever attached to the franchise-altering moments fans have shared with him. Here are some of the most memorable calls Sterling has delighted fans with over the years.
John Sterling’s Best Calls in the Booth
ALCS 1996 Game 1
The Yankees came into the 1996 postseason from a tremendous regular season where they won the American League East and followed that up by winning the ALDS. In the Championship Series, the Yankees faced that year’s division rivals, the Baltimore Orioles. Earlier that season, the two teams had fought in one of the worst brawls in baseball history. The brawl resulted in multiple suspensions handed down from the league and set the stage for what would come in the ALCS. Both teams were fighting for a World Series birth and wanted to get the upper hand in winning game 1. What followed was one of the most iconic moments in Yankee history and one of Sterling’s most iconic calls.
David Well’s Perfect Game
The 1998 Yankees are arguably one of the greatest teams in the history of Major League Baseball. The team was as complete as possible, featuring multiple Hall of Famers such as Jeter and Rivera. However, as good as they were on paper, they also achieved some of the most remarkable feats in a single-season season, such as David Wells‘s perfect game, the first since Don Larsen‘s historic World Series perfect game. There were many tense moments as the fans at the stadium and watching on TV realized they were watching history. John Sterling gave one of his most excellent calls.
The Yankees Win the 1996 World Series
After eighteen years of not winning a World Series, the Yankees ended it by bringing home number 23. Sterling was as elated as all the Yankee fans to whom he projected his voice that late October evening. This was super special because of how incredible the 96 team was and how Sterling was able to encapsulate this all in a few iconic sentences.
Thank you, John
Sterling leaves his post as one of the greatest commentators in baseball. His voice and mastery of his words are forever synonymous with many of the great Yankee moments. Whoever replaces him will have huge shoes to fill, but hopefully, will be as iconic.
If the Yankees make the World Series, Sterling will return one last time to fill fans’ ears with his memorable commentary.
Main Photo: © John Jones-USA TODAY Sports
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