Buster OlneyMay 4, 2026, 12:53 PM ETCloseSenior writer ESPN Magazine/ESPN.com Analyst/reporter ESPN television Author of “The Last Night of the Yankee Dynasty”Follow on XMultiple Authors
Michelle Smallmon: John Sterling is ‘synonymous with Yankees baseball’ (1:40)The “Unsportsmanlike” crew remembers former Yankees announcer John Sterling, who died at the age of 87. (1:40)
You didn’t need to hear John Sterling update the score when you tuned into a game to know how the New York Yankees were doing. “They’re losing,” I’d say to my son.
After the world learned of Sterling’s death on Monday morning, Michael Kay, his longtime booth partner, wrote in a text, “He loved his life.”
He could laugh at himself. Years ago, we had a “Baseball Tonight” podcast competition inviting fans to give their best Sterling imitation, and he graded the work of each participant, appreciating the enthusiasm — understanding, as a true showman, that if his work was being discussed, it was a good thing.
“Remember what I just said?! That certifies this game as the wackiest, wildest, most incredible game in history!”
Michelle Smallmon: John Sterling is ‘synonymous with Yankees baseball’ (1:40)The “Unsportsmanlike” crew remembers former Yankees announcer John Sterling, who died at the age of 87. (1:40)
The “Unsportsmanlike” crew remembers former Yankees announcer John Sterling, who died at the age of 87. (1:40)
Buster OlneyMay 4, 2026, 12:53 PM ETCloseSenior writer ESPN Magazine/ESPN.com Analyst/reporter ESPN television Author of “The Last Night of the Yankee Dynasty”Follow on XMultiple Authors
CloseSenior writer ESPN Magazine/ESPN.com Analyst/reporter ESPN television Author of “The Last Night of the Yankee Dynasty”Follow on X
“And here’s the 0-2 pitch … AND HE HITS IT TO DEEP LEFT! HEEP GOES BACK! IT IS … GONE! HOLY COW! OH MY GOODNESS! I DON’T BELIEVE IT! I DON’T BELIEVE IT! RICK CAMP! RICK CAMP!”
Sterling’s incredulity was perfect, in a voice that so often spoke for how fans felt.