John Sterling may be an icon amongst the New York Yankees’ faithful, but it is time that he is put out to pasture.
To many, John Sterling is the voice of the New York Yankees. The 82-year-old has been behind the mic for the Yankees’ radio broadcasts since 1989, once calling 5060 consecutive games before taking four games off in 2019. His distinctive home run calls and victory proclamations have earned him a loyal cadre of fans. However, his continued errors in calling plays and over the top announcing have also earned Sterling a great deal of derision.
While Sterling has been a fixture for decades, the end may be coming. He is under contract through the end of the 2020 season, and it may be time to bring in some new blood. Or, at the very least, someone that understands the difference between a fair and foul ball.
And frankly, it is time. That was evident during his broadcast of the Yankees contest against the Rays, when he indicated that he did not know who Fan Graph is.
To be fair, the comment was made during a discussion about postseason odds. Maybe Sterling thought that Fangraphs was the name of some gambling show host, much like Jimmy the Greek or whoever Pete Rose used to go through. One could almost understand the confusion in that case.
Except that Fangraphs has been one of the more widely used baseball statistics sites. And the fact that it has been around since 2005, providing various articles, advanced statistics, and podcasts. Some of the best baseball writers in the business have been a part of the website.
The end eventually comes for everyone. Even the greats have to step aside some day, with legends like Vin Scully putting the microphone down one last time. But the game has passed Sterling by; his once endearing quirks have become the ramblings and mistakes of one who can no longer be the icon he once was.
It is time for the New York Yankees and John Sterling to come to an agreement that his time will come to an end at the end of the season. The game has simply passed him by.