During a reunion show with Chris Russo on SiriusXM, Mike Francesa voiced his strong disapproval of John Sterling‘s decision to return to the Yankees’ radio booth for the 2024 postseason. The reunion, celebrating the 35th anniversary of their legendary “Mike and the Mad Dog” show on WFAN, became a platform for discussing John Sterling’s unexpected comeback.
The conversation was sparked by a report from Andrew Marchand of The Athletic, which revealed that John Sterling, now 86, would be ending his retirement to rejoin Suzyn Waldman for the Yankees‘ postseason broadcasts. Both Russo and Francesa expressed their disagreement with this decision.
“I think John made a mistake coming back,” he said. “I thought he had a very good exit. I thought he got treated very well. I think he’s making a mistake coming back, I really do.”
Francesa was particularly vocal, describing John Sterling’s return as a poor choice. He commended Sterling’s initial retirement, noting that it had been handled with dignity and respect. Francesa suggested that if given the chance, he would John Sterling against coming back, arguing that the time had come to let others take the reins.
Is Francesa overreacting to John Sterling’s return?
Francesa also raised concerns about the impact of John Sterling’s return on those who have filled in during his absence. He stressed that there comes a point when one must step aside and give others a chance, highlighting that Sterling had already enjoyed a distinguished and lengthy career.
“If I was gonna give him advice — he doesn’t need advice from me — but I would tell him [you’d] be making a mistake coming back,” he told. “Plus, I don’t think it’s fair to the guys who have been doing the games! I don’t think it’s fair. Sooner or later you’ve got to let somebody else work! It’s just the way it is. I just think it’s wrong. He’s had his day in the sun! He’s had his championships. Let the other kids work!”
Francesa’s criticism carries an ironic twist, given his own history with un-retirement. He famously returned to WFAN in 2017 after a brief retirement, replacing Bart Scott, Maggie Gray, and Chris Carlin. Francesa’s second stint lasted until 2020, after which he shifted to podcasting on the BetRivers network. In 2023, he admitted that his own return was a mistake.
Since John Sterling’s initial retirement, the Yankees’ radio play-by-play duties have been handled by Emmanuel Berbari, Rickie Ricardo, and Justin Shackil, with Craig Carton also filling in for a weekend. Sterling’s planned return for the 2024 postseason raises questions about how these broadcasters’ roles might be affected.
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