After 34 years as the iconic voice of the New York Yankees, John Sterling retired from the broadcast booth in April, creating a notable vacancy that WFAN has been addressing with a rotating lineup of announcers.
The station has turned to Justin Shackil, Emmanuel Berbari, Ryan Ruocco, Brendan Burke, and Rickie Ricardo to join Suzyn Waldman. Still, John Sterling has made it clear he has no plans to influence the decision on his permanent replacement.
Appearing on “The Show with Joel Sherman and Jon Heyman,” John Sterling informed Heyman and guest co-host Mike Vaccaro that he was “staying out of it,” avoiding any influence that could affect one candidate over another. He commended the young broadcasters, stating they were performing admirably and there were no issues with the current setup.
“I don’t want to hurt one person for another. I think the kids are doing a great job. No problems,” he said.
John Sterling announced his sudden retirement on April 15 after decades of managing the Yankees booth.
Still John Sterling likes Rickie
Despite any expectation that John Sterling might favor Spanish language broadcaster Rickie Ricardo, who came to his rescue during the 2021 Hurricane Ida flooding, he remains impartial. Recalling the event, the former Yankees voice described how he attempted to drive through torrential rain before his car stalled in deep water in Edgewater, N.J. Stranded, he called Waldman, who then contacted Ricardo. Ricardo, still at the stadium due to postgame duties, promptly picked up John Sterling and drove him home via a detour to avoid the flooding.
While John Sterling expressed his admiration for Ricardo, acknowledging him as a remarkable broadcaster, he reiterated his decision to remain neutral in the selection process for his successor at the Yankees booth. Sterling stepped down earlier this year after the season had begun, concluding a distinguished career that started in 1989.
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