EDGEWATER, N.J. — For 36 years, John Sterling‘s voice was the soundtrack of Yankees baseball. His booming baritone carried through car radios, kitchen speakers and transistor sets across the tristate area. On Sunday afternoon, that familiar voice carried a very different kind of message.
Sterling, 87, appeared on WFAN radio with host Rickie Ricardo and shared a health scare that he had kept quiet for weeks. The beloved former play-by-play man, who called more than 5,000 consecutive Yankees games before retiring in 2024, told listeners he wanted to be upfront about what happened.
The news sent a wave of concern through the Yankees fan base. Sterling has been a constant in the lives of millions of fans who grew up listening to his signature home run calls. His health has been a topic of discussion ever since he stepped away from the booth, and Sunday’s reveal only sharpened that focus.
A broadcaster who battled through setbacks before
Sterling is no stranger to health challenges. His iron-man streak of 5,060 consecutive Yankees games ended on July 4, 2019, when illness forced him to miss three contests. In August 2020, he was hospitalized with a blood infection. Traveling became increasingly difficult in the years leading up to his retirement, and he reduced his road schedule in 2022.
He initially stepped away from the booth in April 2024 after feeling worn down by the first two road trips of the season. But he came back late in the regular season and returned to call the Yankees’ entire postseason run, which ended in a World Series loss to the Dodgers.
Since his full retirement, Dave Sims has taken over as the radio voice of the Yankees. Sterling moved into a weekend hosting role on 770 AM WABC last April. But podcast episodes of that show only ran updates through the end of December, leading some fans to quietly wonder about his absence.
Sterling reveals January heart attack on WFAN
During his Sunday chat with Ricardo on WFAN, Sterling put the speculation to rest with a candid admission.
“Everything is, I say, good. For people who don’t know, there isn’t any reason to hide it. At the beginning of January, I had a heart attack, and that’s fine; the heart is fine,” Sterling said. “Sometimes, it affects your legs, and it has affected my legs. So I’m kind of waiting for the force to leave my legs and I can get back out there. I’m very fortunate. All things are good, and it’s great to be on with you.”
John Sterling shares a health update with Rickie Ricardo after suffering a heart attack in January.
Sterling spoke with his trademark warmth and humor. There was no self-pity in his tone. He sounded like a man who has been through tough stretches before and knows how to push through them.
He credited his four children with keeping him on his feet during the recovery process.
“I have four children, and I couldn’t have done anything without them,” Sterling said. “They have been sensational in taking care of me. They’ve taken over all phases of my life.”
Sports fandom keeps the Yankees legend going
Even from his bed at his Edgewater, N.J., condo, Sterling has stayed connected to the sports world that defined his career. He told Ricardo that watching the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan-Cortina helped pass the time during his recovery. Basketball has also been a regular companion on the television.
“Isn’t it great to be a sports fan?” Sterling said. “Here I am kind of laid up in bed a lot, and the Winter Olympics were great.”
With Yankees spring training now underway in Tampa, Sterling can add Grapefruit League games to his viewing schedule. For a man who spent more than three decades inside the broadcast booth at Yankee Stadium, watching from home is a different experience. But his love for the game has not faded one bit.
A career that shaped how fans experienced Yankees baseball
Sterling joined the Yankees radio booth in 1989 and never looked back. The legendary broadcaster called 5,060 consecutive regular-season games and 211 more in the postseason. He worked alongside broadcast partners Jay Johnstone, Joe Angel, Michael Kay, Charley Steiner and Suzyn Waldman over the decades.
His partnership with Waldman, which began in 2005, became one of the most recognizable duos in sports radio. When Sterling briefly returned for the 2024 postseason, he spoke about how much he missed that working relationship.
“I miss meeting with all the other broadcasters and writers and people behind the scenes,” Sterling said during a WFAN appearance that fall. “And I’ll tell you what I really miss is broadcasting with Suzyn, who is such a fabulous partner and we were together for so long.”
Before his time with the Yankees, Sterling called games for the New Jersey Nets, New York Islanders, Atlanta Braves and Atlanta Hawks. He is a member of the New York State Broadcasters Hall of Fame.
Yankees fans rally behind their beloved voice
The reaction from the Yankees community was swift after Sterling’s revelation hit social media. WFAN posted a clip of the interview, and it spread quickly across platforms. Fans, former players and media members sent well-wishes to a man whose voice defined their connection to the sport.
Sterling’s attitude throughout the interview made it clear he is not looking for sympathy. He wanted to be honest with the public that supported him for decades. And he wanted fans to know that the heart attack has not broken his spirit.
The legs are still recovering. The heart, Sterling says, is fine. And as spring training rolls on in Tampa, the man who gave Yankees fans countless memories from behind the microphone is doing what he always did best: staying positive and staying in the game.
