OT: John Sterling, NYY Play by Play retires

[Goku]

I noticed nobody made a thread about this. Congrats on a great career.

I'm not a yankee fan, but I found his style very amusing and authentic.

I'm curious what your favorite home run calls were for each player

I think "Bern Baby Bern" for Bernie Williams was #1

 

[Rutgers Chris]

I noticed nobody made a thread about this. Congrats on a great career.

I'm not a yankee fan, but I found his style very amusing and authentic.

I'm curious what your favorite home run calls were for each player

I think "Bern Baby Bern" for Bernie Williams was #1

Robin Ventura…”and Robin becomes….Batman!”

 

[Plum Street]

Best - “Robby Cano — dontcha know!”

A-bomb from A-Rod a lot of people were upset about

Sterling was great. Always a good listen .

Thaaaaa Yankees win!

 

[Tango Two]

I noticed nobody made a thread about this. Congrats on a great career.

I'm not a yankee fan, but I found his style very amusing and authentic.

I'm curious what your favorite home run calls were for each player

I think "Bern Baby Bern" for Bernie Williams was #1

Post in thread 'OT: Official 2024 NY Yankees Season Thread'

https://rutgers.forums.rivals.com/threads/ot-official-2024-ny-yankees-season-thread.274351/post-6780413

 

[RUfinally2008]

of

 

[LotusAggressor]

Best - “Robby Cano — dontcha know!”

A-bomb from A-Rod a lot of people were upset about

Sterling was great. Always a good listen .

Thaaaaa Yankees win!

Also:

Bernie Williams - Burn Baby Burn
It is high, it is far, it is gone!!!!!!
Back to back and belly to belly

An announcer that was actually entertaining.

 

[Plum Street]

Also:

Bernie Williams - Burn Baby Burn
It is high, it is far, it is gone!!!!!!
Back to back and belly to belly

An announcer that was actually entertaining.

Yes, and something nostalgic about hearing a guy like sterling call a baseball game on the radio on a lazy summer afternoon

 

[mdk01]

Best - “Robby Cano — dontcha know!”

A-bomb from A-Rod a lot of people were upset about

Sterling was great. Always a good listen .

Thaaaaa Yankees win!

Seemed like a great guy, but going back he seemed like he was from the Mel Allen group. "How bout that", Ballentine Blast. Preferred the Red Barber school. "Mickey Mantle comes the plate. Mantle is currently batting .304 with 17 doubles, 5 triples and 23 home runs. Here's the wind up then the pitch [crack of the bat, the ball is going 400 ft somewhere]. 24"

 

[Section124]

Sterling and Michael Kay...never liked either of them. Give me Messer, White, Murcer, Jim Kaat, etc. all day.

 

[RU from Jersey]

Bob Murphy, Lindsay Nelson and Ralph Kiner were a great listen.

 

[RUPete]

I liked hearing his MLB notes during the pre-game while driving home from work. I know it was canned, but enjoyed his delivery and the little side comments he would insert.

 

[ashokan]

Seemed like a good pro - kinda goofy with the "Yankees Win!" business but he kept the focus on counts despite all the micro-ads. Kept things smooth and rolling. But overall I did not think the Yankees had the best broadcast crew for a team of supposedly iconic stature. They weren't hard to miss for a casual fan.

 

[KT8813]

Sterling and Michael Kay...never liked either of them. Give me Messer, White, Murcer, Jim Kaat, etc. all day.

Mel Allen and Red Barber (a true Southern Gentleman) Were HOF first class all the way. They weened their little Italian buddy who added food and humor to the booth. Then came your group of Messer, White, Murcer and Jim Katt (probably the most underrated of the whole group). I think Sterling will go down as a true Yankee legend. Kay is just a pompous ass with a big dictionary! You did leave out Ken Singleton who I thought was great and should have had Kay's job!

 

[Brisket and Bourbon]

Good for him! Enjoy retirement!

 

[Plum Street]

Seems like an odd time to retire. 3 weeks into the season.
Hopefully it’s just a case of thinking this is the time

 

[RUPete]

Seems like an odd time to retire. 3 weeks into the season.
Hopefully it’s just a case of thinking this is the time

From what I read, I think so. These guys set a standard for themselves and when they feel they can't meet it, they would rather make the call than have someone do it for them. He was also going to do less games this year anyway. It's really amazing that his run was this long.

 

[RUPete]

A lot of change in the iconic voice department: no Nantz at the Final Four for the first time this year, last Masters for Vern Lundquist, now no more John Sterling and the Yanks.

 

[RUBubba]

Has nothing to do with retiring, but remember that his building was destroyed by a massive fire a few years back. Allegedly lost a ridiculous amount of Yankee and baseball memorabilia .

And for fun... what would have been his call for one of the 3 HRs Zappa hit? "Over Hill, Over Dale, over the wall for Berra!" (just off the top of my head...)

 

[Section124]

Mel Allen and Red Barber (a true Southern Gentleman) Were HOF first class all the way. They weened their little Italian buddy who added food and humor to the booth. Then came your group of Messer, White, Murcer and Jim Katt (probably the most underrated of the whole group). I think Sterling will go down as a true Yankee legend. Kay is just a pompous ass with a big dictionary! You did leave out Ken Singleton who I thought was great and should have had Kay's job!

Loved Singleton as well...can't believe I forgot him. I actually like Rizzuto, but he was there for the extras as you mentioned. We used to see him every Sunday morning at the diner before he did games.

 

[RUPete]

Loved Singleton as well...can't believe I forgot him. I actually like Rizzuto, but he was there for the extras as you mentioned. We used to see him every Sunday morning at the diner before he did games.

That’s right - he lived over in Hillside, didn’t he? Liked Jim Kaat a lot too.

 

[RUaMoose]

Sterling and Michael Kay...never liked either of them. Give me Messer, White, Murcer, Jim Kaat, etc. all day.

Curt Gowdy and Vin Scully were my favorites. I wouldn’t put Sterling in the same zip code as those two. “Islander goal! Islander goal!” “It is high, it is far” on a line drive that barely clears the fence. Nauseating

 

[RUPete]

Curt Gowdy and Vin Scully were my favorites. I wouldn’t put Sterling in the same zip code as those two. “Islander goal! Islander goal!” “It is high, it is far” on a line drive that barely clears the fence. Nauseating

I am glad that I got MLB Extra Innings the past several years because I would always throw the Dodger game on late Sunday afternoons just to hear Scully.

 

[Morrischiano]

Seemed like a good pro - kinda goofy with the "Yankees Win!" business but he kept the focus on counts despite all the micro-ads. Kept things smooth and rolling. But overall I did not think the Yankees had the best broadcast crew for a team of supposedly iconic stature. They weren't hard to miss for a casual fan.

This 100%.

Mets TV broadcast team is the best of all MLB broadcasts.

I found John Sterling to be a intolerable Yankee apologist.

A typical example would be:

Sterling: "You know Susan, if Cole gets that one pitch one inch closer to the plate and gets a third strike called , then Judge never crashes into the wall chasing down the ball in the next at bat and slams into the Dodgers outfield wall, injuring his foot. If we get that one pitch then the Yankees probably win 100 games with a healthy Judge and win the World Series"

Susan Waldman: "You're aahbsolutely right, Johhhn."

Sterling: "Boy, it's a game of inches, isn't it? We were an inch away from a 28th world series championship"

 

[Armor and Sword]

I remember when he did the NJ Nets games at the RAC.
Wasn't he called (or called himself) Super John Sterling? Also remember he wore a letter S pendant on a gold necklace back in those days.

 

[RUBubba]

Agree as well. Stirling was "fine" and very professional, but as his eyesight got worse, there were more and more "missed" calls. I tolerated Suzyn Waldman, but barely. Her content was ok, but oh my god... her voice. And Craig Carton has totally ruined it too. :-)

Bit of trivia about Suzyn Waldman... she was the first voice ever heard on WFAN.

I really hope she goes away too. She has no rapport with Justin Schackle or the other guy (drawing a blank). They need two people with a little connection to each other.

 

[Morrischiano]

Agree as well. Stirling was "fine" and very professional, but as his eyesight got worse, there were more and more "missed" calls. I tolerated Suzyn Waldman, but barely. Her content was ok, but oh my god... her voice. And Craig Carton has totally ruined it too. :-)

Bit of trivia about Suzyn Waldman... she was the first voice ever heard on WFAN.

I really hope she goes away too. She has no rapport with Justin Schackle or the other guy (drawing a blank). They need two people with a little connection to each other.

 

[knight82]

I remember when he did the NJ Nets games at the RAC.
Wasn't he called (or called himself) Super John Sterling? Also remember he wore a letter S pendant on a gold necklace back in those days.

I think you're confusing him with Super John Williamson

 

[Tango Two]

 

[Section124]

lol. Ever saw that before. I real when that happened.

 

[ruteelrice]

Bringing out a TV in the LG box made it look like he won it at a dive bar raffle lol

 

[Rhuarc]

Bringing out a TV in the LG box made it look like he won it at a dive bar raffle lol

During the game, he sat in with Kay in the booth and Kay asked him what he was gonna do with it. He said I have no idea, I already have 5 TV's. John Flaherty told him to put in his bathroom. lol

 

[RU#1fan]

Sterling and Michael Kay...never liked either of them. Give me Messer, White, Murcer, Jim Kaat, etc. all day.

They never liked each other.

 

[Doctor Worm]

Some of us remember his sports talk show on WMCA. His shtick was to insult those callers who didn't meet his minimum intellectual requirements.

He did early NJ Nets and NY Islanders, both with great enthusiasm. (GOAL!!! Islander goal! Islander goal!)

Then he lost all of the above gigs and his career seemed to have derailed. I remember seeing him on ESPN, shortly after that network's inception, calling a ping-pong match. He looked like he were recording a hostage tape.

Then Ted Turner saved his career with the Braves and Hawks job on what was then known as the Superstation, with its super national reach.

The rest of the story is known to all.

 

[rutger80]

Some of us remember his sports talk show on WMCA. His shtick was to insult those callers who didn't meet his minimum intellectual requirements.

He did early NJ Nets and NY Islanders, both with great enthusiasm. (GOAL!!! Islander goal! Islander goal!)

Then he lost all of the above gigs and his career seemed to have derailed. I remember seeing him on ESPN, shortly after that network's inception, calling a ping-pong match. He looked like he were recording a hostage tape.

Then Ted Turner saved his career with the Braves and Hawks job on what was then known as the Superstation, with its super national reach.

The rest of the story is known to all.

Yep, he was the play by play guy for the legendary Rick Camp home run July 4(5) 1985; the 19 inning Mets-Braves game that ended at 4 am.

 

[Armor and Sword]

I think you're confusing him with Super John Williamson

You are likely right about the nickname, but I'm sure he called NJ Nets games on the radio.

 

[knight82]

You are likely right about the nickname, but I'm sure he called NJ Nets games on the radio.

yes Sterling did Nets games from the RAC on radio. And Williamson played for the Nets and went by Super John with the Superman emblem

 

[RULoyal]

This 100%.

Mets TV broadcast team is the best of all MLB broadcasts.

I found John Sterling to be a intolerable Yankee apologist.

A typical example would be:

Sterling: "You know Susan, if Cole gets that one pitch one inch closer to the plate and gets a third strike called , then Judge never crashes into the wall chasing down the ball in the next at bat and slams into the Dodgers outfield wall, injuring his foot. If we get that one pitch then the Yankees probably win 100 games with a healthy Judge and win the World Series"

Susan Waldman: "You're aahbsolutely right, Johhhn."

Sterling: "Boy, it's a game of inches, isn't it? We were an inch away from a 28th world series championship"

From a Mets fan - shocking

 

[RUPete]

From a Mets fan - shocking

Each style has its place. You need to have the characters in the game along with the great analysts. When Ron Santo was alive, I would listen to him on the MLB web radio broadcasts. He was a ridiculous homer at times but he made things entertaining. Darling and Hernandez are among the best and they have a good sense of humor so they don't come off as too pompous. Still enjoyed Sterling for what he was.

 

[RUfinally2008]

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Best call he ever made lol