Girardi Recalls Sterling's Passion in Yankees Tribute
Former New York Yankees manager Joe Girardi paid emotional tribute to longtime radio broadcaster John Sterling, who died at age 87. Girardi, now a YES Network analyst, described profound sadness over the loss of a voice central to the franchise and his own career. Yankee Stadium fans honored Sterling with chants during Monday's series finale against the Baltimore Orioles.
Girardi knew Sterling as a player, manager and broadcaster. In a phone interview with Fox News Digital on Monday, he praised Sterling's passion and gift for the job. "I’ve always loved to be around people that have such a great passion for what they do. John truly had that," Girardi said. He added that he misses hearing Sterling and broadcast partner Suzyn Waldman on the radio, especially while traveling with SiriusXM.
Sterling broadcast Yankees games for 35 years, from 1989 until retiring in April 2024, then returned for postseason play as the team reached the World Series for the first time since Girardi's 2009 championship squad. Over 64 years in the industry, he called 5,060 consecutive games and became known for home run calls starting with "It is high, it is far, it is gone!" followed by player-specific phrases like "Here comes the Judge!" for Aaron Judge.
Girardi shared a favorite memory from his managing days: Sterling pausing a pregame interview on a flip phone to tell his wife, "Darling, I’m doing the manager’s show. I’ll call you back in three minutes." He highlighted Sterling's creativity, care for others' success and authentic life. "He was an example of how you were supposed to live," Girardi said. "Find your passion and do it as long as you can."
