An impressive 30-year streak for the iconic Yankee radio voice, John Sterling is scheduled to end this season. Since joining the Yankees radio booth in 1989, Sterling has yet to miss a game, but he expects that to change on June 26th when the broadcaster plans to attend his triplets’ high school graduation.
“There’s no issue,” Sterling told Neil Best of Newsday. “There’s no other priority. I’m going to my kids’ graduation . . . I think I’ve earned it.”
Including the postseason, Sterling has called more than 4,900 consecutive official games for the Yankees, a streak that will break 5,000 before June 26th, barring any unforeseen circumstance. It’s by far the longest such streak in Major League Baseball history, with the late Tom Cheek coming the closest, calling 4,306 consecutive games for the Toronto Blue Jays.
Heading into the 2016 season, Sterling expected his iron man streak would come to an end when his daughter graduated high school, but it happened to fall on a Yankees off-day. The voice of the Yankees didn’t have the same luck this season.
Wednesday, June 26th is slated to be an afternoon contest against the Toronto Blue Jays, ahead of two off-days when the Yanks will travel to London with the Boston Red Sox. While Sterling is comfortable letting the streak end on his own terms, there’s always the chance for a rainout to preserve his consecutive game tally.
Rickie Ricardo, the Yankees play-by-play announcer for their Spanish broadcast, is currently scheduled to fill in for Sterling on June 26th. Ricardo will join Suzyn Waldman on the call who has partnered with Sterling in the Yankees booth since 2005.
Traditionally, radio announcers on a baseball broadcast take turns providing play-by-play, but Waldman has relegated those duties to Sterling since joining the Yankees full-time. No word as to whether or not WFAN’s first ever voice would step out of her analyst role to call the game for a few innings while Sterling attends his triplets’ graduation.
Brandon Contes is a freelance writer for BSM. He can be found on Twitter @BrandonContes. To reach him by email click here.