Michael Kay breaks down in tears revealing legendary Yankees broadcaster John Sterling’s last wish
The world of baseball broadcasting lost one of the very best to do it.
On May 4, the tragic news broke that longtime New York Yankees broadcaster John Sterling had passed away aged 87-years-old.
Sterling retired from more than a six-decade-long broadcasting career in April 2024, after spending close to 40 years as the radio voice of the Bronx Bombers.
He would return later that year, to call the Yankees’ run to the World Series – in which they would lose to the Los Angeles Dodgers, and then fully retiring after the conclusion of that series.
Michael Kay, who is the television voice of the Yankees, reflected on the life of one of his best friends on Monday.
“I look at John as one of the closest friends I’ve ever had,” Kay said during his Monday radio show on ESPN New York.
“The funny part is, the people that are listening right now probably feel the same way because you spent 36 summers with him as the voice of the Yankees on the radio.
“The good news that he brought you, the five championships that he brought you, all the great moments he brought you, he was your friend. That’s why baseball on radio is the greatest thing of any sport.”
Sterling had suffered a heart attack earlier this year, and underwent open heart surgery.
During his emotional monologue, Kay also revealed that the doctors were excited about how well the procedure went, but Sterling was frustrated that he lost the ability to walk.
“His oldest daughter is getting married this summer, and he said, ‘Michael, I have to walk her down the aisle’. And that’s why he was hanging on,” Kay revealed.
He took a moment to compose himself, clearly struggling to hold back the tears as the emotion of the situation took over.
“But, he had trouble about a week ago. Heart Failure, and then he finally succumbed today. The only thing he wanted to do, he was unable to make it.” Kay added.
Tributes have poured in across the league for the legendary announcer, who called 5,060 consecutive Yankees games.
Yankees legend Derek Jeter shared a message from the team on his Instagram story, and went on to pay his own respects.
“John Sterling is as much a part of the fabric of the New York Yankees organization as any player,” Jeter posted on X.
“It was an honor to have him call every one of my games during my career and an absolute pleasure to get to know him on a personal basis. My thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends. He will be deeply missed.”
Ahead of their game against the Baltimore Orioles at Yankee Stadium, he was honored with a video tribute followed by a moment of silence, with Kay placing flowers at home plate.
In the first inning, Aaron Judge hit a two-run home run, and Kay went with Sterling’s iconic home run call for Judge on the play-by-play.
New York Mets radio voice Keith Raad did his own Sterling tribute, as the Yankees neighbours secured the win against the Colorado Rockies.
John Sterling’s career spanned sixty years, five World Series titles, and thousands of summer nights.
Though his goal of walking his daughter down the aisle was left unfulfilled, his impact within the broadcasting industry is undoubtedly massive.
As Jeter noted, he will remain a permanent thread in the fabric of the Yankees.
Stay up to date with the MLB across all our talkSPORT platforms – subscribe to our YouTube channel for the latest news, opinion, exclusive interviews and our daily unfiltered, unscripted show ‘The S* Word, from 8am ET
What's Your Reaction?
Like
0
Dislike
0
Love
0
Funny
0
Angry
0
Sad
0
Wow
0
