Is Yankees Announcer John Sterling Retiring? John Sterling, the 84-year-old Yankees commentator, has made the decision to be a little kinder to himself. Because of the shortened schedule for the 2022 season, fans began to wonder when they would hear the familiar voice again.
For the Yankees, Sterling had a streak of 5,058 straight games called just three years prior.
Before joining the Yankees broadcast team in 1989, John was legendary for not missing a game for 38 years. He also provided play-by-play commentary for the NBA teams Atlanta Hawks and Atlanta Braves.
Is Yankees Announcer John Sterling Retiring? Explored
The announcer and sportscaster John Sterling has revealed that he can no longer carry on a load of road games. However, he is not retiring yet.
After 52 years of being on the road, reporting every game of the Yankees, John has decided it is time for him to recharge his batteries. He is worn out from years of carrying the load and would like to give himself some time off. In an interview with The Post, he said, “I love this game, but I hate being on the road.”
Although it may not be enough to weigh it in, the sportscaster has hinted about retirement. He said he is trying to follow the example of Met’s Howie Rose by cutting down on travel. He also mentioned Vin Scully, who reduced their trip before retiring. So, one can assume he would follow a similar path sooner or later.
What Happened to John Sterling?
John has said that his decision to cut his travel time is sole because of his age and that his body needs some rest. However, people only believe it to be half-baked excuses.
There are rumors about how the television crew was mistreated by the media channel and the game broadcast partners, which may have contributed to Sterling’s recent decision.
In 2020, Sterling traveled to road games with his partner Suyzn Waldman after the restrictions were lifted. The Yankees broadcast partner for the game did not provide lodging and transport facilities for the game announcers. Considering that he was 83 years old at the time, it must have been tough for him to manage his long road trip without any aid from the media.
It may not be reasonable enough to influence his decision, but it must have raised some questions in his mind and ultimately led him to believe he had enough road trips.
Chris Oliviero, the head of Audacy’s New York market, and Sterling recently met at Yankee Stadium to discuss the remainder of the campaign. Before the season, the two discussed reducing his road game schedule.
The Yankee Announcer’s Whereabouts
Sterling still has an ongoing contract with the Yankees until the end of 2022. He has announced that he would only work on a reduced travel schedule and not cover the games outside the northeastern United States.
His current workload is limited to Fenway Park, Citi Field, and Oriole Park at Camden Yards.
During his time off, Justin Shackil and Ricky Ricardo will be replacing him as the announcer.
Sterling was recently in Minnesota for the three-game series with the Twins. He has not yet disclosed what other plans he has during his off-schedule.
