It’s Way Past Time for John Sterling to Retire

Average Reds

Member
SoSH Member
Sep 24, 2007
35,330
Southwestern CT
I have gotten a kick out of Sterling over the years, but this has been happening way too often to him. And it seems to be getting worse.

View: https://twitter.com/JSterlingCalls/status/1514424180749455362?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1514424180749455362%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.huffpost.com%2Fentry%2Fjohn-sterling-gone-but-caught_n_6257dbd9e4b052d2bd5e8742


Seems a lot worse than the mistake in Fenway last Fall where he mistook the wall ball for a home run.

Regardless, we need a dedicated thread for his idiocy.
 

EvilEmpire

paying for his sins
Moderator
SoSH Member
Apr 9, 2007
17,183
Washington
It was a comment expressing regret that the ball didn't go out. That's it.

But thanks for expressing your heartfelt concerns about the quality of the Yankees radio broadcast. It means a lot.
 

cromulence

Member
SoSH Member
Aug 25, 2009
6,705
He's a complete trainwreck and has been for quite some time now. And it's not just the obvious stuff like this - he's slow on every single event of the game, and sometimes doesn't even bother to try. You'll hear the pitch hit the bat or the catcher's glove and then wait three more seconds for him to say what happened. A ball will be put in play and he'll freeze up until he can see what happens and then describe it after the fact. The tough part is that it'll be a terrible look if they force him out, but at the same time, you get the sense he doesn't have a whole lot going on in his life and is going to keep doing this until they fire him or he dies.

It sucks.
 

ThePrideofShiner

Crests prematurely
SoSH Member
Jul 16, 2005
10,687
Washington
I love Sterling, but he's been pretty bad the last few years. He's been making a ton of mistakes this year, even more than normal.

Pretty sure he is in his 80s. I keep waiting for him to go to a modified schedule like Vin Scully did, but who knows what the station is waiting for.
 

RSN Diaspora

molests goats for comedy
SoSH Member
Jul 29, 2005
11,346
Washington, DC
It was a comment expressing regret that the ball didn't go out. That's it.

But thanks for expressing your heartfelt concerns about the quality of the Yankees radio broadcast. It means a lot.
Seems like he only pivoted to regret after getting the call wrong, but whatever. If NYY fans are still happy with him, he's probably not getting the bum's rush. Same with Castiglione, even though I'd love for him to start thinking about enjoying his golden years...
 

Van Everyman

Member
SoSH Member
Apr 30, 2009
26,993
Newton
Part of my problem with Sterling is actually my problem with Kay and some other Yankee announcers: the incessant triumphalism, which was annoying when they were dominating the league but is nonsensical and anachronistic now. The constant chest-beating, harping on Yankee traditions and superiority drives me insane. Kay does it a ton as well, tho perhaps less so as time has gone on. But it’s an undercurrent of Sterling’s whole “It’s an A-bomb for A-Rod”/“Stantonian home run” schtick. So it’s another reason he should probably hang ‘em up.
 

jon abbey

Shanghai Warrior
Moderator
SoSH Member
Jul 15, 2005
70,731
Has he ever not been completely terrible? He has been since I can remember, he only has the job because his voice sounds good.
 

Red(s)HawksFan

Member
SoSH Member
Jan 23, 2009
20,676
Maine
Do we have to change Trupe'd usage, or can we just add Sterling'd? Or maybe John'd?
This is different than Trupe'd. Trupe just got really excited for long fly balls (or big swings), but he I don't think he ever called one gone before it actually left the yard. Sterling is flat out getting things wrong. I said it in the other thread, but I wonder if his vision is going and he won't admit it. Like he can see Stanton take the big cut and everyone react, so he jumps to the conclusion that it's long gone but can't actually see the ball to know for sure where it went.

Then again, maybe he's just so in love with his catch-phrases that he can't wait to get them out and starts them too early.
 

jon abbey

Shanghai Warrior
Moderator
SoSH Member
Jul 15, 2005
70,731
Occasionally I will listen to an inning or two in the shower, then go watch the same inning or two on TV, and it is always shocking how disconnected from reality the picture he paints is. I have a friend who is a blind from birth Yankees fan and I truly feel bad that his experience is filtered through this bozo.
 

jon abbey

Shanghai Warrior
Moderator
SoSH Member
Jul 15, 2005
70,731
He is 83 and has been calling the Yankees on the radio since 1989, I seriously think he has been awful that entire time but maybe I wasn't paying much attention in the early part of his run.
 

glennhoffmania

meat puppet
Lifetime Member
SoSH Member
Jul 25, 2005
8,411,599
NY
Part of my problem with Sterling is actually my problem with Kay and some other Yankee announcers: the incessant triumphalism, which was annoying when they were dominating the league but is nonsensical and anachronistic now. The constant chest-beating, harping on Yankee traditions and superiority drives me insane. Kay does it a ton as well, tho perhaps less so as time has gone on. But it’s an undercurrent of Sterling’s whole “It’s an A-bomb for A-Rod”/“Stantonian home run” schtick. So it’s another reason he should probably hang ‘em up.
This is exactly right. Kay is a very well-spoken and seemingly intelligent guy. I don't think he knows baseball as well as he thinks he does, but he could be an effective announcer. Instead he constantly makes comments that are subtle digs at other teams and constantly references Yankee superiority. The smugness is extremely annoying and, at this point, unsupportable.

I don't listen to Sterling very often, but he's basically the same. And since he doesn't have Kay's grasp of what's going on around him he's basically unlistenable.
 

ThePrideofShiner

Crests prematurely
SoSH Member
Jul 16, 2005
10,687
Washington
I find Kay so annoying. That is one reason I only listen to games and don't watch them (plus, radio is cheaper). Sterling's voice is magnificent and is certainly one reason he still has a job. And I actually generally enjoy listening to him and Suzyn chatter with each other, but his mistakes are getting worse.

The smugness is extremely annoying
Doesn't this describe all New Yorkers?
 

Humphrey

Member
SoSH Member
Aug 3, 2010
3,163
1. Tells you what treasures Rizzuto and White were back in the day (when WPIX had the Yankee broadcasts and early Mass. cable tv carried the station) that they weren't hated by any means. Of course, in that era, the 80s, the Yankees generally sucked! (Frank Messer and others, not so much).
2. Sterling called Larry Bird's 60 point game and it's the only replay available. I'll always love the guy for that.
 

terrynever

Well-Known Member
Lifetime Member
SoSH Member
Aug 25, 2005
21,717
pawtucket
Thread title is inaccurate. Time for Sterling to retire was 10 or 20 years ago. But radio sponsors love him for whatever reason. He makes fewer mistakes on the incessant sponsor inserts into broadcasts than he does on game action. John knows how to survive.
 

Mystic Merlin

Member
SoSH Member
Sep 21, 2007
46,769
Hartford, CT
What is the Yankees’ thought process behind keeping him? They would have no trouble finding a competent replacement, and, all due respect to him, it isn’t like he is an institution like Vin Scully or Ernie Harwell where it would be tricky to boot him without inviting serious PR blowback.

I guess they might just not care enough to replace him and instead let him wind down on his own terms?
 

joe dokes

Member
SoSH Member
Jul 18, 2005
30,243
Has he ever not been completely terrible? He has been since I can remember, he only has the job because his voice sounds good.
He wasn't bad calling games for the New York Raiders of the WHA in '72 or so.

He was quite good on Hawks' TV for Bird's 60-point game in neutral New Orleans.
 

Omar's Wacky Neighbor

Well-Known Member
Lifetime Member
SoSH Member
Jul 14, 2005
16,627
Leaving in a bit to the studio :)
If you're not in the New York market: Sterling does this a whole lot more than you might imagine.

Was it Boomer and Gio, or Craig Carton who would go off on Sterling every time he goofed up? I don't mean just pointing it out, but replaying the clip numerous times and riffing on it for a whole segment of their show.
 

glennhoffmania

meat puppet
Lifetime Member
SoSH Member
Jul 25, 2005
8,411,599
NY
I find Kay so annoying. That is one reason I only listen to games and don't watch them (plus, radio is cheaper). Sterling's voice is magnificent and is certainly one reason he still has a job. And I actually generally enjoy listening to him and Suzyn chatter with each other, but his mistakes are getting worse.



Doesn't this describe all New Yorkers?
Only the ones who are Yankee fans. Met fans can't even pretend to be smug.
 

Red(s)HawksFan

Member
SoSH Member
Jan 23, 2009
20,676
Maine
If you're not in the New York market: Sterling does this a whole lot more than you might imagine.

Was it Boomer and Gio, or Craig Carton who would go off on Sterling every time he goofed up? I don't mean just pointing it out, but replaying the clip numerous times and riffing on it for a whole segment of their show.
Quick search on youtube yielded three videos that are nearly a decade old of botched calls from Sterling, with the audio clips credited to Boomer and Carton.

Part 1
View: https://youtu.be/iIUr_RKzgkQ


Part 2
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G-dAmlTy_BE


Part 3
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cjSE1P3LORc
 

cromulence

Member
SoSH Member
Aug 25, 2009
6,705
The projection about "incessant triumphalism" and "subtle digs at other teams" when it comes to Kay is straight up bizarre. You guys are imagining this.
 

glennhoffmania

meat puppet
Lifetime Member
SoSH Member
Jul 25, 2005
8,411,599
NY
The projection about "incessant triumphalism" and "subtle digs at other teams" when it comes to Kay is straight up bizarre. You guys are imagining this.
I know some Yankee fans who believe it. We're not imagining it. But this thread is about Sterling so I'll move on.
 

EvilEmpire

paying for his sins
Moderator
SoSH Member
Apr 9, 2007
17,183
Washington
So I guess Suzyn will be gone when Sterling retires or dies? Can't imagine her with another partner, though maybe she's had one before. I haven't listened very often over the years, just a few times each season.

As I said earlier, I kind of like their banter. Maybe a just a hint of Nick and Nora Charles from the old Thin Man movies, if they called baseball games instead of solving murders.

It is well past time, but I'll be a little sad when either or both of them go. Just another reminder that I'm getting old too
 

Red(s)HawksFan

Member
SoSH Member
Jan 23, 2009
20,676
Maine
Eh. A big chunk of that list are NY and Boston announcers, and I like all of them. I think the homer thing is way overrated.
Any list that has Joe Castiglione ranked ahead of Hawk Harrelson and Jack Edwards for homerism has to be questioned. I've always thought Castig called them like he sees them and the only real homerism from him is his "swing and a pop-up" disappointed tone.
 

glennhoffmania

meat puppet
Lifetime Member
SoSH Member
Jul 25, 2005
8,411,599
NY
Collinsworth is an odd choice. He may favor the Bengals but he's a national announcer who does very few of their games. And I've never thought it was so egregious. Hawk should be number 1 and it's not close.
 

EvilEmpire

paying for his sins
Moderator
SoSH Member
Apr 9, 2007
17,183
Washington
Well, it is a clickbait sort of list.

The takeaway for me is that most announcers have developed a schtick over the years, and many of the NY and Boston ones seem more distinctive than most. Distinctive enough to get on a dumb list. Is being a homer part of that package? Sure.

But so what.
 

SumnerH

Malt Liquor Picker
Dope
SoSH Member
Jul 18, 2005
31,893
Alexandria, VA
He is 83 and has been calling the Yankees on the radio since 1989, I seriously think he has been awful that entire time but maybe I wasn't paying much attention in the early part of his run.
He got his start calling games for the Washington Wizards. Only they weren't the Wizards, they were the Bullets.

But the name still alliterated, because they weren't in Washington, they were in Baltimore.
 

reggiecleveland

sublime
Lifetime Member
SoSH Member
Mar 5, 2004
27,957
Saskatoon Canada
That Hawk Harrelson was not #1 on this list, and the Rays announcers were not on it, destroys the credibility.

I am well documented as a Yankee hater, and I had read a lot about Michael Kay on here before I really listened to him. At one time MLBtv meant you got the home announcers every game. Kay has always struck me, as being aware of his rep as a sycophant and seemed to make an effort to be fair, at least to the Red Sox. He almost masochistically gave credit to Ortiz for 2004 on each at-bat for the next five years. "The boos rain down at Yankee stadium, and Big Papi must love that everybody here remembers what he did in 2004." On that point, many on SOSH predicted Kay would avoid talking about 2004 and to my ear he mentioned it so much, that the same SOSH people chortled he was traumatized. He isn't close to the worst. The references to tradition etc seem more YES decisions than his. Is he supposed to not read the Yankeeography promo? Singleton, who never played for the Yankees is worse. Waldman is bit worse than Sterling too. Every team pumps up the past, and the Yankees have the most past to pump up. On Rays broadcasts you will hear about the immortal "Big Game James" as often as Gherig comes up on YES.

To me, Sterling and Waldman seem to genuinely get along and enjoy the games. There are so many worse. If there is problem it is that the Suzyn is the youngster at 75
 

GB5

New Member
Aug 26, 2013
675
Two thoughts regarding Suzyn: One, I would love to know who interviewed her and said, "this is the voice, I want for Yankees baseball" I cant believe that she got the gig with that voice, however,

2: Nobody, and I mean nobody, has ever had someones back as much as she has Sterling's. He is making these outrageous calls of homeruns when the centerfielder is catching it short of the track, and she pipes in immediately, "oh my, I saw it the same way, John, I thought it was 60 rows up as well" It's crazy time, but I tip my cap to her for having her partner's back.
 

jon abbey

Shanghai Warrior
Moderator
SoSH Member
Jul 15, 2005
70,731
That Hawk Harrelson was not #1 on this list, and the Rays announcers were not on it, destroys the credibility.
Haha! The Hawk Harrelson thing was exactly my thought, I clicked through and the only thing I checked was whether he was 1st. When I saw he wasn't, I left the page.
 

TheGazelle

Member
SoSH Member
Dec 17, 2009
1,210
Two thoughts regarding Suzyn: One, I would love to know who interviewed her and said, "this is the voice, I want for Yankees baseball" I cant believe that she got the gig with that voice, however,

2: Nobody, and I mean nobody, has ever had someones back as much as she has Sterling's. He is making these outrageous calls of homeruns when the centerfielder is catching it short of the track, and she pipes in immediately, "oh my, I saw it the same way, John, I thought it was 60 rows up as well" It's crazy time, but I tip my cap to her for having her partner's back.
On Suzyn, I can never forget the below call. Just unbelievable with that voice.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DV3NhT0oXzY
 

Bozo Texino

still hates Dave Kerpen
Lifetime Member
SoSH Member
Jul 18, 2005
11,730
Austin, Texas
Haha! The Hawk Harrelson thing was exactly my thought, I clicked through and the only thing I checked was whether he was 1st. When I saw he wasn't, I left the page.
I thought for sure Jack Edwards would top the list.

But then I saw it was published back in 2011 - so yeah, it definitely should've been Harrelson.
 

Patriot_Reign

Member
SoSH Member
Apr 21, 2011
1,150
Any list that has Joe Castiglione ranked ahead of Hawk Harrelson and Jack Edwards for homerism has to be questioned. I've always thought Castig called them like he sees them and the only real homerism from him is his "swing and a pop-up" disappointed tone.
I don't think Castig is a homer, but he's also very reluctant to offer up even the lightest of criticism of the team or a player's performance.
 

lars10

Member
SoSH Member
Jul 31, 2007
11,612
Part of my problem with Sterling is actually my problem with Kay and some other Yankee announcers: the incessant triumphalism, which was annoying when they were dominating the league but is nonsensical and anachronistic now. The constant chest-beating, harping on Yankee traditions and superiority drives me insane. Kay does it a ton as well, tho perhaps less so as time has gone on. But it’s an undercurrent of Sterling’s whole “It’s an A-bomb for A-Rod”/“Stantonian home run” schtick. So it’s another reason he should probably hang ‘em up.
The one thing I think you can say about Sterling is that he VERY often compliments other teams.. he's over the top on the Yanks and obviously a company man, but he very regularly talks in glowing terms about how good other players from other teams are.