Thank goodness John Sterling is OK
John Sterling had a heart attack earlier this year, but is doing well.
The Yankees‘ former radio play-by-player disclosed his health situation during a call-in to WFAN over the weekend with Rickie Ricardo, the Bombers’ Spanish radio voice.
“Everything is, I say, good. For people who don’t know, there isn’t any reason to hide it — at the beginning of January, I had a heart attack, and that’s fine; the heart is fine,” Sterling said. “Sometimes, it affects your legs and has affected my legs. So I’m kind of waiting for the force to leave my legs and I can get back out there. But I’m very fortunate and all things are good.”
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Sterling, who will turn 88 on July 4, said his four children have been “sensational” in caring for him. He added being able to watch the Winter Olympics and other sports has helped him get through being laid up for the time being.
Sterling retired for good after the 2024 World Series. This season will be Dave Sims’ second as the Yankees’ radio voice alongside analyst Suzyn Waldman.
As we have written many times before: Sterling deserves a plaque in Monument Park and to be enshrined in Cooperstown. To hell with the wannabe Phil Mushnicks who dotted the internet in his final seasons behind the microphone. He wasn’t an air traffic controller; he was calling a baseball game on the radio.
Back after this.
James Kratch is a veteran sports reporter and editor. He currently reports on the youth sports industry for Buying Sandlot and was previously ESNY's managing editor. Before that he spent a decade at NJ Advance Media (The Star-Ledger and NJ.com), where he covered high school sports, the Giants and Rutgers.
