John Sterling’s death came after he suffered a heart attack in January, which he revealed during what appears to be the longtime Yankees radio voice’s last interview in February.
The Yankees and WFAN announced Sterling’s passing Monday at 87, though a cause of death was not disclosed.
“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 during a Feb. 22 WFAN appearance with Rickie Ricardo. “Sometimes, it affects your legs and it 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.”
John Sterling (l.) with Aaron Judge (r.) on April 20, 2024. Getty Images Sterling praised his four children, Abigail and triplets Bradford, Derek and Veronica, for helping him.
“I couldn’t have done anything without them,” he said. “They have been sensational in taking care of me. They’ve taken over all phases of my life.”
Sterling’s counterpart in the Mets radio booth, Howie Rose, said he spoke to Sterling more than a month ago.
“I’m terribly sad to hear of the passing of John Sterling. He was truly one of a kind,” Rose wrote in an X post Monday morning. “A unique character who was blessed with pipes from above. Spoke to him a little over a month ago and although he didn’t sound great, this news still comes as a shock. RIP, old friend.”
When Sterling abruptly retired early during the 2024 season — he later returned for the Yankees’ playoff run — it was due to health concerns, The Athletic reported at the time.
He began a 36-year run as the radio voice of the Yankees in 1989 and had broadcasted 5,060 consecutive games until he missed a game on his 81st birthday in 2019 due to being under the weather.
