John Sterling, the American sportscaster best known for his work with the New York Yankees, died on May 4, 2026, of heart failure.
He was 87. Born John Sloss in New York City on July 4, 1938, he grew up on Manhattan’s Upper East Side.
Sterling became the Yankees’ radio play-by-play announcer in 1989 and held the job through 2024, calling 5,060 consecutive Yankees games from 1989 to 2019. Before that, after changing his name to Sterling, he worked in Baltimore and also did play-by-play for Morgan State University football from 1971 to 1978.
John Sterling, 87, American sportscaster (New York Yankees), heart failure.