John Sterling may not be the voice of the New York Yankees anymore, but the longtime former radio broadcaster is still beloved by fans everywhere.
So the news that Sterling survived a heart attack in January, which the 87-year-old confirmed on WFAN over the weekend, had to both inspire and scare fans and the Yankees family.
Sterling famously did not miss a Yankees game behind the microphone for more than 30 years — he called 5,060 consecutive games on WABC and WFAN between 1988-2019. He called every postseason game the Yankees played in the span and was renowned for his “Sterling Shuffle” and “Yankees Wiiiiiin! Theeeeee Yankees Wiiiin!” call after New York victories.
Sterling retired from Yankees radio broadcasts in 2024. Dave Sims took over as WFAN radio commentator, alongside Sterling’s longtime broadcast partner Suzyn Waldman, in 2025.
John Sterling Survived a Heart Attack
Sterling called in to WFAN to discuss both his retirement and the Yankees’ upcoming season when he broke news of his early-January heart attack to host Rickie Ricardo.
âThe heart is fine,â Sterling said.. âSometimes, it affects your legs, and it has affected my legs, so I’m waiting for the force to leave my legs, [so] I can get back out there.
“I’m very fortunate and all things are good.”
Sterling credited his four children, Abigail and his triplets named Veronica, Bradford and Derek, for assisting him in his recovery.
âI couldnât have done it without them,â he said. âThey have been sensational in taking care of me. They’ve taken over all phases of my life.”
Despite his health scare, the longtime commentator — who spent years calling the New York Islanders, then-New Jersey Nets, as well as the Atlanta Braves and Atlanta Hawks before settling in with the Yankees — felt particularly grateful for all the sports he could watch while recovering.
“Isn’t it great to be a sports fan?” Sterling said. “I’ve been laid up in bed a lot, but the Winter Olympics were great. I watched the basketball and the hockey, and I’ve always blessed the fact, since I was a little boy, that I’m a sports fan.”
Yankees Radio Broadcasts Begin March 14
The Yankees played their first spring training game Saturday — an eye-popping 20-3 win over the Detroit Tigers where Aaron Judge homered twice and Spencer Jones also went deep.
So if you’re missing watching or listening to the Yankees, TV broadcasts are widely available on Gotham Sports app or YES Network. But Sims and Waldman will also return to the airwaves March 14 at Steinbrenner Field for the first of seven preseason radio broadcasts when the Yankees take on the Philadelphia Phillies.
Sims and Waldman will broadcast five games from Florida, all in Tampa including the March 18 game against the Boston Red Sox, before the Yankees break camp. They also will broadcast the Yankees’ first spring-training trip to Arizona when they take on the Chicago Cubs at Sloan Park in Mesa for two games March 23 and 24.
Here’s the full spring training radio slate. All times Eastern.
- March 14: Yankees vs Phillies, 1
- March 15 vs Tigers, 1
- March 20 vs Orioles, 6:30
- March 22 vs Phillies, 1
- March 23 at Cubs, 3
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March 24 at Cubs, 3
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