Joe Girardi remembers John Sterling's passion, humor in emotional tribute to Yankees legend: 'I miss him'

Girardi Honors Sterling's Passion in Yankees Tribute

Former New York Yankees manager Joe Girardi paid tribute to longtime radio broadcaster John Sterling, who died at 87, sharing memories of his passion and humor. Yankee Stadium fans chanted Sterling's name during Monday night's series finale against the Baltimore Orioles, altering their usual player roll call to honor the voice synonymous with the franchise. Girardi, now a YES Network analyst, described feeling immediate sadness upon hearing the news.

Girardi told Fox News Digital he misses Sterling's voice on the radio, often listening via SiriusXM while traveling, alongside broadcast partner Suzyn Waldman. Sterling broadcast Yankees games from 1989 until retiring in April 2024, returning for postseason play as the team reached the World Series for the first time since Girardi's 2009 championship squad. Over 64 years in broadcasting, Sterling called 5,060 consecutive games and became known for signature home run calls starting with "It is high, it is far, it is gone!" followed by player-specific phrases.

Girardi recalled a pregame interview early in his managerial tenure when Sterling paused the tape recorder to answer a flip phone call from "Darling," promising to call back in three minutes before restarting. Waldman told Girardi that Sterling only did what he wanted, a philosophy Girardi said exemplified living life fully. Sterling brought energy into listeners' homes and cars, Girardi said, always caring about players' success and rooting for Yankees victories.

Girardi praised Sterling as an example of pursuing passion relentlessly, echoing Joe Torre's advice not to remove one's uniform until forced.