How Did John Sterling Die? Cause of Death, Career Highlights and Family Details

Legendary sports broadcaster John Sterling passed away on Monday at 87.

Sterling died on 4 May, about a week after suffering heart failure, the New York Times reported. WFAN Sports Radio confirmed the news in an announcement, but did not disclose the cause of death. Sterling is survived by his ex-wife, Jennifer Contreras, and their four children, Bradford, Derek, Veronica, and Abigail.

Sterling's run as the New York Yankees' radio correspondent spanned over three decades and five World Series wins. His inimitable delivery and iconic catchphrases defined the sport, eventually inducting him into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2016.

The New York Yankees Honours John Sterling

'John Sterling breathed life and excitement into Yankees games for 36 years while wearing his passion for baseball and the Yankees on his sleeve.' The baseball team said in a statement. 'He informed and entertained generations of fans with a theatrical and unapologetic style that was uniquely his own.'

Sterling called 5,631 Yankees games throughout his career, including 5,420 regular-season games and 211 postseason games, before retiring in April 2024. He also covered 5,060 consecutive games from September 1989 to July 2019.

Sterling Coined Baseball's Iconic Catchphrases

Known for his legendary home run catch phrases, Sterling coined Derek Jeter's 'It's a Jeter jolt!', Alex Rodriguez's 'It's an A-bomb from A-Rod!', Hideki Matsui's 'A thrilla from Godzilla!', Jason Giambi's 'The Giambino!' and 'Bernie goes boom! Bern, baby, Bern!' for Bernie Williams, among many others.

'It wasn't meant [to be a catchphrase],' Sterling explained, per ABC News. 'I just happened to do something for Bernie Williams. He hit a home run and I said, "Bern, baby, Bern!" And it kind of mushroomed from there. But it never was intended for every player, because, frankly, I'm not smart enough to do something for every player. But I did the best I could, and it's amazing what started out as, became so big.'

Sterling's Accomplished Career and Enduring Legacy

Born Josh Sloss in 1938 in Manhattan, he changed his name to Sterling for more 'shine,' as he later told The Athletic. Sterling began broadcasting in 1960 at a Wellsville, New York station when he was just 19, after leaving college.

His early career included calls for the New York Islanders, New York Nets, Atlanta Braves from 1982 to 1987, Atlanta Hawks from 1981 to 1989, and the Washington Bullets in 1981. He also hosted pregame shows for the Yankees in the mid-1970s alongside Mel Allen.

'Through his unique style and passionate play-by-play calls, Sterling endeared himself to generations of ‌players ⁠and fans as radio voice of the Yankees from 1989 to 2024,' Major League Baseball said in a statement. 'His signature punctuation of Yankees victories included calling the final out of five World Series championships.'

A 12-time Sports Emmy Award winner, Sterling partnered with sports icons Jay Johnstone, Joe Angel, Michael Kay, Charley Steiner, and Suzyn Waldman throughout his career. He returned briefly from retirement for the 2024 postseason and World Series.

During a Yankee Stadium ceremony on 20 April 2024, the team presented Sterling a jersey with the number 5,631, in honour of the Yankees games he called.