What happened to John Sterling? Yankees announcer receives nasty hit during game vs Red Sox

John Sterling has been the radio broadcaster for the New York Yankees since 1989. On Saturday, he became the latest victim of the Yankees - Red Sox rivalry, considered to be decades old.

The incident took place during the ninth inning of the game. Yankees' Clay Holmes was the pitcher, while Red Sox's Justin Turner was the final batter. He sent the ball flying toward the Yankees' radio booth, where it, unfortunately, hit John Sterling in the head.

After being hit in the head, John Sterling commented:

"Ow! Ow! Ow! It really hit me. I didn’t know it was coming back that far." (via Theathletic.com)

However, he bounced back immediately after with his commentary with:

"So once again, it’ll be a 3-2." (via Nytimes.com)

During the incident, his longtime analyst, Suzyn Waldman, wasn't available as she had left the booth for postgame interviews. However, she later confirmed that John Sterling was okay.

Even John Sterling himself confirmed that he just had a little bit of blood and was fine. Furthermore, he stated that he would be back at the booth for Sunday's game. Throughout the game, John Sterling showed resilience by continuing his commentary despite getting hit in the head.

After such an incident, MLB should consider some form of protective measures for announcers and broadcasters so that they do not get injured during the game.

John Sterling's broadcasting career

John Sterling in the Tampa Bay Rays v New York Yankees game

John Sterling is a veteran broadcaster. He has had a streak of calling Yankees games for nearly three decades since 1989 before breaking that streak by taking a break in July 2019. He also missed 23 Yankees games from May 11, 2023 - June 6, 2023, due to illness. He has been calling the games on WFAN Radio and New York Yankees Radio Network.

In 2018, during a game with the Boston Red Sox, Sterling and Red Sox announcer Joe Castiglione switched places during the fourth inning as part of the "Rivalry in the Booth" promotion.

Sterling is also the host of the YES Network's Yankeeography series, which makes biographies about the New York Yankees. He also won 2 Emmys for this series.

Sterling is known for his colorful vocal personality. His signature radio home run call is "It is high, it is far, it is gone!". Similarly, for a strikeout, he says "STRIIIIKE THREE!".

However, he had often been criticized for making inaccurate calls during games. For example, in 2011, Phil Mushnick of the New York Post criticized Sterling for not telling the fans that Nick Swisher's home run in the Yankee Stadium hit the upper deck facade.

Despite these criticisms, John Sterling continues to remain an iconic broadcaster for the New York Yankees and viewers are entertained by his colorful commentary.