John Sterling Dead at 87: The Catchphrases That Defined the Yankees

News ArticlePublishedMay 04, 2026 at 09:26 AM EDTupdatedMay 04, 2026 at 10:38 AM EDTBy Aliss HighamUS News ReporterJohn Sterling, the longtime broadcaster synonymous with New York Yankees baseball, has died at the age of 87.His death was announced Monday by WFAN Sports Radio in New York and confirmed by the Yankees. In a statement posted on X, the team said: “The Yankees mourn the loss of legendary broadcaster John Sterling. Our thoughts are with John’s family, friends and loved ones at this time.” His cause of death has not been confirmed.Sterling was a longtime fixture of Yankees baseball, delivering play-by-play coverage for generations of fans. He called 5,060 consecutive games between September 1989 and July 2019, according to ESPN.He was perhaps best known for his exuberant home run calls, which often began with his trademark line: “It is high. It is far. It is GONE!” Sterling was also known for his personalized calls for players.For Alex Rodriguez, he declared, “An A-bomb from A-Rod!” When Aaron Judge stepped up, listeners heard, “It’s a Judgian blast! All Rise! Here comes the Judge!” Other famous calls included “Robbie Cano…don’t you know?” to “The Grandy Man can!” for Curtis Granderson.“This one is headed for