Yankees radio voice Sterling retires at 85
The New York Yankees announced the retirement of their long-time play-byplay radio voice, John Sterling, effective immediately.
The Athletic reported that Yankees officials and WFAN employees believe Sterling decided to retire due to issues concerning his health.
Sterling, 85, has called 5,420 regular-season Yankees games and 211 in the postseason. He has broadcast the Yankees for 36 years.
Sterling will be recognized in a pregame ceremony Saturday and will make an in-game appearance in the WFAN booth during the matchup against the Tampa Bay Rays.
“I am a very blessed human being,” he said in a prepared statement. “I have been able to do what I wanted, broadcasting for 64 years.”
Sterling, who joined the club during the 1989 season, called 5,060 consecutive games from September 1989 to July 2019. His final game this season was the Yankees’ 8-3 win over Toronto on April 7.
“Fans find a certain comfort in the daily rhythms of baseball,” the Yankees said in a statement. “Day in and day out, season after season, and city after city, John Sterling used his seat in the broadcast booth to bring Yankees fans the heartbeat of the game, employing an orotund voice and colorful personality that were distinctly, unmistakably his own. …
“We congratulate John on a remarkable and illustrious career. His contributions to this great game and to the Yankees franchise will echo long into the future.”
Prior to joining the Yankees, Sterling called Atlanta Hawks basketball (198189) and Atlanta Braves games (1982-87) as well as the New York/New Jersey Nets (1975-80) and the NHL’s New York Islanders (1975-78).
Sterling also called Morgan State Football (eight years) and Washington Bullets basketball in 1981.
ELSEWHERE
Ken Holtzman dies: Left-hander Ken Holtzman, who tossed two no-hitters for the Chicago Cubs and won four World Series, died Sunday at 78.
His passing was confirmed Monday by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. He had been hospitalized for three weeks while battling heart issues.
Holtzman was 174-150 with a 3.49 ERA and 1,601 strikeouts in 451 games (410 starts) over 15 seasons with the Cubs (196571, 1978-79), Oakland Athletics (1972-75), Baltimore Orioles (1976) and New York Yankees (197678).
He won three straight World Series championships with the A’s (197274) and another with the Yankees in 1977. He was 6-4 with a 2.30 ERA in 13 postseason games (12 starts), including a 4-1 record in the World Series.
Holtzman made backto-back American League All-Star teams with Oakland in 1972-73, finishing the latter campaign with a career-high 21 wins.
The St. Louis native is one of only two Cubs pitchers since 1900 with multiple no-hitters, along with Jake Arrieta. Holtzman’s first came against the Atlanta Braves on Aug. 19, 1969, and his second was on June 3, 1971, against the Cincinnati Reds.
White Sox: Chicago is closing in on a deal with veteran outfielder Tommy Pham, reports indicated. Pham, 36, spent time with the New York Mets and Arizona Diamondbacks last season, playing in 129 games. He hit .256 with 16 home runs and 68 RBI. In 10 seasons, he has a .259 average with 130 homers and 431 RBI. The White Sox (2-13) scored only 34 runs in their first 15 games this season, by far the fewest in the majors.
MONDAY’S EARLY GAME
Guardians 6, Red
Sox 0: Will Brennan hit a pinch-hit, two-run home run Monday to help Cleveland win at Fenway Park in the traditional early game played on the day of the Boston Marathon.
Brennan batted for
Tyler Freeman with two outs in the seventh inning. His home run against reliever Greg Weissert was his first of the season.
Tim Herrin (1-0) earned the win for pitching two innings in relief of starter Xzavion Curry, who limited Boston to two hits in the first five frames. Herrin didn’t surrender a hit, walked one and struck out three.
The game was scoreless until Brennan’s blast gave the Guardians a 2-0 lead.
Josh Naylor, who singled earlier in the inning, also scored on the play.
Brennan Bernardino (0-1) gave up Naylor’s single and took the loss. It was the only baserunner he allowed in an inning of relief.
Third baseman Rafael Devers was back in Boston’s
lineup after missing four games with a shoulder injury. Devers collected one of Boston’s three hits.
Boston outfielder Tyler O’Neill suffered a cut on his forehead when he collided with Devers, who drifted into left field to make a catch for the final out in the top of the seventh. O’Neill walked off the field but did not return to the game.
LATE SUNDAY
Padres 6, Dodgers 3: Left fielder Jurickson Profar drilled a three-run double in the seventh inning and visiting San Diego prevailed to win two of three in the weekend series.
The score was tied at 3 when Xander Bogaerts walked, Fernando Tatis Jr. singled and Jake Cronenworth walked to load the bases with no outs. After Manny Machado popped out, Profar ripped a high fastball from J.P. Feyereisen (0-1) off the top of the center-field wall to clear the bases.
Yuki Matsui (2-0) retired all four hitters he faced to pick up the win. Machado homered and finished with two hits and two runs.
Los Angeles left-hander
James Paxton pitched five-plus innings, permitting three hits and three runs with eight walks and a strikeout.
Five Dodger pitchers combined to issue 14 walks, the fourth-most Los Angeles has given up in franchise history.
TUESDAY
AMERICAN LEAGUE
Texas at Detroit (Mize 0-0), 1:10 Minnesota (Paddack 0-0) at Baltimore (Rodriguez 2-0), 6:35
L.A. Angels (Soriano 0-2) at Tampa Bay (Civale 2-1), 6:50
N.Y. Yankees (Rodon 1-0) at Toronto (Kikuchi 0-1), 7:07
Cleveland (Bibee 1-0) at Boston (Whitlock 1-0), 7:10
Kansas City (Singer 2-0) at Chi. White Sox, 7:40
NATIONAL LEAGUE
Colorado (Gomber 0-0) at Philadelphia (Suarez 2-0), 6:40
San Francisco (Hicks 2-0) at Miami, 6:40
Pittsburgh at N.Y. Mets (Quintana 1-1), 7:10
San Diego (Cease 1-1) at Milwaukee (Miley 0-0), 7:40
Chi. Cubs (Hendricks 0-2) at Arizona (Henry 0-1), 9:40
Washington (Corbin 0-2) at L.A. Dodgers, 10:10
INTERLEAGUE
Atlanta (Lopez 1-0) at Houston (Brown 0-2), 8:10
Cincinnati (Greene 0-1) at Seattle (Gilbert 0-0), 9:40
St. Louis (Lynn 0-0) at Oakland (Sears 1-1), 9:40
MONDAY
AMERICAN LEAGUE
Cleveland 6, Boston 0 Minnesota at Baltimore
Texas at Detroit
L.A. Angels at Tampa Bay N.Y. Yankees at Toronto Kansas City at Chi. White Sox
NATIONAL LEAGUE
San Francisco at Miami
Colorado at Philadelphia Pittsburgh at N.Y. Mets
San Diego at Milwaukee
Chi. Cubs at Arizona Washington at L.A. Dodgers
INTERLEAGUE
Atlanta at Houston
St. Louis at Oakland Cincinnati at Seattle
SUNDAY
AMERICAN LEAGUE
Boston 5, L.A. Angels 4
Detroit 4, Minnesota 3
Cleveland 8, N.Y. Yankees 7 (10) Houston 8, Texas 5
NATIONAL LEAGUE
Atlanta 9, Miami 7
Pittsburgh 9, Philadelphia 2 Arizona 5, St. Louis 0
San Diego 6, L.A. Dodgers 3
INTERLEAGUE
Baltimore 6, Milwaukee 4 Toronto 5, Colorado 0
N.Y. Mets 2, Kansas City 1 Tampa Bay 9, San Francisco 4 Cincinnati 11, Chi. White Sox 4 Oakland 7, Washington 6
Chi. Cubs 3, Seattle 2