Longtime New York Yankees radio voice John Sterling passed away at the age of 87 on Monday. Tributes have poured in for the legendary announcer, who called 5,060 consecutive Yankees games and retired abruptly in 2024 (before returning to call Yankees postseason games that year).

Ahead of Monday night’s game against the Baltimore Orioles at Yankee Stadium, the Yankees honored Sterling with a video tribute and followed that with a moment of silence. YES Network play-by-play announcer Michael Kay and longtime broadcast partner Suzyn Waldman placed flowers at home plate.

Yankees baseball and John Sterling. Inseparable.

Watch as the Yankees honor Sterling’s life and legacy ahead of Orioles vs. Yankees. pic.twitter.com/jqvCKS7Wty

— YES Network (@YESNetwork) May 4, 2026

And here’s how Kay opened the YES Network broadcast alongside color commentator David Cone:

Michael Kay: “We’re honoring the life and tremendous career of John Sterling. We’ll do more of that as the (Yankees) game moves on. But you know, David, he’d probably be angry with us. He’d say, ‘There’s a game going on, so talk about that.’ So, we’re gonna do that for John.” pic.twitter.com/1ZLpF1T1tI

— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) May 4, 2026

“Hello everybody, and welcome to Yankees baseball,” Kay said. “Along with David Cone, I’m Michael Kay. You’ve been hearing on the YES Network the last couple of hours; we’re honoring the life and tremendous career of John Sterling. We’ll do more of that as the game moves on. But you know, David, he’d probably be angry with us. He’d say, ‘There’s a game going on, so talk about that.’ So, we’re gonna do that for John.”

In the first inning, Yankees superstar Aaron Judge hit a two-run homer, and Kay went with Sterling’s home run call for Judge on the play-by-play.

“It is high! It is far! It is GONE! Aaron Judge! A Judgian blast! Here comes the Judge!”

Michael Kay with the John Sterling tribute call on an Aaron Judge home run in the first inning. #MLBpic.twitter.com/wzf4MVthCM

— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) May 4, 2026

“It is high! It is far! It is GONE! Aaron Judge! A Judgian blast! Here comes the Judge!”

That’s a beautiful tribute to Sterling from Kay.

The YES Network broadcast showed the players and fans honoring Sterling.

JS pic.twitter.com/ODvqpBSGJm

— YES Network (@YESNetwork) May 4, 2026

The bleachers paying tribute to John Sterling #YANKSonYESpic.twitter.com/Pa5EuPIa9h

— YES Network (@YESNetwork) May 4, 2026

And here’s a look at some more of the Sterling tribute coverage from YES Network throughout the day:

.@RealMichaelKay joins @M_Marakovits to share how he will remember his colleague and friend, John Sterling. pic.twitter.com/2ZZ9wkkGLn

— YES Network (@YESNetwork) May 4, 2026

“Just be ready for anything.”@RealMichaelKay highlights the biggest things he’s picked up from John Sterling over the course of his career. pic.twitter.com/otQcgOgGBx

— YES Network (@YESNetwork) May 4, 2026

“He did everything he wanted in this world.”

Suzyn Waldman celebrates the life of John Sterling with @M_Marakovits. pic.twitter.com/ecpxaZC94B

— YES Network (@YESNetwork) May 4, 2026

“He’s a legend! What more can you say about John Sterling?”@dcone36 and @M_Marakovits discuss the life and legacy of the iconic broadcaster. pic.twitter.com/MFGMadf3ch

— YES Network (@YESNetwork) May 4, 2026

“He brought that New York theatre to the ballpark.”

Aaron Judge discusses John Sterling’s legacy. pic.twitter.com/qiM3PDyfby

— YES Network (@YESNetwork) May 4, 2026

“I’m a better person for having known him.”

– @dcone36 on John Sterling. pic.twitter.com/ldOemMjz3F

— YES Network (@YESNetwork) May 4, 2026

The post Michael Kay, YES Network pay tribute to John Sterling appeared first on Awful Announcing.

Michael Kay got emotional Monday afternoon as he reflected on the life of one of his best friends, beloved Yankees announcer John Sterling.

Sterling passed away from heart failure on Monday morning after the 87-year-old underwent heart surgery following a heart attack earlier this year. Despite taking the news of Sterling’s death hard, Kay began his radio show seeking to celebrate the life of one of his best friends.

“I look at John as one of the closest friends I’ve ever had,” Kay said during his Monday radio show on ESPN New York. “And the funny part is, the people that are listening right now probably feel the same way because you spent 36 summers with him as the voice of the Yankees on the radio. The good news that he brought you, the five championships that he brought you, all the great moments he brought you, he was your friend. That’s why baseball on radio is the greatest thing of any sport.”

Sterling retired from a more than six-decade-long broadcasting career in April 2024, after spending 36 years as the radio voice of the Yankees. He briefly returned later that year to call the Yankees’ playoff run to the World Series before fully retiring from the booth. But his longevity was unmatched, with Sterling starting an impressive Iron Man streak of 5,060 consecutive games in 1989. And his signature style was impossible to replicate, with fans gravitating toward Sterling’s home run calls, melodic voice, and gentle personality.

“John Sterling was one of a kind,” Kay continued. “I have never, ever, ever, ever in my life met anybody like him. And I know that as long as I live, I will never meet anybody like him. He was one of one.”

Kay revealed he spoke with Sterling’s doctors after his open-heart surgery earlier this year. And according to Kay, the doctors were excited about how well the procedure went, but Sterling was frustrated that he lost the ability to walk after being bedridden for so long following surgery. Kay said he even encouraged Sterling to slow down as he pushed himself through rehab with persistence.

“His oldest daughter is getting married this summer, and he said, ‘Michael, I have to walk her down the aisle.’ And that’s why he was hanging on,” Kay revealed.

Kay took a moment to compose himself as he understandably teared up while telling this story, with many of his listeners likely getting emotional as well.

“But he had trouble about a week ago. Heart failure, and then he finally succumbed today,” Kay said through tears. “The only thing he wanted to do, he was unable to make it.”

Despite not being there to physically walk his oldest daughter down the aisle, Kay noted that Sterling will surely be looking down on his family at her wedding this summer. Kay admitted he was hit hard after receiving the news of Sterling’s passing from Suzyn Waldman, who received the news from Sterling’s ex-wife, Jennifer.

Yankee fans were able to share their emotions with Kay on the radio Monday afternoon, all stemming from their bond with Sterling. As Kay noted, the bond created is unique to the intimacy of radio, but Sterling’s one-of-one personality only made that connection stronger.

The post Michael Kay breaks down while revealing John Sterling’s last wish appeared first on Awful Announcing.