Yankees broadcaster John Sterling, 84, is left bloodied after being hit with a foul ball, but keeps calling off the game, joking that he’s ‘not going on the IL’
- Boston’s Justin Turner hit a foul ball that flew over the nets into the radio booth
- Sterling received a blow to the eyebrow, but says he can call Sunday night’s game
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New York Yankees radio broadcaster John Sterling got closer to the action than ever before after being sacked by a foul ball in Saturday night’s game against the rival Boston Red Sox.
In the top of the ninth of what would become a 3-1 Yankees victory, Red Sox third baseman Justin Turner hit a foul back on New York reliever Clay Holmes’ 3-2 pitch.
The ball went back over the net behind the home plate seats and flew straight into the WFAN broadcast booth where Sterling was sitting.
Those listening to the game could hear Sterling being hit, and his shocked reaction afterwards.
‘Ouch! Ouch! Ouch! It really touched me,” Sterling said live on air. “I didn’t know it would come back this far.”
New York Yankees radio announcer John Sterling was hit with a foul ball on Saturday night
Boston Red Sox third baseman Justin Turner’s foul ball flew over the net and into the box
Sterling’s longtime broadcast partner and analyst Suzyn Waldman had left the booth to go to the locker rooms for post-game interviews.
But Sterling, the once professional veteran, kept calling the at bat, which turned out to be the last of the game.
Turner grounded to third base that the Yankees easily reversed to clinch victory over their hated rivals.
Sterling was slapped on the left eyebrow and told viewers that barring “a little bit of blood” he would be ready to go back to the booth for Sunday’s deciding game.
“I’m not going on the IL,” Sterling assured his listeners—who have been used to his voice calling out Yankees broadcasts since 1989.
Sterling was hit on the eyebrow, but kept calling the game and said he would be fine
Emmanuel Berbari, a host of a WFAN Yankees post-game show, was in the booth when Sterling was hit, and he and another employee went to the scoreboard booth to request a Band-Aid, according to a report.
“He didn’t just call the next roll,” Berbari said the athletic, he also gave the classic look on the last call. It was a great achievement.’
Berbari also claimed that Sterling continued to joke about the incident, adding, “You have to be that tough to be a Yankees broadcaster.”
Since starting in 1989, Sterling has not missed a game until July 2019. He reportedly missed 23 games from May 11 to June 6 due to a cold and his children’s graduation.