Yankees radio play-by-play voice John Sterling was prepared to let his 30-year consecutive game streak come to an end this season, but Thursday afternoon, on the day the streak was scheduled to end, Sterling was on the call.
With his triplets’ high school graduation scheduled for June 26th, the “Iron Man” broadcaster planned to miss his first Yankee game since joining their radio booth in 1989. “There’s no issue,” Sterling told Neil Best of Newsday back in early April. “There’s no other priority. I’m going to my kids’ graduation . . . I think I’ve earned it.”
Rickie Ricardo, the Yankees play-by-play announcer for their Spanish broadcast was set to fill in, but with the game having a 1pm start time and Suffern High School’s graduation ceremony not beginning until the evening, Sterling was able to keep the streak intact.
Once the game began, the only thing that could have caused an issue for Sterling was a rain delay or extra innings. Heading into the bottom of the 9th the Yankees and Blue Jays were tied at 7, but a Gleyber Torres game-winning single sent Sterling on his way to the graduation. Although he isn’t missing a game, according to Neil Best, Sterling will miss the Yankees charter and will have to make his own way to London for their two-game series against the Red Sox which begins on June 29th.
In 2016, Sterling’s streak also almost came to an end, planning to miss a game for his older daughter’s high school graduation, but it happened to fall on an off-day for the Bronx Bombers. His older daughter just completed her junior year at Syracuse University and is on track to graduate on Sunday, May 10th 2020. According to Sterling, the streak really will come to an end next season when he heads to Syracuse for her college graduation.
“Next year at this time, when Abby will be graduating from Syracuse, I guarantee you I’ll go up there,” Sterling told Best. But with the way Sterling’s streak has continued so far, I wouldn’t be surprised if it rains wherever the Yankees are playing on Sunday, May 10th next year.
Brandon Contes is a freelance writer for BSM. He can be found on Twitter @BrandonContes. To reach him by email click here.