As the outpouring of grief and good memories flowed after John Sterling’s passing on Monday, I’m sure many of us found ourselves watching old Yankees clips and listening to Sterling’s calls. It’s been oft-repeated this week, but there truly was no one like Sterling, and going through his many fun, bizarre, and quirky calls has been a sad but joyful walk down memory lane.
Let’s keep on walking down that road. Sterling was perhaps known better for his home run calls than anything else. What began as a gimmick
deployed for certain players turned into a signature, with Sterling committing to deploying a unique (and often whimsical) home run call for every individual player at some point during the 2000s. Every Yankees fan probably has a favorite. What was yours?
Our own Andrew Mearns helpfully ranked all 144 distinct player home run calls we have on record, so peruse those rankings if you need to as you try to pick out your favorite. Maybe the classic “Bern baby Bern” takes your top spot. Perhaps it’s the simple “El Capitan” that sprang from John’s voice every time Derek Jeter went deep. For me, there was nothing better than hearing “Robbie Cano! Don’tchaknow?!” every time the sweet-swinging second baseman sent one out of the park.
It’s hard to pick just one, so if you can’t narrow it all the way down, go ahead and give us a top-three or -five. Heck, feel free to, as Sterling would, get as creative as you want; if there’s a specific play that or call that stands out in your mind, however famous or obscure, please highlight it.
On the site today, Andrew reviews a packed Tuesday of action in the American League, and Jonathan profiles Ivy Andrews, a pitcher born on this day in 1907. Also, John posits that it’s in both the Yankees’ and Anthony Volpe’s best interests for Volpe to get some exposure at other positions, perhaps second base. Later, Andrés analyzes Elmer Rodríguez’s second start in the majors, Kento chronicles the long road in the wilderness the Yankees walked at first base before finding Ben Rice, and Scott discusses Jonathan Ornelas, a lower-profile prospect succeeding with Triple-A Scranton this year.
Today’s Matchup
New York Yankees vs. Texas Rangers
Time: 7:05 p.m. EST
Video: Amazon Prime Video, Rangers Sports Network, MLB Network
Venue: Yankee Stadium, Bronx, NY









