There's a lot that can be said about John Sterling. So much of it has already been said this week after his passing.
For me, as a Yankee fan, who, like millions of others, can recall his voice filling the space and void of Yankee baseball throughout the years, it's the end of constant privilege. Whether it was in your car, your backyard, on a walk, or wherever, it was Sterling (with Michael Kay, and then Suzyn Waldman) whose unique voice and cadence ebbed and flowed through so many games.
He had a style and flair that was so signature. One of a kind. Like many of the greats, Sterling provided stories and narration for moments in a game that seamlessly gave the game itself life and lent eloquence to a game we were simply imagining being played out while we listened.
There were stories, flair, and the often-happening and unexplainable that were wrapped into one amazing phrase:
"Well, that's baseball, Suzyn."
I'll miss the home run calls...obviously.
My favorite, forever, was Mark Teixeira's call.
"Mark sends a Tex message in the outfield. Ohhhhhhhhh, you're on the mark, Texieira".
And Curtis Granderson.
"The Grandy man can! Ohhhhhhhhhh, the Grandy man can!
Here are a few others in a brilliant Instagram post from MLB:
So many of those calls bring a smile to your face. Instantly, those baseball moments come flooding back to you...and the sheer beauty, again, is that you likely don't need an actual visual, because Sterling's approach to communication was more than enough for a visual.
Personally, I hope the Yankees add his signature "theeeeee Yankees win" to every home win prior to Sinatra's "New York, New York" blasting throughout the stadium. I think that would be a nice touch.
Before I end this, I did want to share another Instagram post from Brooke Knows Ball (give her a follow). I thought she had a tremendous piece on Sterling that was worth listening to (see below).