Dear Voting Committee of the Ford C. Frick Award,
It is time to consider the radio voice of the New York Yankees, John Sterling, for the Ford C. Frick award.
Mr. Sterling is the Cal Ripken Jr. of broadcasting. He did not miss a single Yankee game from 1989 until July 2019. He is the Iron Voice.
That’s right, not one game – a total of 5,060 consecutive games.
John Sterling witnessed every single Derek Jeter at-bat, and he called every Mariano Rivera pitch.
He isn’t old-school, and he certainly isn’t new-school. He has his own academy.
Ever since John was a young boy, he knew he wanted to be a broadcaster. It is his passion. It is life.
Earlier this year, I asked him what led to his decision to come back this year as the Voice of the Yankees. He digested the question, and then he responded, “you mean, why do I want to keep doing what I love to do?”
I laughed, fired back with a “yes,” and said, “people would like to know.”
At the age of 84, he decided halfway through this season that he would do every home game, with only select road games on his schedule.
However, with the season Aaron Judge was having, he decided he wanted to be on the call for each and every one of those moments. It just so happened that the 61st and 62nd home runs that Judge hit were on the road. If Sterling hadn’t traveled, he would have missed out on calling history – something he has already done many times over his storied career.
A career that he began in the music industry, transitioning to sports in 1971. That was his ultimate goal. He has broadcasted NBA, NHL, and MLB over the course of his long and successful career, but it has been the love for broadcasting that has kept him going.
The 2023 Frick Award nominees were released on Wednesday afternoon, and you seem to once again omitted Mr. Sterling from consideration. A disservice to the award, from my perspective, and one that I plead with you to reconsider.
I understand that if you are not a Yankees fan, you may say Mr. Sterling is a “homer” – or an obnoxious New Yorker who is just a fan himself.
Those statements could not be further from the truth. The people who say John Sterling is a “homer” have likely never listened to a game that he and his longtime broadcast partner, Suzyn Waldman, have called.
Mr. Sterling has repeatedly said over his career, he simply loves offense. He sometimes even does his trademarked home run call for an opposing team. It may make a Yankees fan feel ill, but it is certainly not something that a “homer” broadcaster would do.
He is more than just his home run catchphrases, and that broadcaster who says “THE YANKEES WIN”.
In New York, Mr. Sterling is a legend. He deserves the honor of being able to accept the Ford C. Frick award in person in Cooperstown. He has this way about himself. He is special. The moment you hear him broadcast a game, you are hooked. That is what happened to me, and that is how it happened for millions of New Yorkers.
I’ve shared this story before, but because of Mr. Sterling I am a baseball fan. I was grounded by my parents when I was in middle school, and I could not watch any television. So, I turned on the radio, turned the dial and I heard the deep sound of Mr. Sterling’s voice, and the chemistry he shares with Suzyn Waldman.
Since that moment, I’ve been hooked, and I’ve been inspired. I am writing this very piece and those that have come before it because of that day.
I’m positive I’m not the only person who became a baseball fan because of Mr. Sterling. Everything I have done and will do in baseball is because of that wonderful man.
He will always be remembered for his passionate calls, creating moments that will live on forever in Yankees history. No one can get you excited about a meaningless game 162 like Mr. Sterling. You want to listen to him so you don’t miss anything he says.
Mr. Sterling deserves to be honored for his dedication to a game that has done a lot for him.
Very sincerely,
Alex Feuz
