Who fully replaces Yankees broadcasting legend John Sterling has yet to be determined, but don’t count on Sterling to try to tip the scales in favor of one person over the other.
WFAN has leaned on a rotating cast of broadcasters to fill the void left by Sterling when he retired from the booth in April.
The Yanks radio broadcast home has turned to Justin Shackil, Emmanuel Berbari, Ryan Ruocco, Brendan Burke and Rickie Ricardo to sit alongside Suzyn Waldman since.
When asked during an appearance on the latest episode of “The Show with Joel Sherman and Jon Heyman” about his replacement, Sterling told Heyman and fill-in co-host Mike Vaccaro that he was “staying out of it.”
“I don’t want to hurt one person for another. I think the kids are doing a great job. No problems,” Sterling said.
It would be understandable if Sterling would root for one particular candidate, the Spanish language broadcaster Ricardo.
The fellow Yankees broadcaster famously saved Sterling in 2021 after his car was stuck on the side of the road in Edgewater, N.J. after getting caught in weather from Hurricane Ida on his way home from the ballpark late at night.
“The incident was, there was an unbelievable amount of rain. And because I’m a jerk, I tried to drive through it, and I did, until I got into Edgewater,” Sterling described. “And then my car stopped and I couldn’t get out because the water was so deep. I didn’t know what to do, I called Suzyn. Suzyn called Rickie who hadn’t left yet – he does a postgame – and he drove by and picked me up. He drove to higher ground and then we went all the way around circuitously before he finally dropped me off at home.
“I love Rickie for that and I think he’s a tremendous broadcaster, but you’re right I’m staying out of it.”
Sterling was the radio voice of the Yanks starting in 1989 before stepping down earlier this year after the regular season had begun.