John Sterling's Consecutive Streak of Calling Yankees Games to End This Week
Yankees radio broadcaster John Sterling's incredible 30-year streak of calling games will end this week.
Sterling told WFAN's "Benigno and Roberts" on Tuesday that he will take a break this weekend and won't travel with the team to Tampa Bay.
"Right now actually I'm a little under the weather, but I plan to broadcast the [Subway Series] games at Citi Field [on Tuesday and Wednesday] and then I'll take the weekend off and then All-Star break, so I'll have a week to get myself together," he said.
New York will return from the All-Star break with a 10-game homestand at Yankee Stadium.
According to the New York Post, WFAN executives encouraged Sterling to take some time off and focus on his health. Sterling told the Post he agrees that this is the right time him to take a break.
ESPN and YES Network broadcaster Ruan Ruocco will replace Sterling during the Yankees' four-game stint against the Rays. Suzyn Waldman, Sterling's longtime radio partner, will work with Ruocco during his absence.
Sterling began calling Yankees games on the radio in 1989 and missed two games that year due to the death of his sister. Since then, he's gone 30 consecutive years without skipping a game.
"I thought it was very nice I was able to do it," Sterling told the Post.
The Yankees and Rays will open their four-game series at Tropicana Field on Thursday.