NEW YORK — John Sterling, a former Atlanta Braves and Hawks broadcaster who later became the radio voice for the New York Yankees, has died.
WFAN Sports Radio announced his death on Monday. Sterling was 87.
[DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]
“We are devastated to hear about the passing of John Sterling, a WFAN and Yankees radio icon whose voice was synonymous with an entire generation of Yankee fandom,” WFAN said in a statement.
Sterling called games for the Braves from 1982-1987 and for the Hawks from 1981-1989. He then took the radio play-by-play job for the Yankees, where his signature “The Yankees Win” call became a staple.
His broadcasting career also included stints with the New York Nets, New York Islanders and Baltimore Bullets.
The Braves and Hawks both posted tributes on their social media accounts.
“The Atlanta Braves mourn the passing of longtime Yankees and former Braves broadcaster John Sterling.”
“In loving memory of John Sterling, a legendary voice in sports whose career spanned many years, including nearly a decade with the Atlanta Hawks ❤️"
Major League Baseball released the following statement: