It is difficult for older fans who remember Mel Allen, Curt Gowdy, Frank Messer, Bill White, Phil Rizzuto, and Bobby Murcer, to accept, but the fact is that John Sterling (a.k.a. Harold Moskowitz) has become “The Voice of the Yankees.”
The New York Yankees refer to their radio announcers as commentators or personalities. John Sterling, who attempts to present the play-by-play of Yankees games, is the face of the team. It is not always pretty.
John Sterling has been referred to as “A narcissistic, condescending blowhard who neither knows nor cares what's happening on the field as he awaits his next chance—real or imagined—to holler his scripted, asinine "signature" calls to an audience that he long ago trained to suspect that what he describes is not even close to true.”
How many times has Sterling told the fans of New York’s other team that “It is high. It is far. It is caught on the warning track?”
The “Voice of the Yankees” invariably excuses himself. “I thought it was gone when it left the bat” or “That ball just died.”
To his credit and much to the chagrin of many fans, Sterling is a hard-worker who has not missed a broadcast during his time with the Yankees. Yes, he is smug, haughty, and condescending.
Sterling does not shun the spotlight. When he tells listeners that the Yankees have won, he shouts so loud that he cannot control his body, The experience is “The Sterling Shake.”
The spotlight belongs to Sterling, not to the Yankees.
When David Wells pitched a perfect game, Sterling actually reported that Wells had pitched a perfect before unnecessarily stating the “Thuh Yankees win. Thuuuuh Yankees win.”
Unless the pitcher’s name is Harvey Haddix, the chances are pretty good that if a pitcher pitches a perfect game, his team wins.
A radio play-by-play announcer sees the game for his listeners. He must get fans into the flow of the game, set the stage as the game unfolds, and of greatest importance, provide accurate descriptions of what occurred on the field.
John Sterling has been accused of broadcasting two games—the game on the field and the game that he calls.
Fans still remember a few seasons ago when Sterling told his listeners that Hideki Matsui’s fly ball to right that bounced into the seats for a ground rule double was a game tying home run in a game against the Twins.
Such incompetence is inexcusable. Fans think the Yankees have tied the game, but they learn that Matsui is on second base and the Twins are still leading in the eighth inning.
The entire flow of the game and mindset of the listeners have been disrupted.
Some things written about Mr. Sterling are not nice, but they may be true.
The image that the Yankees like to present to the world becomes more of a myth every time John Sterling tries to describe what is happening on the field.
References:
New York Post
The Sterling Shake
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