Aaron Judge pays emotional tribute to Yankees icon John Sterling after his shock death: 'Tough day in New York'

New York Yankees captain Aaron Judge led the tributes to late announcer John Sterling following his death. 

Sterling, the legendary former voice of the New York Yankees, died at the age of 87, it was announced on Monday. 

The iconic New York City sports radio host, who provided play-by-play commentary for 5,631 regular-season and postseason Yankees games, spent 36 years covering the team before retiring in 2024.

Yankees superstar slugger Judge honored Sterling in a touching tribute shared on Monday afternoon.   

‘Tough day in New York hearing this news,’ Judge wrote on Instagram, alongside a photo of himself and the late announcer.

‘Thank you John for everything you gave baseball and Yankee fans around the world. The stories you told over the years and the moments you called will live on forever.’

The Yankees superstar slugger took to Instagram to honor the New York icon’s memory 

Back in February, Sterling sparked fears for his health when it was revealed he had suffered a heart attack the month prior.

Four months on from that major health scare, New York sports radio WFAN has announced Sterling’s tragic death.

‘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,’ the radio station posted on X on Monday morning. ‘Rest in peace, John’.

The Yankees then posted shortly after: ‘The Yankees mourn the loss of legendary broadcaster John Sterling. Our thoughts are with John’s family, friends and loved ones at this time.’

Others joined Judge in paying tribute to Sterling, including New York Senator Chuck Schumer. 

‘Very sad to hear of the passing of John Sterling, the voice of the Yankees from the late 80s, the 90s dynasty, all the way through 2024. He was the voice of summer for millions of Yankees fans. May John’s memory be a blessing,’ Schumer shared. 

After his heart attack at the start of the year, a month later Sterling said he was on the mend thanks to the help of his four children, having spent a lot of his recovery with his feet up watching the Winter Olympics.

‘I’m kind of waiting for the force to leave my legs and I can get back out there,’ he told WFAN Radio. ‘I’m very fortunate, and all things are good.’

Sterling spent 36 years covering the Yankees before retiring from commentary in 2024 

The legendary radio host was inducted into the New York State Broadcasters Hall of Fame

‘I couldn’t have done it without them,’ he added referring to his children. ‘They have been sensational in taking care of me.’

Known for his signature ‘The Yankees win!’ victory call, Sterling joined the team’s broadcast in 1989 and went on to cover five world championship and seven American League wins, with generations of fans growing up listening to him behind the mic.

He did not miss a game for 30 years until a health issue forced him to skip a handful of contests in 2019, bringing an end to his remarkable streak of 5,060 straight games.

Sterling also formed a legendary partnership in the booth with longtime sidekick Suzyn Waldman, who still calls games for WFAN. The pair worked together for 20 years before his retirement two years ago.