John Sterling has been calling Yankees games for over three decades, providing countless viral moments over that span. On Saturday night, just as the Yankees were about to beat the Red Sox, Sterling provided another priceless moment.
With Boston down by a run with two out in the top of the ninth inning, Red Sox designated hitter Justin Turner fouled off a 3-2 pitch from Clay Holmes to keep the at-bat alive. The ball carried backward all the way to the press box and hit Sterling in the head.
“The 3-2, a pop foul back here,” Sterling said on the Yankees radio network call. “Ow, ow, ow. It really hit me. I didn’t know it was coming back that far.”
John Sterling got hit by a Justin Turner foul ball then got right back on the mic like an absolute warrior pic.twitter.com/JHsVTKEVPA
— Talkin' Yanks (@TalkinYanks) June 11, 2023
The 84-year-old shook it off and finished the game, which only lasted a few more pitches. Although he was bleeding, Sterling said he would be O.K. and able to call the Red Sox-Yankees game on Sunday.
“I’m not going on the IL,” he said, via The Athletic’s Brendan Kuty.
Sterling recently missed a stretch of games after battling an illness, but he returned to the booth on Tuesday.
