Mets announcers Gary Cohen, Keith Hernandez remember Yankees radio legend John Sterling

Legendary New York Yankees radio announcer John Sterling passed away on Monday at the age of 87. The Yankees and the YES Network broadcast paid tribute to Sterling on Monday night, and the New York Mets broadcast on SNY also showed love for the local icon.

Mets announcers Gary Cohen and Keith Hernandez (who returned to the booth after recently undergoing back surgery) remembered Sterling during the team’s game against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field. Their commentary came after the SNY broadcast showed a highlight of the Yankees winning the 1999 World Series with Sterling on the radio call.

“Well, like everybody else around baseball, and all of broadcasting, Keith and I were very sad today to hear of the passing of John Sterling, who died today at the age of 87,” Cohen began. “John was one of a kind. He was unique in everything he did. He was a sweetheart of a man. And I was very proud to call him my friend.”

“Yeah, he was a gentleman,” Hernandez said. “And I remember one time — he always came up and said ‘Hello’ to me — I kind of did his ‘Yankees win’ like this (shows hand motion), and I mimicked him. And he thought I was making fun of him. I just had to say, ‘John, I’m not making fun of you. I love that call.'”

“You know, when I was growing up, John was one of the first to have a talk show, a call-in talk show, on WMCA,” Cohen said. “This was back in the early ’70s. And he was bombastic at times, but he was knowledgeable, and everybody who I knew who was into sports in New York listened to John doing that talk show on WMCA. They’d all imitate him. And then he’d go on to do hockey games. He did the New York Raiders in the WHA, and his partner was the former Yankee left-hander Fritz Peterson. And John would lose his voice by the third period, and Fritz would have to do play-by-play. Then he went on to do the Islanders, and then the Nets during the time that Bernard King was with the Nets. He called him ‘Bernard, Sky, B.B. King!’ I mean, he was one of a kind. Sui generis.”

“He actually came to the Yankees the same year I started with the Mets in 1989,” Cohen added. “He and Michael Kay formed a fantastic duo for 10 years before Michael moved on to TV. And then he and Suzyn were like brother and sister. That was a fabulous listen. You know, he had his own style. Nobody else was ever like John, or will ever be like John. And we’re all the greater for having known him, and the lesser for his passing.”

“You know, the way I look at John is that he had a wonderful life,” Hernandez said. “And he was able to do something that he loved. And that was being in sports.”