Legendary New York Yankees radio play-by-play announcer John Sterling wasn’t prepared for a foul ball flying into his broadcast booth during the team’s game against the Red Sox on Saturday night.
In the bottom of the ninth, Justin Turner was the Red Sox’s last chance as Yankees reliever Clay Holmes had one out left to go up to a 3–1 lead.
Holmes hung a slider at the top of the zone, but Turner was unable to get past it and sent it right back.
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New York Yankees radio host John Sterling speaks during the team’s 63rd Veterans Day ceremony on July 19, 2009, at Yankee Stadium in New York City. (Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)
Sterling was in the middle of calling the foul ball when he suddenly had to react to it by heading straight for him.
It didn’t seem to be fast enough.
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«Ouch! Ouch! Ouch! It really hit me. I didn’t know it was going to go back that far.»
But being the veteran behind the microphone that he is, Sterling, 84, returned to his calling.
He eventually called Turner to roll out to end the game as the Yankees earned their 38th win of the season and their first against their division rival in Boston.
Yankees announcer John Sterling arrives at the screening of «2009 World Series Film: Philadelphia Phillies vs. New York Yankees» at the Ziegfeld Theater on November 23, 2009, in New York City. (Henry S. Dziekan III/Getty Images)
But he reportedly didn’t leave without proof the foul ball hit him; Atlético reported that the ball hit him on the head and caused «a little blood» near his left eyebrow.
However, Sterling will return to his regular seat at Yankee Stadium for the final game of the series on Sunday night.
«I’m not going on the disabled list,» he told The Athletic.
New York Yankees radio host John Sterling introduces the Veterans Day ceremony at Yankee Stadium on July 30, 2022, in New York City. (Rich Schultz/Getty Images)
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Sterling had just returned to the broadcast booth after missing 23 games due to bronchitis. That came after attending his triplets’ graduation.