NEW YORK — New York Yankees radio announcer John Sterling may not be a fan’s cup of tea outside of the Big Apple, but even his detractors would have to admire his resiliency after he was struck in the forehead by a foul ball.
Sterling, 84, took a baseball to the head on June 10 when Justin Turner’s foul ball flew into the broadcast booth at Yankee Stadium, USA Today reported.
New York was winning 3-1 and the Boston Red Sox had two outs in the ninth inning when Turner worked a full count, according to the newspaper. Turner sent the ball back toward the radio broadcast booth.
“Swung on, a pop foul, back here,” Sterling said before the ball ricocheted off his head. “Ow! Ow! Ow! It really hit me, I didn’t know it was coming back that far.”
The baseball struck Sterling in the left eyebrow, according to The Athletic. Aside from “a little bit of blood,” Sterling continued announcing.
Turner hit another foul ball -- a grounder -- and then grounded out to third base, allowing Sterling to yodel his traditional “Ballgame over! Yankees win! The-eee Yankees win!”
Sterling, who has been the Yankees’ primary radio play-by-play announcer since 1989, missed 23 straight games this year from May 11 to June 6 with bronchitis a commitment to attend the graduations of his triplets, The Associated Press reported.
From 1989 until July 2019, Sterling did not miss calling a single game, according to The Athletic.
“You know, that foul ball actually hit me, it glanced off my forehead,” Sterling said after the final out was made. “So, I took one for the team.”