The John Sterling Project is now final as of Sterling’s retirement, which was announced on April 15, 2024.
John Sterling must have been a busy man during spring training. Considering the turnover of the Yankees’ roster, the veteran broadcaster probably spent most of March scribbling down personalized home run calls for all the new players in the Bronx Bombers’ lineup. And, with Vernon Wells, Travis Hafner, and Kevin Youkilis all going deep in the opening week of the season, it didn’t take long for Sterling to share the fruits of his labor.
Apparently, John Sterling does have a monitor.
Being christened with a personalized home run call has become a rite of passage for newcomers to the Bronx, but Sterling’s baptisms by rhymes, alliterations, and Broadway show tunes weren’t always part of a new Yankee’s initiation. The “Bern, Bernie, Bernie” serenade for Bernie Williams is widely believed to be the first re-occurring Sterling home run stamp, and the genesis of that call goes back to the 1990s, but the practice did not become universal until years later. Unfortunately, it’s hard t pinpoint exactly when the routine began.
In celebration of John Sterling’s 25th year calling Yankee games (he has never missed a single broadcast), listed below is the beginning of an attempt to catalog every personalized home run call uttered by the broadcaster. Based on recollections, which were confirmed by Michael Kay, who partnered with Sterling from 1992 to 2001, the starting season for the project was set at 2002. Since that time, 178 different Yankees have homered, and I have identified at least one personalized home run call for 142 (updated on April 15, 2024; when no HR call has been confirmed, it is indicated in the chart below).
The goal of the John Sterling Project is to fill in the blanks in the list below. Because Sterling has evolved from ordaining only prominent players with a distinct home run call to extending the honor to all hitters, not every blank will have an answer. However, if you know of a Sterling call not included below, please leave a comment (along with corroborating sources or audio links, if possible). You can’t predict John Sterling, but you can at least try to record his genius for future generations.
John Sterling’s Personalized Home Run Calls, Since 2002
Note: Some calls have evolved over time; the ones presented in the list above are believed to be the most prominent renditions. Calls in bold have not been confirmed by either memory, reputable sources, or archived audio. Entries separated by “/” represent different scripts, not variations of the same calls.
Nick Green was something along the lines of “It isn’t easy being Green” if I remember correctly.
Surely just an oversight, but this is missing Russel Martin: “Russell… shows muscle? Monsieur Martin est la!” YouTube clip at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cf6sA9uwdlw
whoops – never mind, I see M. Martin is included. I missed it when I scanned the list, and when I used ctrl-F to search the page it didn’t come up. Please feel free to delete both of these comments.
Also, I think Jerry Hairston was simply “Jerry Hairston!” and a pause. So you might call that a “No HR call.”
I found audio for only one of Hairston’s two homers, so I am holding out hope.
He did a variation of the Tino Martinez call when Giambi hit one — smomething like “The Giam – bino!!”
I have to vote the Winn call as the worst ever. Glad you included it.
In 2011 when Nunez homered he said something like “Nuni….el montayoyo or something like that in Spanish.
Nix I think is “Nix has a knack for a knock.”
I kind of like its a nuke from Youk
Don’t forget after he called a nuke from Youk he followed it with “Youkilis is Kevin sent”
Suzyn lost her shit.
[…] The John Sterling Project – The Captain’s Blog | William Juliano: Now you can keep track of every single John Sterling home run call. […]
Thanks for the additions so far; the chart above is now updated as of 4/9/13.
This is absolutely fantastic. Bravo, William. Bravo indeed.
Lyle Overbay is LYLE HITS IT A MILE
Boesch is BB HITS A BB BOESCH BY GOSH
How about Scott Brosius? supercalifragilisticexpiali-Brosius?
He used to do “O Captain, My Captain!” for Derek Jeter.
“Sterling did not have a personalized call for Chris Stewart’s lone home run in pinstripes.”
– Probably because he was still in shock, like the rest of us!
I always though Bernie was Bern Baby Bern, a takeoff on Disco Inferno. That was always my favorite. He’s gone way off the deep end now.
I liked when Sterling would scream “an A-Bomb, from A-Rod!” while Matsui was standing in the on deck circle.. Not very politically correct lol
Sunday, April 21, 2013, Chris Stewart homers in Toronto. John Sterling’s call goes something like this: Stewart christens the left field seats with a home run!
Dear God,
If you truly exist and are a benevolent and merciful being, please please stop John Sterling from making those ridiculously absurd and embarrassing home run calls for the New York Yankees.
Vernon Wells: “The Bronx is Vernon”
Ben Francisco: “He opened his Golden Gate” and “It’s a Ben Francisco Treat”
Kevin Youkilis: “It’s a nuke …from Youk” and “Youkilis is Kevin sent”
…and these are just from this season!
God, I know that there is famine, war, and much more important things going on in the world, but if you would just grant this one simple wish, I believe, like the butterfly effect, this will begin a universal cataclysmic shift in making the planet a place of health, happiness and harmony and then we can all scream in unison, “The World Wins, Theeeeee Wooooooorld Wiiiiiiiins!
Thank you. Amen.
Raul Mondesi – he would yell RAAAAUUULLLLLLLLL!!!!!
Also for Overbay, John says “I love it, I Lyle love it!”. Does anyone know his call for Donnie Baseball? As for John’s radio personality, he may not be John Miller or Harry, but he is the voice of the Yankees and does a very good job. He and Michael Kay were a wonderful team. While Susan might be a nice person, she doesn’t know much about baseball. I don’t listen to the radio broadcasts very often anymore, mostly due to Susan’s poor performance. We now subscribe to “extra innings” on cable to get (almost) every game via Yankees TV broadcast team.
Thanks…the Overbay entry has been updated.
For Ibanez, Sterling gave his “Raul, So Cool” even when he was playing for the Mariners this year, which was surprising.
I did not see Marcus Thames on the liat, but I’m pretty sure he had a decent call.
[…] Yankees offense has been rough on everyone, but no one more so than radio play-by-play man and walking catchphrase John Sterling. When you make your bones with a series of silly home run calls, a lack of home runs […]
Sal Fasano hit one, I think against Baltimore, and my buddy and I will always remember it….
“he did it! He really did it!”
I can’t find anything for Paul O’neil. Anything out there for him?
[…] list of every call that Sterling has done (if you are interested in something like that, though, there’s a Yankee blog that’s been collecting as many of John Sterling’s home run …. How could we forget Nick Green’s home run call?) and this list is not in order. I may put […]
[…] plenty of options that could have made this list. You can view a full list of his home run calls here and see which ones make you scratch your head the most. So while I cannot comment on many other […]
Love this! Thanks for doing it! One correction; it’s “Yes IN-Didi” like “yes indeed”. For gregorius.
Of course! Thanks. I’ll correct that with the next update.
Need one for Chris Carter! Wasn’t listening to the radio.
Carter hits it harder!
[…] actually websites like this one that chronicle the entire list of Sterling home run calls for everyone from Alex Rodriguez to Brian McCann. You’ll want to check it out for such gems as “Never nervous Yangervis” or […]
Clint Frazier. “And downtown goes Frazier!”
Neil Walker – the Homerun Corker! Two more variations on Gleyber Torres: Gley can Play! and Like a good Gleyber, Torres is there!
Did Paul O Neil never have a call?
Adeiny Hechavarria. Hechavarria! Mamma Mia!!!
Tulohitsky The Man of Troy. Ugh.
Ya beat me to it! I guess I was typing my comment just as you posted yours. LOL
Troy Tulowitzki. Tulo-HIT-ski! The Man of Troy
Mike Tauchman TAUCHMAN, THE SOCKMAN!
DJ LeMahueu. “David John makes it Long Gone!”
Mike Ford. “For the Yankees there’s a Ford in your future. Mike is Ford Tough!”
Rougned Odor. You are Odoriffic! Shut the door, Odor.