Hours after John Sterling announced his retirement, bringing an end to one of the great broadcasting careers baseball has ever seen, Angels announcer Wayne Randazzo paid tribute to Sterling by using his iconic home run call.
With the Halos trailing 1-0 in the top of the eighth, Mike Trout drilled a home run into the left field seats to take a 2-1 lead over the Rays, and as the ball sailed over the wall at Tropicana Field, Randazzo broke out Sterling’s trademark “It is high! It is far! It is gone!”
The call was an obvious nod to Sterling, who used the call for much of his three-plus decades behind the microphone.
The homages didn’t stop there. During the Islanders/Devils game on Monday night, Isles announcer Brendan Burke paid tribute to Sterling and his old days of calling games, breaking out Sterling’s classic “Islanders goal! Islanders goal” after New York took a 4-1 lead in the third period, en route to clinching a playoff spot.
Sterling will be honored before Saturday’s game against the Rays at Yankee Stadium, allowing fans to show their appreciation for the voice of a generation, as Sterling calls it a career after starting it in the Bronx in 1989, calling over 5,000 games and five World Series titles in that span.