Veteran Yankees radio broadcaster John Sterling has made the difficult decision to retire at the age of 85, in the middle of his 34th season in New York’s broadcast booth. In recent years, Sterling had reduced his workload and did not travel with the team for their recent trips to Houston and Toronto. Over his career, he called 5,420 regular-season games and 211 postseason games, with his last game being against the Blue Jays on April 7.

Sterling began his broadcasting career with the Yankees as a pregame host and went on to broadcast 5,060 consecutive games from September 1989 to July 2019. He will be honored in a special pregame ceremony before Saturday’s game against Tampa Bay. In a statement, Sterling expressed his gratitude for being able to pursue his passion for broadcasting for the past 64 years, including 36 years with the Yankees. He leaves the industry feeling happy and fulfilled, and is looking forward to reuniting with everyone at the ceremony on Saturday.

This news was reported by The Associated Press. For more updates and information on Major League Baseball, follow your favorite teams and players to stay informed about games, news, and more.