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Yankees: John Sterling Misses Opener of Orioles Series With Illness

ByAdam Weinrib|
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JANUARY 25: John Sterling speaks after receiving the Casey Stengel "You Could Look It Up" Award during the 97th annual New York Baseball Writers' Dinner on January 25, 2020 Sheraton New York in New York City. (Photo by Mike Stobe/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JANUARY 25: John Sterling speaks after receiving the Casey Stengel "You Could Look It Up" Award during the 97th annual New York Baseball Writers' Dinner on January 25, 2020 Sheraton New York in New York City. (Photo by Mike Stobe/Getty Images)

Yankees announcer John Sterling is missing Wednesday’s game vs the Orioles with an illness.

After an unexpected three-day break for the New York Yankees thanks to some shifting schedule pieces and a necessary abundance of caution, they won’t be taking the field in entirely familiar fashion on Wednesday.

Though the television and radio crews don’t travel in 2020, and instead call the games from their home stadium, you still won’t be hearing John Sterling on Wednesday, the iconic voice of the Yankees.

Instead of the home opener in the Bronx, New York is instead in Baltimore, and Sterling is staying home, felled by an illness.

Well, that’s not what any of us wanted.

In Sterling’s place, WFAN’s Rickie Ricardo, who usually handles the Spanish language broadcast, will accompany Suzyn Waldman on the play-by-play. Felix DeJesus will take over the Spanish PBP duties, filling the resulting gap.

We know what you’re thinking, though, and don’t worry — we received word mid-game that Sterling tested negative for COVID-19.

Sterling has been an absolute iron man over the years, rarely missing a game, even under extreme duress. Serving as the rock of the Yankees after coming up north from the Atlanta Braves broadcast in the late ’80s, Sterling called every single Yankees game on the radio from 1989 until last summer, when he also fell ill.

Born on the literal Fourth of July, nobody is quite as uniquely associated with the sights and sounds of the Yankees as the iconically quirky Sterling is. The powerhouse is, however, 82 years old, and now that the pressure of his iconic streak has been lifted, perhaps he’ll feel more comfortable skipping the odd game every once in a while, especially now that caution must be preached.

However long Sterling needs off, we’re certain that he deserves it. However, that doesn’t necessarily mean we’ll be prepared for his dulcet tones to be absent in the interim. Hurry back, if you can.

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