John Sterling's Alex Verdugo home run call needs a little more time in the oven

Nobody -- NOBODY -- does it like Yankees longtime broadcaster John Sterling. If you dislike his nickname generation, his sing-song quality, and his signature win warbles, you probably aren't a Yankees fan -- and that's fine. He's not for you. You do not have to like him, but most of us do, and it won't take a lot of detective work to discern why. He's been part of this franchise's fabric for 30+ years, serving as our childhood wallpaper and bright yellow highlighter in moments of great joy.

That said, if you're a Yankee fan, you've almost certainly gotten annoyed at Sterling from time to time, mainly when his eyes fail him and he starts his signature home run call a second or two too early. It's part of his charm, though it will make your veins pop a few millimeters.

These days, as radio listenership declines precipitously, Sterling is mostly familiar to younger Yankee fans as a soundtrack to short, oft-shared clips, which neuters his worst qualities somewhat. No longer are people relying on him to narrate hours of action. They just want to listen to him have fun in moments of post-win zen or mid-game euphoria.

Which is why his Alex Verdugo home run call, which he unveiled when the Yankees' new left fielder cranked a two-run, lead-snatching shot in extra innings Wednesday in Arizona, was a bit disappointing. In all honesty, it sounded like Verdugo lulled him to sleep with the offensive output of his first six games and left him unprepared, forcing a half-baked addition to the canon.

Yankees announcer John Sterling might need to head back to the drawing board for Alex Verdugo homers

Knowing how much of a history buff Sterling is, it kind of feels like this one took him by surprise ("Ditto." - All Yankee Fans), and he just conjured up a random Alexander at a moment's notice. You know why it feels that way? Because, typically, the modern Sterling calls all have a back half.

Juan Soto, who dingered in Houston, received, "It's a Soto Photo!" followed by a verse of showtunes with, "It's Juan-derful, 'smarvelous..." That's a Sterling call (and, obviously, the Yankees' voice had probably been thinking of that one since the moment the Soto trade was consummated).

In Verdugo's case, there simply has to be a more appropriate "Alex," or even a play on his last name? "Go" feels like Sterling catnip. And is there a hidden meaning we're missing with "trots"? Is that part of something clever, or just a description of how people typically jaunt following home runs? Even "Alexander the Great Verdu-Goes Yard!" feels like more of a Sterling special.

No, come on, Adam, THINK. Get "Alexander the Great" out of there, scrap him entirely. "Alex Luthor"? "Alex Trebek, bek, bek, GONE!" Something about "Two Chains"? "ALEXANDER VERDUGO. We are waiting in the wings for you..."? Anything Broadway feels more up Sterling's alley.

Regardless of where this one settles, something tells us this is the final time you'll hear this call without a revision, so soak it all in.