The New York Yankees' radio broadcast booth underwent a seismic shakeup last April, which was only partially undone in October. When the season had barely begun, John Sterling, the voice of the Yankees, announced that he was stepping down effective immediately. This left massive shoes to fill, with Sterling's 2023 fill-ins immediately hopping into Audition Mode in order to cover the rest of the season.
That group included Justin Shackil, Emmanuel Berbari, Brendan Burke, Craig Carton for some reason, Ryan Ruocco, and Ricky Ricardo, the team's Spanish language voice. Shackil, familiar to many Yankee fans as a YES Network Swiss Army knife/in-stadium host, did an excellent job when handed the mic, and also handled postgame duties throughout the season.
Of course, the calculus all changed when Sterling revved up and returned to cover the team's World Series run; the team ultimately fell short in heartbreaking fashion, sending the 86-year-old broadcaster back on the road with a Loss Warble. After the season ended, the Yankees announced a high-profile hire in Sterling's place: Dave Sims, the longtime voice of the Seattle Mariners and a former WFAN host himself, would be returning to New York.
While the end result of Sims' emergence isn't known for all parties affected, Shackil announced on Thursday night that, while he'll still be appearing on the YES Network next season in "a variety of roles," his time on the WFAN broadcast/postgame show has come to an end. Television voice Michael Kay graciously wished him well in response to the statement.
You did well, my friend. Good luck moving forward. https://t.co/IWxVC4loul
— Michael Kay (@RealMichaelKay) January 24, 2025
Yankees broadcaster Justin Shackil leaves WFAN after Dave Sims replaces John Sterling
Shackil's a veteran voice in the New York City space, buoyed by an excellent experience and tenure in the Yankees' booth. It certainly sounds like he has a specific "what lies ahead" planned here, which will be announced at a later date.
Regardless, the Yankees' radio broadcast seems to be in good hands with Sims and Suzyn Waldman, while plenty of other voices will certainly make appearances throughout the year to round out the coverage. Good to see Shackil comfortably go out on his own teams, and make a graceful announcement that's been met by a praise shower.