Yankees' John Sterling replacement gets tough feedback in radio broadcast rankings

For nearly 40 years, John Sterling served as the radio voice of the New York Yankees, delighting (and at times frustrating) fans with his whimsical accounts of the happenings on the field. For folks in the New York City area, Sterling was an institution.

Sterling retired a few weeks into the 2024 season, just to come out of retirement five months later and close out the year with the Yankees, giving fans an unexpected opportunity to hear his zany home run calls one final time.

He wouldn't return to the booth in 2025, instead opting to slow down now that he's 87 years old. He now hosts a weekly Saturday show for 770-WABC-AM. While he might not be on the Mount Rushmore of broadcasters next to legends like Vin Scully and Harry Caray, the New York native is right there on the next tier and left some big shoes to fill.

It seemed like the Yankees picked up a winner in his replacement, Dave Sims, the longtime Seattle Mariners TV broadcaster who was lauded for his work in the Pacific Northwest.

New Yankees radio man Dave Sims gets some harsh criticism for his performance as he replaces the legendary John Sterling

Awful Announcing asked its readers to grade their local MLB radio broadcast teams, and the feedback for Dave Sims was not kind. Many cited the transition from TV to radio as being a challenge for the 71-year-old, who began his career as a sportswriter for the New York Daily News back in 1980.

Sims had spent the previous 18 years doing the play-by-play work in Seattle and seemingly became accustomed to the assistance that the visual medium provides. Awful Announcer readers commented that Sims' "freewheeling nature" doesn't suit radio as well as it does TV, while also complaining that he doesn't give the score often enough.

Others took issue with him not being descriptive enough with the action on the field, leaving the listener in the dark. While most had positive things to say about his chemistry with color commentator Suzyn Waldman, others weren't as convinced.

To the second point, Sterling and Waldman worked together for two decades, developing exceptional chemistry. The veteran radio woman served as the inspiration for Sterling's classic line, "That's baseball, Suzyn," which only served to highlight their on-air cohesiveness.

It should be noted that some praise for Sims' ability to build chemistry with the New York radio veteran, who had the same partner in crime for such a long time, should be a feather in his cap, even if not everyone agreed with that assessment. Regardless, that aspect will only get better over time.

More importantly, Sims is going to have to learn how to adapt his style to the demands of radio. If he can become more loquacious with the detail he provides as the action happens, his talents should win out.

Despite the criticism, the Yankee booth ranked 16th out of all 30 teams, giving them a middle-of-the-pack finish. If Sims takes all the criticism in stride, look for this booth to generate much more favorable reviews next year.