John Sterling discloses hilarious conversation with Aaron Judge following nasty hit by foul ball: "I told Aaron Judge that and he laughed"
On Sunday, Yankees announcer John Sterling provided reassurance to his fans regarding his well-being following Saturday night's incident where he was hit by a foul ball from Justin Turner while inside the Yankee Stadium broadcasting booth.
Despite being struck on the head, Sterling continued his duties and was present in the broadcast booth for the final game of the series between the New York Yankees and the Boston Red Sox.
During the game, Red Sox third baseman Turner was facing Clay Holmes when he hit a foul ball that went behind the plate. The ball appears to have hit the desk in front of Sterling and made contact with the 84-year-old broadcaster near his left eye.
The immediate reaction from Sterling was audible to fans listening to the live broadcast. Nevertheless, Sterling remained in the booth for the duration of the game despite the injury.
Following the incident, Turner displayed kindness by contacting John Sterling and autographing the ball that had hit him. Notably, Turner added a funny message for the broadcaster: “To John, no matter where you sit at a ballgame, you’re never safe!”
In the aftermath of the incident, John Sterling had a light-hearted conversation with the New York Yankees star Aaron Judge.
“I wasn’t going on the IL. I told Aaron Judge that and he laughed.” – Sterling said light-heartedly, slightly poking fun at the fact that several of Yankees players have made it to the injured list in the recent past.
Aaron Judge himself made it to the IL recently when he got injured during the New York Yankees game with the Los Angeles Dodgers earlier in June.
John Sterling returned to the booth this week after being away
Due to being under the weather, Sterling was unable to join the New York Yankees for their home series against the San Diego Padres and the subsequent West Coast trip. As a result, he had been absent for 23 out of the team's initial 61 games in the current MLB season.
Whether it's illness or being struck by a foul ball, it appears that Sterling's absence from the booth is usually brief, as he tends to make a swift return.
Sterling, the radio play-by-play announcer for the Yankees in Major League Baseball, has an impressive track record. He called a remarkable streak of 5,060 consecutive Yankees games starting from 1989, with only a brief four-game break in July 2019.