One of John Sterling's favorite duos reunited Monday afternoon, as Mike Francesa and Chris "Mad Dog" Russo came together to celebrate the legendary New York Yankees announcer. Sterling, the iconic voice of the Bronx Bombers for 36 seasons, passed away from heart failure at age 87, while still recovering from open-heart surgery following a heart attack earlier this year. His death sparked an outpouring of tributes, but none quite as special as this reunion between two of sports radio's most legendary figures.

During a heartfelt segment on Russo's SiriusXM channel, Francesa made a surprising revelation: it was actually Russo who helped turn Sterling's home run calls into the beloved institution they became. "I've said many times, the guy more responsible for any of those calls is the Dog," Francesa explained. "John was an incredibly fervent listener to the Mike and the Mad Dog show. He listened to it every day, he loved it."

The origin story? It all started with a Bernie Williams triple. "Bernie goes boom," Sterling said, and Russo played the clip about 50 times in a row. Sterling was so thrilled he called the show, and a tradition was born. Francesa noted that Sterling began cultivating his now-famous calls specifically because he wanted Russo to play them on the air during his drive to the ballpark. "This created a whole cottage industry for him and really helped make him the voice that he was," Francesa added.

What followed was a golden era of Yankees baseball and unforgettable catchphrases. From "Bern, baby, Bern!" to "A thrilla by Godzilla!" for Hideki Matsui, and "It's an A-Bomb! From A-Rod!" for Alex Rodriguez. There was "The Grandyman can!" for Curtis Granderson, and the iconic "All Rise! Here comes the Judge!" for Aaron Judge. Just as other sports radio shows copied the Mike and the Mad Dog format, they also followed suit by playing Sterling's calls, cementing his place in baseball lore.

For Yankees fans and sports apparel lovers alike, Sterling's voice was the soundtrack to summer. His calls became as much a part of the game-day experience as the pinstripes themselves—a reminder that sometimes the most memorable moments in sports come not just from the players on the field, but from the voices that bring them to life.