The New York Yankees will pay tribute to legendary broadcaster John Sterling with a special memorial patch on their jerseys for the remainder of the 2026 season, the team announced Tuesday. Sterling, the iconic "voice of the Yankees" who called games for 36 years, passed away Monday at age 87. The patch will debut on May 18, with the team wearing a "JS" emblem on the back of their caps until then.

Sterling, a native New Yorker, joined the Yankees broadcast booth in 1989 and became a beloved figure across generations of fans. His unmistakable voice narrated five World Series championships and an astonishing 5,631 games—including over 5,000 consecutively. "John Sterling breathed life and excitement into Yankees games for 36 years while wearing his passion for baseball and the Yankees on his sleeve," the team said in a statement. "He informed and entertained generations of fans with a theatrical and unapologetic style that was uniquely his own."

Fans will forever associate Sterling with his signature calls, especially his personalized home run exclamations for each player—like "An A-bomb for A-Rod" for Alex Rodriguez. And, of course, his drawn-out "thuh-uh-uh-uh Yankees win" after every victory became as much a part of the game as the final out. Following Monday's win at Yankee Stadium, the team played that iconic call, and manager Aaron Boone and star Aaron Judge have voiced support for making it a permanent tradition.

"John treasured his role as the voice of the New York Yankees, and his enthusiasm for the art of broadcasting perfectly complemented our city and our fans," the team added. "The symmetry between John and his audience was both undeniable and magical, and his signature calls will resonate for as long as we put on pinstripes—especially after every Yankees win." For fans looking to honor Sterling's legacy, the patch serves as a reminder of the man who made every home run and every win feel like a celebration.