Bob Raissman: For better or worse, Yankee voice John Sterling was in a world all his own

John (Pa Pinstripe) Sterling did the Yankees and their radio flagship station a favor Monday by retiring on the spot after 36 years behind the Bombers microphone.

Sterling’s sudden sayonara now gives the powers that be, whether in the Yankees hierarchy (they have final say on who gets the gig) or Audacy, the parent company of WFAN, an entire season, (likely into next winter), to identify and anoint the next radio voice of the Yankees who will join Suzyn (Ma Pinstripe) Waldman in the booth. The suits are not under any pressure to make a quick decision.

That’s a good thing.

There is only one certainty: The next Yankee radiocaster will sound nothing like Sterling, who will turn 86 on July 4th. The days of his gratuitous gimmick home run calls, (Sterling’s stairway to fame and entrée to becoming a one trick pony), are over. So is his much-discussed flamboyant play-by-play, which emphasized drama over accuracy.

For Yankee loyalists who followed their team on the radio, or caught a few innings in the car, there are a few different ways to look at life without Sterling. Some fans will be sad. They, like Sterling, see the world through pinstriped glasses. They prefer home cooking.

Sterling was their beloved master chef.

He also was not stamped out of a cookie cutter, the birthplace of many of today’s play-by-play voices. Like Sterling, this particular Yankee fans’ mood is based on whether the Bombers are winning or losing. So, for all those seasons, they found a kindred spirit whenever Sterling opened his mouth. It didn’t matter if he was working with the late Jay Johnstone, Michael Kay, Joe Angel or Ma, Sterling was the fans self-indulgent homer. And they adored him.

On the other side of the aisle are Yankee fans who tuned in expecting to hear a detailed play-by-play account that allowed them to follow a game without wondering what the heck just happened.

Or what the score is.

Or if someone struck out swinging or looking.

Or where the infielders and outfielders were positioned.

Or why a fly ball was in one breath, “It is high…It is far…..” and in the next, “It is caught in front of the warning track.”

Sterling controlled the broadcast. Throughout his time in the Bronx, he rarely allowed his partners to do play-by-play. And if they did, their innings allotment was far less than his.

Sterling’s priority was his style (or shtick) over the “minor” details listed above. Sterling, a devotee of the Broadway theater, saw each game as a vehicle where HE could entertain. In Sterling’s version of a baseball radiocast he was everything. Sterling was the producer, director and, sometimes, even resident crooner.

We are not expecting either Justin Shackil or Emmanuel Berbari, the two broadcasters who worked with Waldman last season in Sterling’s absence and will split the remaining games on the 2024 Yankees schedule, to break into song during a game.

For that, they would have to live in Sterling World.

And after all these years enough proof exists to say only one baseball broadcaster ever inhabited that planet.

TOM DESERVES RESPECT

There won’t be a shortage of cameras and microphones from ESPN, TNT and NBA TV covering the NBA playoffs.

Can someone, anyone, from these outlets explain why Tom Thibodeau, whose Knicks take on Philly in the opening round, gets no respect. Not only did he guide the Knicks to the No. 2 seed in the East, but his team is in their third playoff in four years.

Thibodeau went into the playoffs without a contract extension. Why? Would James (Guitar Jimmy) Dolan make him his fall guy if the 76ers bounce the Knicks from the playoffs?

We would ask Knicks prez Leon (Sphinx) Rose about this but he doesn’t speak to the media.

PLAYING THE DRAFT GAME

A few years ago, Christopher (Mad Dog) Russo asked Phil Simms why he doesn’t ask NFL GM’s about players they are targeting in the NFL draft. Simms replied: “Because they all lie.”

The NFL draft is big business. In addition to ABC, ESPN and the NFL Network carrying the April 25 event live in prime time from Detroit, there is tons of programming dedicated to the draft for television streaming and radio. Plus, an endless stream of mock drafts for the print and internet media.

What’s extraordinary is how teams cleverly play the game. The Chicago Bears are taking USC star Caleb Williams at No. 1. Yet even though they are eligible to sign him right now, Chicago will keep playing the suspense game.

And don’t be surprised if the Bears eat up most of their allotted time on Thursday night when they are on the clock just to keep viewers in some state of anxiety/eagerness.

TIME TO DRAFT AIKMAN

For ABC/ESPN the NFL draft is a huge viewership event. And yet the two broadcasters most identified with their NFL property, Joe Buck and Troy Aikman, sit out the festivities.

There is no need for Buck to plow through weeks and weeks of research. But Aikman played the game and was the No. 1 pick of the entire draft when he entered the league.

Every year, teams scramble to move up for what they pray is a franchise saving QB. So, you have to wonder why the network doesn’t take advantage of Aikman’s insight

AROUND THE DIAL

Pat McAfee, and his crew, won’t hesitate to verbally rumble with the media when their feathers are ruffled. Wednesday, they took strong issue with a story on why Bill Belichick failed to land a head coaching gig, written by ESPN’s Don Van Natta Jr., Seth Wickersham and Jeremy Fowler. Unfortunately, it was hard to determine what the Mac-Pack’s actual beef was. The closest we came to understanding the critique was when Boston Connor, one of McAfee’s colleagues, said the story “was kinda hard to believe.” Clarity? Yet, it should be mentioned Belichick is a McAfee fave. So much so he will appear Thursday night on McAfee’s NFL Draft Spectacular simulcast. Could this alliance be reason enough for McAfee’s attempt to discredit the ESPN story? … Dwight Gooden put his Mets Hall of Fame speech to good use. He used it to get stuff of his chest. He succeeded, marvelously. … Ryan Hurley, former program director at ESPN-98.7, moves to brand manager at WFAN, replacing Spike Eskin. In other words, Hurley is swapping one set of inflated egos for another. … YES’ John Flaherty recently broke out his play-by-play chops. Flaherty, an analyst by trade, continues to deliver on the play-by-play side. If he hasn’t already, why not have him try some radio play-by-play? We hear there are now some games available.

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DUDE OF THE WEEK: TONY KEMP

For his display of class. When the Orioles called up phenom Jackson Holliday, Kemp lost his spot on the roster. Yet Kemp, the former A’s utility man, didn’t sulk. He told the story of seeing a young Holliday, years ago, when Kemp was in college, and urged the kid to “go get ‘em.”

DWEEB OF THE WEEK: RASHEE RICE

The Chiefs wideout has publicly taken responsibility for his actions on March 30 when drag racing in Dallas (he was driving 119 mph some 4.5 seconds before the crash, according to the arrest affidavit) triggered a harrowing collision. Now Rice is being sued. Just another sad/awful offseason moment.

DOUBLE TALK

What Joe Schoen said: “I think we’re not a player away or two players.”

What Joe Schoen meant to say: “We got a whole lot to do to make this roster right.”