It was during the All-Star break in 1987 when John Sterling walked into a studio at WFAN to serve as a guest talk show host for Pete Franklin, and Suzyn Waldman was on updates.

“The first day, John, as he does, put his hand cupped over his ear, stood up and talked into a microphone that was hanging down from the ceiling,” Waldman said Monday. “And he stood there for four hours doing a talk show. 

“And I thought, ‘This must be a fascinating person.”’

Sterling was indeed, and remained one until the Yankees radio voice of multiple generations died on Monday at the age of 87.

The iconic play-by-play man, who retired early in the 2024 season, quickly hit it off with Waldman after that guest appearance, beginning a close friendship that eventually became a radio partnership in 2005, with the two simply known to fans as “John and Suzyn.”

“There is no one like him and there never will be,” Waldman said before heading to Yankee Stadium to call the Yankees’ series finale against the Orioles with Dave Sims. “He was totally unique and was an original. That’s the highest compliment I can give anybody, that they’re a total original. 

“John had an effect on people — generations know him as the voice of the Yankees. He was their childhood, he was their summers. I hear it from ballplayers that grew up in New York. I hear it from people you wouldn’t expect. He was people’s summers.”

Waldman had a front-row seat to experience what Sterling meant to those fans. Sometimes on air he would mention where he and Waldman were going to dinner that night and sure enough, fans would show up there with their children and grandchildren for the chance to meet him.

Sterling was known for his legendary calls — particularly home run calls, the first being, “Bern, baby, Bern!” for Bernie Williams — that became part of history. But Waldman said his play-by-play did not get enough credit, especially because it was meant specifically for the New Yorkers tuning in on the radio.

“His play-by-play was spot on,” Waldman said. “He was emotional. He knew to whom he was speaking. He was doing Yankee games for Yankee fans. He knew who was out there. They loved the references to Broadway shows and things in New York. This was a broadcast for New Yorkers, and people loved him for that. He described things in a way nobody else did.” 

Waldman’s favorite memory in the booth with Sterling came in 2011, when Derek Jeter recorded his 3,000th career hit. They had known Jeter since he was 18 years old and Sterling called every single one of his hits on the way to 3,000.

“If you listen to that call, the 3,000th hit, the home run, he had tears coming down his face,” Waldman said. “He was crying, I was crying. But he never misses. Never misses. It was beautiful. He was so emotional, but he had to express that to the fans of what was going on. He was really moved, because I think that was his favorite game too.

“It’s perfection. His eyes were watering and he was tearing. I was crying. It was really something. But you wouldn’t know it if you weren’t sitting next to him.”

Waldman had that privilege for years, first on the team bus when Sterling sat next to her after joining the Yankees radio broadcast on WABC in 1989, and then when they became WFAN partners in 2005.

“We saw the same game, let’s put it that way,” Waldman said.

After Sterling suddenly announced his retirement — effective immediately on April 15, 2024 — he enjoyed time with his four children and at his home in New Jersey, where he had multiple televisions so he could watch all the games his heart desired.

“He had a wonderful relationship with his children — it was as good as anything I’ve ever seen,” Waldman said. “They were with him all the time. How they took care of him through all of this is quite astounding. They were the love of his life, were his children and the New York Yankees.”