NYC Radio: Report..Brendan Burke Emerges As Sterling Replacement

John Sterling is 84

Brendan Burke, the lead play-by-play announcer for Islanders television broadcasts, has emerged as the leading candidate to succeed John Sterling as the Yankees’ lead radio voice on WFAN 660 AM / 101.9 FM , The NY Post is reporting.

Sterling is not going anywhere yet, but the plan for succession has begun and is expected to be further instituted this offseason, according to sources.

Brendan Burke

The 84-year-old Sterling, who has been an iron man throughout his career, has cut down on the number of games he will call in the second half of this season as he increasingly disdains traveling.

He has been the Yankees’ radio play-by-play announcer for more than three decades, including a streak of 5,058 consecutive games broadcast, which ended in July 2019.

While no formal plan is in place, it’s possible Sterling will call just the home games and some road games, though he may not be fully on board with that idea just yet.

In a phone interview on Wednesday, Sterling confirmed that he doesn’t like traveling anymore, but said he feels good and plans to continue calling a lot of games, even raising the possibility that he will return to a full 162-game slate.

While Sterling will have a say, the beginning of a transition to Burke could happen in earnest next year. Burke could have a dual role, as Howie Rose once did.

Rose used to call both the Islanders and the Mets.