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John Sterling's Ex-Wife Jennifer Caught 'Off Guard' by Yankees Legend's Death

John Sterling's ex-wife, Jennifer Goldstein, shared a heartbreaking sentiment about the long-time Yankees broadcaster's passing.
Grant Young|
New York Yankees Radio Broadcaster John Sterling
New York Yankees Radio Broadcaster John Sterling | Alexander Lewis / MyCentralJersey via Imagn Content Services, LLC

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New York Yankees

The baseball community is still mourning the death of legendary broadcaster John Sterling, as news broke on May 4 that he had passed away at 87 years old.

Sterling is one of the most beloved members of the baseball media community. He covered the New York Yankees from 1989 to 2024, calling over 200 postseason games and being as closely associated with the team as other Yankees legends during that time, such as Derek Jeter.

Jeter paid his respects to Sterling on social media on May 4, sharing a photo of them and writing, "John Sterling is as much a part of the fabric of the New York Yankees organization as any player. It was an honor to have him call every one of my games during my career and an absolute pleasure to get to know him on a personal basis. My thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends. He will be deeply missed."

It was known that Sterling had suffered a massive heart attack earlier this year. But he and his family had a hope he would last for one final event, which New York radio broadcaster Michael Kay shared during a touching tribute on ESPN Radio earlier this week.

"[Sterling's] oldest daughter is getting married this summer. And he said, ‘Michael, I have to walk her down the aisle.’ And that’s why he was hanging on... The only thing he wanted to do, he was unable to make it," an emotional Kay said.

Michael Kay just before laying flowers at home plate in memory of John Sterling
Michael Kay just before laying flowers at home plate in memory of John Sterling | Kevin R. Wexler-NorthJersey.com / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

John Sterling's Ex-Wife Shares Heartbreaking Statement on Yankees Legend's Death

This sentiment makes it clear how much Sterling valued his family. While and his ex-wife, Jennifer Goldstein, were divorced in 2008 after 12 years of marriage, they maintained a strong co-parenting relationship and remained friends.

Goldstein was interviewed by Bob Klapisch of NJ Advance Media for an article that was published on May 7. She reflected on the surprising nature of Sterling's passing at one point, saying, “As sick as John was, this caught us off guard. We all thought he would get better. Our thought was to get him ready for the wedding. We were all laser-focused on that. His death wasn’t a thought to us.

“John was such a genuine person. He wasn’t fake. When you met him, you were talking to the real John Sterling. He didn’t know how to be fake. He lived a very good life, not just with his career, but with a family that loved him," she added.

The fact that nobody expected this at the time it happened makes Sterling's passing even more tragic.

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Grant Young
GRANT YOUNG

Grant Young covers the Athlete Lifestyle, Women’s Basketball, the New York Mets, the Baltimore Orioles, the Chicago Cubs, and boxing for Sports Illustrated’s ‘On SI’ sites. He holds an MFA degree in creative writing from the University of San Francisco (USF), where he also graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing and played on USF’s Division I baseball team for five years.

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