John Sterling's Heartbreaking Final Wish About Daughter Abigail Surfaces After Death

The baseball world was dealt a brutal blow on the morning of May 4, when news broke that long-time New York Yankees broadcaster John Sterling had passed away at 87 years old.

Sterling was about as beloved as they come in the baseball world. He was the Yankees' primary radio play-by-play announcer from 1989 to 2024 and was on the call for a whopping 5,420 regular-season Yankees games and 211 postseason contests for the most iconic franchise in baseball.

Tributes toward Sterling have poured in from many members of the baseball world, including members of the media, past players, and come of the game's current greats.

One example of this is with Yankees superstar outfielder Aaron Judge, who made an Instagram post on Monday that was captioned, "Tough day in New York hearing this news. Thank you John for everything you gave baseball and Yankee fans around the world. The stories you told over the years and the moments you called will live on forever."

Aaron Judge on John Sterling: pic.twitter.com/uF8P9qACSF
— Matthew Nethercott (@MattNethercott_) May 4, 2026

Michael Kay Reveals Heartbreaking Message About John Sterling's Last Wish for Daughter Abigail's Wedding

Sterling is leaving behind four children that he had with his ex-wife Jennifer, to whom he was married from 1996 to 2008. Their first child together was a daughter named Abigail, and then they had triplets in 2000.

New York radio broadcaster Michael Kay knew Sterling closely. And he broke down when speaking about Sterling during his "Michael Kay Show" on ESPN Radio on May 4.

At one point in his tribute, Kay said, "[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. But he had trouble about a week ago, heart failure, and then he finally succumbed today. The only thing he wanted to do, he was unable to make it.”

Kay was very emotional while sharing his longtime friend's last wish, as he had to pause at one point to wipe tears out of his eyes.

While no member of Sterling's family has released an official statement regarding his passing, one would hope that the family is together. Kay also conveyed that he initially heard the news from Sterling's ex-wife, which shows that she's still in the loop.

Sterling is one of those giants in the sport who will never be able to get replaced. It will be cool to see how the Yankees decide to honor him this year.

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