The baseball season is underway and each team has started their chase for a World Series Championship. Meanwhile, New York Yankees announcer John Sterling continues to get better at his job. John has been employed as the voice of the Yankees since 1989 and is considered one of the best in the game.
Last night, Andruw Jones hit his first home run as a Yankee, giving radio announcer John Sterling the opportunity to unveil another new home-run catchphrase: “Andruw Jones makes his bones!” Each Yankee, of course, gets a personalized catchphrase from Sterling, but these homerun calls can range from simple rhymes to elaborate productions involving Broadway lyrics and sometimes even actual singing. In a few cases, Sterling has changed a player’s call, while some lucky players, like Mark Teixeira who gets two catchphrases. Here, are the seven types of John Sterling home-run calls.
RHYMES
Sterling tends to rely on rhyming when presented with a boring name that he can’t really work with: Russell Martin, Andruw Jones, etc. Having said that, Brett Gardner, whose last name is an actual word deserves better, don’t you think?
Examples:
• “Russell has muscle!” (Russell Martin)
• “Robbie Cano, don’cha know?” (Robinson Cano)
• “Gardy goes yardy!” (Brett Gardner)
• “A thrilla, by Godzilla!” (Hideki Matsui)
• “Andruw Jones makes his bones!” (Andruw Jones)
PLAYS ON PLAYER’S NAME OR NICKNAME
A more creative call, sometimes as in the case of Mark Teixeira or Melky Cabrera, involving just a fragment of a player’s name.
Examples:
• “You’re on the mark, Teixeira!” (Mark Teixeira)
• “He sends a Tex-message …” (Mark Teixeira)
• “Jolly old St. Nick!” (Nick Swisher AND Nick Johnson)
• “It’s a Johnny rocket!” (Johnny Damon)
• “Positively Damonic!” (Johnny Damon)
• “The Melkman delivers!” (Melky Cabrera)
• “An A-bomb from A-Rod!” (Alex Rodriguez)
ALLITERATION
Used, presumably, when a decent rhyme can’t be found.
Examples:
“Jorgie Juiced one!” (Jorge Posada)
“Bernie goes boom!” (Bernie Williams)
“A Damon dinger” (Johnny Damon)
FOREIGN LANGUAGES
Not necessarily used only for players born outside of the United States.
Examples:
• “El comedulce, Bobby Abreu is as sweet as candy!” (Bobby Abreu)
• “El capitan!” (Derek Jeter)
• “The sayonara kid does it again!” (Hideki Matsui)
CULTURAL REFERENCES
This is where Sterling truly shines, particularly when he can incorporate his love for Broadway into a call, as in the case of Curtis Granderson or Austin Kearns.
Examples:
• “Oh Curtis, you’re something sort of Grandish!” (Curtis Granderson, in reference a lyric from the musical Finian’s Rainbow)
• “The Grandy-man can!” (Curtis Granderson, in reference to the song “The Candyman Can”)
• “Austin powers a home run!” (Austin Kearns, a reference to the Austin Powers movie)
• “Hinske with your best shot!” (Erik Hinske, in reference to the song, “Hit Me With Your Best Shot)
• “Bern, baby, bern!” (Bernie Williams, in reference to lyrics from the song “Disco Inferno”)
REFERENCES TO BABE RUTH’S NICKNAME
A bit of a stretch; used if a player’s name includes the long “e” sound found in “Bambino,” as in “Giambi” or “Tino.”
Examples:
• “The Giambino” (Jason Giambi)
• “The Bam-Tino” (Tino Martinez)
MADE-UP WORDS
Example:
• “Swishalicious” (Nick Swisher) We have no idea what “Swishalicious” means
