 Hi everybody and welcome to another edition of Yes We Are Here and we certainly are and this is a throwback edition. This man everybody knows. I worked with him for ten years, ten great years, four championship years and he is my good good friend John Sterling. John how are you doing buddy? Well like everyone else you know as they say under house arrest and you know I'm just hoping and praying that people will follow these safety guidelines that everyone stay in and we're gonna be able to lick this thing. It may take a while but this is a problem well obviously I mean I'm just saying what everyone else has said. This is the problem for the world. It isn't just the United States so obviously as a world we have to come together and lick this thing. Anyway it's good being on the air with you again. Yes it is it absolutely is you know I was wondering you know so many people don't like being cooped up and staying in the house and it just feels suffocating. I thought about you a lot because it could go either two ways with you. You're either very social you like to go to dinner with people but I also know John that you love alone time so has this been as difficult as it is for you and for other people as it is for you? Well you'd like to have a normal life I mean there's no question about that one of the tough things I said someone did an article on me and I said you can't call up your friends and meet for dinner somewhere there's no place it's open but I have a very lovely apartment looking over the Hudson is a big apartment and you know my kids will come down and bring me things and I read in the afternoon every afternoon I'm in the middle of a book anyway I'm doing okay I'm very lucky that I haven't got the virus I'm happy that you haven't gotten it Susan hasn't gotten it now I call friends every day around the country to see how they're doing and you know for them so far so good. I was going through the internet the other day because that's what you do when you have 24 hours to actually find something to do and I came across a piece of video from that famous game in Atlanta where Rick Camp hit the home run. Oh right and the thing that amazed me and I was gonna call you up but I knew that we were gonna go on the air today so I wanted to tell you on the air you know that was about 35 years ago something like that and yes you had the call for the Camp Home Run and John I'm telling you you don't sound any different today than you did 35 years ago your voice is exactly the same. Well first of all I thank you for that and I've been very fortunate look I've been very fortunate in a lot of ways and that's one of them that my voice sounds you know basically when I did these shows with Susan before we played back old Yankee games this week from 2009 and you remember this Michael A-Rod at a home run on the first pitch he solved the season the three run home run of Guthrie and Baltimore we played that home run on the day before we played a Swisher walk-off in the ninth inning home run and you know it sounded like the old days so I'm very fortunate. How are you doing? Are you doing your show from home? Doing the show from home both on TV and radio out of my home office and everything is working as well as can be expecting Don and Peter in their homes and we just talked for four hours would take your minds off the thing John. Oh yeah though I think it's a very good thing you know I like being on the on the air on this phone how are your kids doing now you have little kids you have to entertain them and so how are they doing? Well the entertaining part is you know it's difficult because you know they miss their friends and they want to see their friends but they kind of understand what's going on the heavy lifting is being done by Jodi because she's teaching them a full curriculum so the school is sending stuff on computers and she sits down and teaches Cali and Charlie and it's hard to keep them you know next to each other and not distracting each other so that's been a heavy lifting for the four of us but we're getting through and the kids seem to have adapted and we're lucky we have a backyard so they can actually get out we're on a little bit and not have to come into contact with other people but it's a it's a very odd time John very odd time. Well it's certainly Michael I mean I'm not taking any genius to say this this is the oddest time of our lives and I'm older than you are so I even have more years to look at it it's absolutely amazing the only thing that may have come close was how we all shut everything down after 9-11 but that was just a week and then the Yankees played in Chicago I think was our first game and you know I remember that one wonderful thing about that game the Yankees won the game but didn't really matter but some fans in Chicago held up a sign we love New York which you know normally you don't get but we got that because of 9-11 anyway listen this is a virus that attacks everyone it doesn't matter anything about the person whether they're male female black white what country or from what religion what it means nothing and so we have to you know really band together you read all these things that are going on from people who can afford it who were donating a drew breeze donated five million dollars wow in in the world anyway that's kind of a good thing I think hopefully it's gonna bring us and the world together a little bit because we're all in the same boat we're all we're all fighting this thing you know you mentioned that we did ten years together and it was it was just fabulous and in the middle of that of course we had the the run first with Buck in 95 and after losing that playoff that was really tough loss then Joe Torrey came in and all the phenomenal success does anything stand out in your mind any game or group of games in the ten years I have one in my mind so what what is in your mind the one that I always talk about because it was new I mean there were championships and things like that which were thrilling and you know we never knew if we were going to experience that behind the mic with the Yankees and then we got four but I'll always remember game one at the stadium 1995 because it was all new and when maddingly came out to to run sprints in the outfield and the entire crowd went nuts and when Buck got introduced by Bob Shepard before they introduced the starting line up and you know he was never a guy to show that much emotion he came out of the dugout pumping his fists I get goosebumps thinking about that and how loud that ballpark was because again the fans weren't spoiled yet it had been a long time it had been a long grind to get there I'll always remember that entire five game set John those that's what stands out to me how about you well it was a it was a phenomenal series and as I've said about a billion times it was the the highest of highs those two wins at home the last game in the freezing rain in the 15th inning or so and the long flight to Seattle and then the three terrible boxes and Yankees you would held the lead on the eighth inning of the fifth and final game and then in the top of the 10th or top of 11th so I can understand that's that's in my memory too I'll always remember Michael the three games in Atlanta the next year in 96 each one was vital one and one the middle game Yankees are down 6-0 in the sixth inning and win but now I'm old and petted 1-1 nothing and our booth we had the crummiest booth because we were visiting radio is such a crummy booth last year of Atlanta Fulton County Stadium about the LA riders used to call Atlanta filthy County and and it was so bad that we moved to the back row instead of being in the front row it just didn't work and so we filled up the booth with Jennifer and and our good friend Lisa and the Hirshans and we had a whole booth full of people and the three games were those are three of the most phenomenal games I've ever seen so those are great memories aren't they you know it's amazing John because if you think about the 10 years we spent together it was the beginning of the buck era so they they progressively got better 94 and it's amazing to have a run like that and to have to choose great moments I mean 98 that 125 and 50 team 99 when they sweep the Braves 2000 the subway series the first one since 1956 and and although they ended up losing John 2001 was an absolutely thrilling world series where they are like three or four forever games in there so I mean we were very fortunate we you once told me when I first started with you you really should you really should look for the Yankees and want them to win and I said why because I was still a writer at heart and you said because if you bring people good news they're gonna end up liking you and remember you and that's right it always helps to give the good news and also if you're a broadcaster you have nothing to do with it it's how they play and so we were very fortunate and first of all it began in 94 they should have won the AL East and maybe they would have gone to the World Series that year but they had a six-and-a-half game lane anyway that's where we had some games two years in a row of of perfect games and you know always remember your calls in the seventh inning of game one against the Padres and the Yankees are down by five runs in the seventh Knoblock it's a two-run home run and then Tino it's a grand slam and I don't know if I ever told you this Michael but in LA the the color man on radio is the left hand of Mark Langston who is pitching to Tino he came in relief as a lefty and he thought he had him struck out and then on the next pitch Tino hit the grand slam and really as close as last year or the year before Mark Langston you know leaned over and said to me come on that was a strike right it's 95 this is more than 20 years later and he's still looking at yeah that was a strike come on John that was a pretty close John oh yeah it sure was it sure was I I think the home plate umpire and I forget who he was said that the catcher moved his glove a little at the end and I think that's why I called it a ball many way worked out and you think about the butterfly effect and you know people remember Tino very fondly which they should but before that hit John in the postseason for the Yankees he did not do well at all he he was not coming up big in big spots in 96 and 97 but that that kind of freed him up a little bit if you remember that kind of let him exhale and all of a sudden he became a much better hitter in the postseason I know that meant a lot to him so that was a big home run and that was a big two-two call I'll tell you that um it was a big call I agree we start you know I asked about the Rick camp thing and when you know I listen to your call it's a phenomenal call but you didn't say it's high as far as gone when did that start in a game later in the 80s Doc Gooden was pitching for the Mets Dale Murphy was up for the Braves I was on TV and Gooden threw a breaking ball but it was a bad breaking ball you could see it a hanger and so I think I said breaking balls swung on it hit in the air deep left well now Atlanta Fulton County Stadium was a double it's really a football stadium was double tiered all the way around so it framed home runs great and the minute Murphy hit it you knew it was out and something happened in my my crazy little mind and I said it is high but as far it has gone the camp home run how could you call that I thought it was a bad call by the way but I mean I would you ever think the worst hitter in baseball history would hit a three-run home run in the 18th inning to retie the game that the Braves tied about five times Terry Harper had a three-run home run in the 13th inning with the foul screen down the left field line so that was a crazy game and you know what I remember about that game John it shows you how our lives was so different at that point so you're in Atlanta calling that game and I'm in a bar in Hampton Bays about 330 345 in the morning and I'm just looking up there you know as it everybody's partying and whatever and little did I know that the guy was calling Rick camps home run would be such a big part of my life that's amazing how things work out and let's face it Michael the people miss a lot of things there are a lot of things and the fact that people are dying is just horrendous but people really miss sports there there are no games on you read the newspaper and just feature stories and if you put on TV to the to the team channels they're showing old games and I don't know when this is gonna begin when do you think it'll begin they could have a season if they play July August September and October and then play the the playoffs and World Series in retractable domes or warm weather sites you know for one year you can do that and I think what they come back out to play a doubleheader every week but and any of your thoughts when you look ahead would it be by July well I mean Dr. Fauci probably said it best he said we can't make plans the virus will dictate what we do but my eyes John the best case scenario is probably in July and I believe at that time we will not be playing in front fans for a while I just don't think that's gonna happen until there's immediate testing where you know that if you come into a ballpark the person sitting next to you is not either carrying or has the virus so I think it's a very complicated road ahead of us but if it happens by July I think I'd be pleasantly surprised yeah I think if it happened by July they could get in you know what what's the season they I guess they get in 120 games with a doubleheader every week every team should have to play a straight doubleheader and as we try to get life back to normal I agree with you I think when they they begin there'll be empty ballparks which will be weird be great for rating so it'll be it'll be weird you know our good friend David Cohn probably said it best I had Mariana Rivera on my radio show and Mariana Rivera said it can't be a season of 60 games because that's not the test of a true champion and then I asked David that and you know David said John he said if it's 40 games you've got to play it just for the country just for the diversion he said I don't care if it's a legitimate champion or not if you can only get in 40 games and it's okay to play in August and that's what you do and I you know what I've come around his way of thinking I think it's very important for the country to have this diversion and if they could play 40 games and they play 40 games well I also would agree with with David I think it's very important that eventually that they start to play and manufacture some kind of a season and they have played fewer than the allotted number of games in 95 when the season began late thanks to judge Santa Mayor yeah I'm all for that hey I'm all for anything get me out of the house so but I I'm all for that and I do think the way most people that you can't make a decision of when you're gonna start because the virus tells you that and we have to get a handle on the virus obviously and our friends that yes you know they asked me do you think that you and John could fill 10 minutes I said 10 minutes it's been great being on the air with you again I appreciate it and all I I hope we'll do it again you know I feel about you I want you to stay safe I love you and can't wait to see at the ballpark real soon well and to you Michael your family and to to everyone listening I said it on the air the other night we we need you we love you please stay safe obey all the the safety regulations stay safe and Michael any time that that yes wants us to get together to do this again I'll be I'll be here waiting in my living room promise sounds good and everybody out there you stay safe wash your hands six feet distance you know all the rules for John Sterling on Michael K's been fun and yes we're here