Dave Sims (New York Yankees)
The New York Yankees have a new voice in the booth. But it’s not the voice that’s grabbing headlines — it’s the silence.
Dave Sims, who replaced the legendary John Sterling as the Yankees’ radio play-by-play announcer, missed last weekend’s road seriesmissed last weekend’s road series against the Athletics to spend time with family in Seattle. That absence didn’t go unnoticed — especially by Boomer Esiason, the 1989 NFL MVP and co-host of the morning show on the Yankees’ own flagship station, WFAN.
And Boomer didn’t hold back.
“You Just Took the Yankee Job”
“I’m sorry, I love Dave Sims… but what are you doing?” Esiason said on-air. “You just took the Yankee job. It’s supposed to be the job of your life. You don’t miss a Yankee… you just don’t do that.”
It wasn’t just a hot take. It was a direct shot at the perceived commitment to the job — especially when Sterling, the ironman he replaced, famously called 5,060 consecutive games from 1989 until 2019.
“You just take a week off?” Esiason continued. “He just got started… he’s 40 games in!”
Boomer’s Not Just Talking — He’s Lived It
Part of what gives Esiason’s rant bite is that he’s not preaching from a distance. The former NFL quarterback-turned-broadcaster knows the grind of high-level media work — and the personal sacrifices that come with it.
He recalled flying to Monday Night Football games and red-eyeing back to New York to make his WFAN morning shift. “It’s the Yankees, for God’s sake,” Boomer said. “I would fly to Monday night games and fly back in the middle of the night to be here in studio.”
In other words: if he can juggle the NFL, CBS Sports, and live radio, Sims can make it to a Yankees-Athletics series.
The Weight of the Yankee Mic
Esiason’s comments hit at something bigger — a sense of tradition, legacy, and weight that comes with being the voice of the Yankees.
This isn’t a fill-in gig or a spring training broadcast. This is Yankees baseball on WFAN — arguably the most iconic radio booth in MLB. And while Sims is an accomplished broadcaster with a long tenure in Seattle, taking days off just weeks into the job risks sending the wrong message — especially to fans who grew up listening to Sterling’s voice every single night.
To some, it’s about accountability. To others, it’s about respect for the role.
Times Have Changed — But Fans Don’t Always Want Them To
To be fair, not every critic agrees with Esiason. Some have defended Sims’ decision, citing the fact that work-life balance is more openly discussed and valued in modern sports media. The era of ironman broadcasting may be fading — and not everyone thinks that’s a bad thing.
Still, perception matters, especially in New York. And taking a break less than two months into a marquee job — regardless of reason — was always going to invite scrutiny.
Especially when the guy before you never missed a game in 30 years.
A Tough Crowd — and a Tougher City
Boomer made it clear: this isn’t personal. He likes Dave Sims. But he also knows what the job entails — and what the fans expect.
“You can love someone and still call them out,” Esiason said. “That’s what this is.”
Welcome to New York, Dave Sims. The mic is yours — just don’t put it down too often.