Sterling is heavily criticized in the media, with over 100 websites dedicated to denigrating his style and calls.[26] Many baseball writers and websites have ranked him the worst or close to the worst of current baseball radio announcers.[27][28] Much of the criticism stems from calling balls home runs that are not home runs, mixing up fair and foul balls, and his personalized home run calls, which some people view as "over-the-top" or "too much".[29] Regularly criticized by Craig Carton and Phil Mushnick for his inaccurate calls,[30] Mushnick has called him a "dishonest, self-promoting clown".[26] He has also been heavily criticized for making the call of the game more about himself than the play on the field[31] with over the top excitement for routine plays or insignificant events.[32] Many of his critics further accuse him of blaming someone or something else for his confusion.[33] He has also been consistently rated one of the most biased sportcasters in the industry.[34][35]
The New York Times has described John Sterling as "frequently awful and laughable", often miscalling plays or not describing a play accurately – blaming confusion on the field or other reasons. This is in despite of the fact that other announcers called the same play with almost complete accuracy for television or the opponents broadcast.[36] The New York Daily News was also critical of Sterling's domineering of the booth, whereas most teams employ a two-man booth where duties are shared, Sterling does 100% of all play-by-play with his partner, Suzyn Waldman limited to ancillary commentary.[37]
Jim Norton of The Opie and Anthony Show routinely mocked Sterling's player nicknames and his emphasis on the "mmm" sound before saying "mmm-it is high, mmm-it is far. ..."[38]
