In a recent phone interview with MLB.com, broadcaster Dave Sims, 71, answered a wide range of topics, from his new gig as the radio voice of the Yankees to how his signature phrase, “Hey Now,” came about.

MLB.com: What has life been like since you were named the radio voice of the Yankees last week?

Dave Sims: My text messages approached 400. I feel like I have 800-900 direct messages via Instagram and X. It has been phenomenal. The other thing that has been mind-blowing is, people in Seattle and the Pacific Northwest have said, “Love you. Bummed that you are leaving. I couldn’t be happier for you. Go get ‘em. You are going home.” It doesn’t get much better than that.

MLB.com: You will join Bill White as the second African American to do Yankees play-by-play on a full-time basis. How significant is this assignment for you?

Sims: It’s funny you mention Bill White. A producer in Philly that I know called me yesterday and said, “You have to come to [Pennsylvania] and get a picture with Bill White.” I said, “Heck, yeah. We’ll make that happen.” We’ll probably do that after Thanksgiving.

Bill is obviously one of my heroes. When he was the National League president, he started making calls trying to help me get a big league gig. First of all, Bill was a great player, and I enjoyed him on those great Cardinals teams. Then he came over to the Phillies. His first on-air gig was in Philly. I remember they made him sports director [on WFIL-TV] and they had a hockey game and they made him call a hockey game. He didn’t know anything about hockey. His baseball broadcasting career? Forget about it. High marks. Why he is not in the Baseball Hall of Fame, I have no idea. That’s just rude. He did it as a player, president of the National League and longtime iconic broadcaster for the Yankees. It’s awesome to follow in the footsteps of Bill White. I couldn’t be more proud of that. It’s an unbelievable honor.

MLB.com: Your radio partner will be Suzyn Waldman. This will be a reunion of sorts because both of you worked together on WFAN during the late 1980s and early ‘90s. How good is it to be together again?

Sims: It’s going to be great. She covered the Knicks when I was doing the Knicks pre- and postgame shows, as well as doing the talk show with Ed Coleman. We would talk multiple times a week about the Knicks and the NBA. We had a good time. We would needle each other. And then the relationship would become more friendly when I got the Mariners job in 2007. … Now we can do that baseball talk, personal talk and all that good stuff. We are really going to be hanging out, and I’m looking forward to it.

MLB.com: How much are you looking forward to watching Aaron Judge on a regular basis?

Sims: Judge is a great dude. When I saw him in May, I told him I’m shooting for this gig. I told him and Gerrit Cole separately and they said, “I hope you get it. We are rooting for you.” Judge is a spectacular player. He had an unfortunate moment [unable to catch a routine fly ball] in Game 5 [of the World Series], and that’s baseball. He is a smart, caring and a terrific player. Baseball-wise – oh, my goodness – he is so good.

It all fits into the big picture being with the Yankees. It’s an iconic franchise. I know there are a lot of people who say, “They haven’t won a World Series since 2009.” Guess what? You still pay attention [to them] every day during the baseball season.

MLB.com: In Seattle, you were known as a homer. Will your style change in New York?

Sims: [Laughing] All home team announcers are homers. I don’t think I ever said, “We, us, them and they.” But … when the Mariners were winning, you can tell by the energy and tone of the voice on who I was rooting for, which everybody does. … You can hear, “and the Mariners win the game, 2-1!!” If that’s being a homer, so be it. … If you want to go there, I’ll tell you what. I’m having fun. It’s a great gig, a great life. That’s the way I roll.

MLB.com: Your signature phrase is “Hey Now.” How did that come about?

Sims: I grew up on American Standard music – Ella Fitzgerald, Frank Sinatra. I love the song, “I Got The World On A String.” It was written in 1932 during the depression and it was recorded by a lot of people. I’m a Sinatra fan and it just hit me. At the end of the song, it goes, “Hey now, I’m so in love.” The other reference comes from Howard Stern and he used the catchphrase, Hey Now, a lot [on his radio show]. As opposed to cussing or saying he hit the hell out of the ball, it just hit me one night. I said it a few times, but the Mitch Haniger base hit [in 2021] was so joyous. I was so happy. It’s very effective for me. It really resonated with people.

MLB.com: My first memory of you was as an NBA writer with the New York Daily News. Do you ever think about writing again?

Sims: I’m putting out a memoir. I don’t know when that’s going to come out. My wife and I are writing that. [Now] I spend a lot of time getting my workouts in and prepping for games. I like writing, but I love broadcasting. The writing chops developed when I was at the Philadelphia Inquirer and the New York Daily News. They come into play every day, crafting the narrative of a broadcast. So basically I’m writing all the time. I’m not just writing for print.

MLB.com: How good is it to have your two sons, Jarett and Jordan, involved in your podcast, “Hey Now?”

Sims: Yeah, man. It’s a lot of fun. We developed an on-air chemistry and rhythm. They are getting confident, which I really like. Almost everybody that comes on says, “This is so cool what you are doing with your sons.” I had a great relationship with my dad. I have a great relationship with my guys. It’s my Ben Cartwright [Bonanza] moment.

MLB.com: What do you want Yankee fans to know about you?

Sims: I lived in New York my entire professional life. I have a foundation in Philly, but my life is in New York and with a stop off in Seattle. I’m home. This is my life. This is one heck of an opportunity to put a ribbon on it. I’ll tell you what: I’m all in. Let’s go Yankees. I’m so looking forward to this.