Add new comment

Here's what I had to say over at Mariner Central ...
I was driving home from work last night when I heard the news on 710 ESPN. Though I was initially stunned by the news, I can't honestly say that I'm all that surprised. When I looked at Dave all this past year, he didn't look to me to be in all that good of health. So in a way, I guess there is a part of me that was expecting this day to come in the not too near future. That said, I'm with all of you in saying that words simply cannot express what I'm feeling right now. I remember all too well the passing of Pete Gross, who for many of us Seattle-ites growing up was the voice of Seahawks football. Though Raible does an admirable job in many ways, Seahawks broadcasts (for me) just have never been quite the same somehow. The loss of Dave Niehaus, though, far surpasses all of that. You know, as Mariner fans we like to talk about how players like Ken Griffey, Jr., Edgar Martinez, and Jay Buhner were the Mariners. They were the embodiment of everything that we think a Mariner should be. That said, when you say "Seattle Mariners" ... you think of Dave Niehaus. Dave Niehaus was the voice of Mariner baseball and of summer. He was here from day 1 and for us as Mariner fans, he was as constant as gravity -- something you could always depend upon. His passion for the game, his love of people, his captivating fireside chat-like stories of old time baseball, and his memorable calls made him truly special. You didn't even have to be at the ballpark or even be watching it on TV -- Dave could make you see and feel the game through his voice on the radio.  It was all about telling the story -- and that is what made him so truly remarkable.
I've mentioned before that I really became a Mariner fan back in 1990 because of Ken Griffey, Jr. But as I think more about it though, what really made me a fan was hearing Dave Niehaus call the game and all of Griffey's plays. He's the one who truly hooked and kept me. I've listened to a lot of radio broadcasters ... and I honestly don't believe there is anyone out there in the baseball world today who did it better. No one ... and I mean no one ... cared more about and has meant more to Mariner baseball than Dave Niehaus.
To think that I will never hear "My Oh My", "Swung on and belted", or "Get out the rye bread and mustard grandma" again is just unfathomable to me. In many ways, this feels like losing a beloved grandpa. Saying that he will be missed doesn't even come close to capturing what Dave's loss means. And I know that he was special not only for us as Mariner fans ... but to the entire baseball world as well. Dave honestly was a legend ... a one of a kind. Though the team will obviously find themselves a new voice of Mariner baseball ... Dave Niehaus will be impossible to replace. There will never be another one.
Now Fly Away Dave Niehaus ... Fly Away. Here's wishing you good luck broadcasting games for that great Field of Dreams that lies beyond the bounds of this life. Thanks for all the memories. I'll never forget you.
MA