Remembering Dave Niehaus
Dave Niehaus, the voice of the Seattle Mariners since the team’s inception in 1977, passed away on November 10th at his home in Bellevue, WA.
“This is truly devastating news,” said Seattle Mariners chairman Howard Lincoln.?Chuck Armstrong, Seattle Mariners president and COO, added, “Speaking for ourselves, our ownership and the entire Mariners family, our thoughts and prayers are with Marilyn, their children, Andy, Matt and Greta, and the grandchildren.
“Dave has truly been the heart and soul of this franchise since its inception in 1977. Since calling Diego Segui’s first-pitch strike on Opening Night in the Kingdome some 34 years ago, Dave’s voice has been the constant with the franchise. He truly was the fans connection to every game; to wins and losses; to great plays and heartbreaking defeats; to Hall of Famers and journeymen. With the exception of his love for his wife, Marilyn, his children and grandchildren, there was nothing Dave liked more than the game of baseball and to be at the ballpark. He was the voice of spring and summer in the Northwest.
“He was the fans’ choice to throw out the first pitch in Safeco Field history, and no one has had a greater impact on our team’s connection to fans throughout the Northwest. One of the best days we’ve ever spent was in Cooperstown in 2008, as Dave took his place in the Baseball Hall of Fame.”
The Niehaus family has suggested that those who wish to make a donation in Dave’s memory consider the following:
Official Mariners Fan Guestbook 
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В этот список этих характеристик относятся: антивандальность и высокая стойкость против агрессивных сред. Это позволяет использовать стеклопластик в самых различных сферах. К примеру это:
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Мы поставляем следующие детали из композитов:
изготовление любых корпусов из стеклопластика
На все работы дается гарантия от 6 месяцев или согласно производственным условиям использования.
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за товаром стоит очередь-завтра уже ничего не останется. В качестве доказательств своего существования предлагает посмотреть ее профиль в инстаграмме и восторженные отзывы покупателей в переписке в вайбере. После получения денег в течение двух недель пишет и рассказывает какие-то небылицы – что она прилетела, улетела, за границей и др., а потом совсем теряется.
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Проституция – новости, интересные истории и юмор на тему «проституция»
На кушетке массажист присунул красивой белокурой клиентке
хотя написала, что отправила, номер накладной, конечно же, не дала. На связь больше не выходит.
Худая массажистка садится на лицо клиента и окончания дрочит член
По объявлению продает рабочие (б/у) жесткие диски к ноутбукам, компьютерам. По факту поломанные, не подающиеся ремонту диски. В объявлении указано гарантия и возрат, по факту полный игнор, и не возрат денег.
Искусная массажистка целует лесбиянку и с маслом мастурбирует киску
Да и говорить на чистом русском люди из Закарпаття не будут.
Да и делиться творчеством, желания ни у кого не возникло…
Массажист ебет девушку, массаж – это хорошо, но секс с клиенткой на много лучше
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Ben Gibbard of Washington band Deathcab for Cutie wrote a song about Ichiro which mentions Dave Niehaus.
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I grew up listening to Dave Niehaus and Rick Rizz on the radio. I remember going to a Mariner’s game and bringing my AM radio so that I could hear Dave announce it from my seat. I would look up and see him in the announcers box above home plate. Dave truly made baseball fun to listen to. He has been loved, we are grateful for what he has done for our city, and he will be missed.
with loving memories , i remember dave call when griffey would hit a home, ” my oh MY!” .. dave made listening to every broadcast such a pleasure to listen to.
Thank YOU DAVE for giving all of us the pleasure of hearing baseball the way we loved and like it, you will be missed and god bless your family and wife..Thank you for sharing HIM with ALL of us and “MY OH MY!!!!”” god bless
The months have passed since we heard the news, it is still hard to believe that Spring Training is near, and Dave’s voice will be silent. I had the fortune to briefly meet him twice in my years as a M’s fan, the most recent was Fan Fest 2010. I was standing in line to tour the locker room, and a door opened right next to me, and out walked Dave. I was taken by surprise, but managed a greeting, He stopped, smiled, told me hello, and to enjoy the day. He had that glint in his eye that I had seen many times on TV and the voice was as strong as ever. Thank you for being the voice of the M’s for me in 1977, and for the rest of my life. I will always miss his style and share his love of baseball. What a great movie it would make if the M’s took to the field and one the series in 2011. I know regardless of what happens this year, the loudest voice in heaven will be heard forever more; My Oh My! Thank you Dave for making us all better baseball fans!
My thoughts and Prayers to the Niehous family and Mariner organization on the loss of husband, father, friend and announcer. Since I was not able to attend the memorial service I was able to watch it on TV. It was a wonderful program and I would like to add a few comments.
Dave was an artist with words but he was more, he was a master craftsman. Therefore, Ron Fairly was right in that, when we listen to the game on the radio we are blind and don’t know anything until Dave tells us. His word artistry painted the picture that we saw in our minds, which were bigger then reality.
Rick, true there is no crying in baseball if a player breaks a nail, but there is when we lose a partner, teammate and longtime friend. We will all miss Dave as the Mariners begin the season, but we will be looking forward to listening to Rick as he describes to us what happens in the ball game. Rick, you have your own unique style, we enjoy that too, don’t change.
I am looking forward to the day that when I go to Safeco I can see Dave’s statue. And hope that there will also be one of Ken Griffey Jr. at the “house” that they built.
Hopefully soon, the Mariners will host a World Series game and again honor Dave.
Don
I have been a baseball fan before the Mariners, but like everyone else, baseball was not baseball until we were introduced to Dave Niehaus and listening to him on the radio, and seeing him on television. I have been wanting to tell the family what a caring person Dave was and how he made me feel all these years.
I first met Dave when I went to Peoria for the Spring Training Games. I was an excited Senior Citizen and when I saw Dave and Rick in their announcing box, I had to go there and get their autograph and take pictures. I even climbed up on the seat, right in front of his booth, so that I could hand him my ball. I wasn’t disappointed, went back to my seat and watched and enjoyed the game. The next day I was at the ballpark early, and Dave was outside the stadium, so I went to him and asked him if I could have my picture taken with him. Of course, he obliged, and the wind and dust was blowing, but I did get my picture.
The following year, we went to the Spring Training games again, and I saw Dave again…….told my husband that I was going to talk to him, and of course Dave would not refuse, and when I asked him if he remembered me…. he said “Of course, we took a picture together in the dust storm last year!”. That was the beginning of my wonderful friendship, and I took every oppurtunity to speak to him at various functions and have autographed copies of each and every occassion, and treasure them all.
I could go on, and on to share so many things of how lucky I was to have known Dave, but the very HIGHLIGHT of my life as a Mariner fan was the day I celebrated my 80th birthday by reserving a private suite, and enjoyed the day with friends and family. Had hoped that Dave could come into the suite for just a minute……which he did and we took pictures, and that picture is in my Facebook where I can see it at any time. Thank you for letting Dave be a part of my life. We were able to “see” all the games through his broadcasts. We will all miss him, but will never forget him. Things just will not be the same .
To Dave’s Family, Rick, and the Front Office,
I, too, have followed the Mariners since 1977. I know that I could rely on Dave to tell me exactly how the team was playing…exactly, no punches pulled. If I caught the game in later innings, I would know if they were on top, or completely out of it. I yearned to hear “Grandma” too many times to count. The game, the Mariners, and the season’s to come will never be the same.
That said, Rick…you’ve been at the feet of the master for over 25 years. And, you are you. You are not Dave…we don’t want another Dave, for there will be only one, just as there is only one Rick. You can’t do it alone, buddy, but your calls are your calls. The way you describe a game is your way of describing a game. Take what you have learned, grow and expand your horizons. For we, the fans, will be with you, buddy, and have every confidence that you’ll make Dave, and all of us, proud to be a Mariner.
Take care,
Debra
I have been one of the real lucky fans, I first heard Dave call a came on the Armed Forces Network, then as a Angles fan while I was stationed at MCAS El Toro, I had that comforting voice of Dave as the announcer. I left the Marines and returned home to Seattle in August of 77 and Dave was already hear. I had the pleasure of listening to Dave for over 40 years. I honestly dread the start of next season for the voice that told me every thing in the world will work out will not be there to reassure us that it will. To say we lost a friend does not encapsulate the feeling of loss. Yet we must consider ourselves amount the luckiest people on earth to have had the good fortune to hear Dave’s passionate welcome pf summer every year.
There’s only one place for the statue of Dave Niehaus — out with the fans. He was not a player, not an executive, he was one of us. The statue belongs in the center field standing area where everyone can put their arms around him, watch the game he loved and remember how his words would have made it their game.
As a young boy, I grew up playing the game I loved, Baseball.
When not on the field, I spent many days and nights listening to the radio, on the nightstand, in my coat pocket, or under my pillow, listening to the Mariners.
Dave Niehaus was a great storyteller and making the action on the field come to life in my mind, as for so many baseball fans in the Pacific Northwest.
One day. I ventured to see the M’s play in the Kingdome, June, 1985 it was. One of the greatest days in my life was when I asked the usher about how I could get access to the Press Box. It took some coaxing, but if there was a will there was a way. After some communication through the staff and the management, they found a way to make it happen.
Low and behold, I had the pleasure of meeting Dave Niehaus. What a treat to beable to share some quality time with the man who shaped my vision in what I wanted to do as my life’s work and passion, Sports Broadcasting. We talked about the technicals of the business, and the passion of being in the moment. The most important thing Dave taught me was the key ingredient in the business…
“Have fun at the ballpark and be excited about what you do, no matter the outcome.”
For many years as a broadcaster, my number one priority is to make the athletes the star, the focal point in conversation and bring their personalities out for the fans.
I thank God every day that he gave me the gift in meeting Dave and the Mariners’ broadcast team over the years. Great associations and friendships make for wonderful company.
Thank you, Dave! Peace and comfort be with yours and the M’s family.
Jon “JJ” Jensen
Seattle, WA
I am still having a hard time thinking about Dave passing. Its been a month but in my head and heart it feels like yesterday. I guess when a legend dies your not supposed to get over it right away. Rest in piece dave we will always remember you.
Saying goodbye to a man of Dave’s stature is not easy. We will certainly miss you Mr. My Oh My. ‘You made baseball come to life.’ Dave will have someone take over his duties but replacing him will not happen. He brought so much excitement to the game that I even listened to his commercials when they came on the radio…”My, oh, my!” It was obviously more than a ‘job’ for him…something that was in his being…bye Dave. We loved you!
Even a month later, I still find it hard to believe that Dave is really gone.
We moved here in 1987 from a town in Montana with a minor league team. Baseball indoors, what a joke. But the play-by-play was not joke. I loved to listen to Dave and Rick and Ron banter — it was as if I was right there in the stadium. They made baseball fun!
Thank you to his family for sharing him with all of us. Dave really became a part of “the family”.
My favorite memory of Dave is the look on his face when he was inducted into the “Baseball Hall of Fame”. Dave deserved every accolade given him. He can never be replaced but he will live in our hearts forever.
Via con Dios my friend.
Kren
British Columbians love Dave! I started going to games in the late ’70’s with my cousins who live in Bellingham. Every winter I couldn’t wait for the arrival of spring training so I could listen to Dave, the voice of the Mariners. Tuning in to that first game of spring training was one of my most anticipated day’s of the year. He will be missed!
i would lay outside on a hot day and listen to dave on the radio and he was so good that i could close my eyes and see the field and i could play the game in my head, he was that good.he will be missed. it will be a strange feeling not ever hearing daves voice again. rest in peace my friend.baseball will miss you.
Dave you were the best..I am sorry my husband and I didn’t get a chance to meet you especially to tell you that our niece Stephanie went to school with one of your kids. You had so much passion and made the Mariners interesting even when the Mariners were loosing. We will miss the “get out the rye bread and salami; fly and fly away; and belted to the warning track” but we won’t loose the memories. Our condolences to the Niehaus family and for sharing Dave with us. Also condolences to Rick Rizz; Kevin Kremen and rest of Mariner organization.. My dad and Dave will have fun talking about baseball and the wonderful Mariners. We love you Dave and you will be forever missed.
Thank you for the last 34 years. They were great!
Linda and Ronn Seligman
Dave you were the best..I am sorry my husband and I didn’t get a chance to meet you especially to tell you that our niece Stephanie went to school with one of your kids. You had so much passion and made the Mariners interesting even when the Mariners were loosing. We will miss the “get out the rye bread and salami; fly and fly away; and belted to the warning track” but we won’t loose the memories. Our condolences to the Niehaus family and for sharing Dave with us. Also condolences to Rick Rizz; Kevin Kremen and rest of Mariner organization.. My dad and Dave will have fun talking about baseball and the wonderful Mariners. We love you Dave and you will be forever missed.
Thank you for the last 34 years. They were great!
Linda and Ronn Seligman
It is very hard to write this. I am a lifelong baseball fan. I love to listen to baseball on the radio. I grew up with it in San Francisco with the Giants in the 60s and then with the Mariners and Mr. Niehaus starting in ’77. We all went through the “submariner” years, but the joy was listening to Dave broadcast the game day in and day out. We were rewarded with his broadcasts and with the 1995 and 2001 seasons and more.
I was always sorry to hear the end of the season as I would not get to hear Dave’s voice. When he did the occasional car commercial in the off season, I was buoyed by that signature sound until he would broadcast spring training games again. His voice was, and is magical to me.
I appreciate all Dave’s mic partners over the years, Rick, Ron, Ken, Kevin on occasion. Dave will be missed in 2011.
Rest in peace Dave, and if you get the chance, say hello to another great, Pete Gross.
I was at the Kingdome for Dave’s first game back after his first heart attack, back in 1996 I think it was. When it was announced that he was back in the booth, the crowd gave him a loud and long standing ovation. At one point Dave spread his arms out wide and turned slowly left to right, as if he were giving everyone there a big hug. I’m getting goosebumps now writing about it. Just one of many, many great Dave Niehaus memories. Thanks, Dave, for all of them–you were truly one of a kind.
I never met Dave but his connection with the game & the stories he told made me feel like I knew him.Thx to his family for sharing his life with thousand of fans like me–Bruce in Oregon.
At the beginning of every season for the past 10 yrs, tears have come from my eyes at the smell of Safeco grass, the buzz of the stadium, and of coarse that wonderful voice that said baseball was back, after the cold winter in Washington! Mr. Dave Niehaus’ voice, talking of the last off season, hopes and dreams of the year to come.
This next season tears will fall for a whole new reason. The man who never gave up on the Mariners, who gave us all a reason to hope for a record break out year.
From now on something will forever be missing from the Seattle Mariners line up! Rest in peace.
Thank you for all the MY Oh MY memories!
Now its time the Mariners thank him for all he has done for the team,.. bring him home a ring!
I want to thank the Niehaus family for sharing there husband, father and grandfather with us, and I still can’t believe he is gone to baseball heaven. but I wanted to say is that I have been a M’s fan since 80’s and at times even though I may have been there I was there when Dave was on the radio, he made it so we where right there with him in the ball park (or kingdom) . But I wanted to share what I learned from Dave. In all the years I listened he never had a bad word to say or how bad they played and threw the years we have had our ups and downs but it was his voice that made the games good. In my life as I teach kids wither in the classroom or teaching kids how to play a game it’s the kind words, or the encourgement, or there is another game it’s okay let do it again, that I teach them, thanks Dave for teaching us how the game is played. I wished I had met you. sarah from west seattle
oops…sorry it posted three times. my computer froze and now I don’t know how to delete them.
SWUNG ON AND BELTED…
My oh my, what a loss, not just to baseball but all sports. A true Hall-of-Famer, he will live on in Cooperstown and at Safeco Field in the Dave Niehaus Broadcast Center. I hope no one even tries to fill those big shoes, because it just can’t be done. No one will be that perfect baritone, not only voice of summer, but story-telling voice of baseball that rung through our TVs and radios the way Dave Niehaus was.
I send condolences to the Niehaus family and a big thank you (on this Thanksgiving Day) for letting Dave be a part of so many fans’ families. As a member of the Mariner Family this year, I was just lucky enough to meet him and was always so impressed with how genuinely nice he was, just as he looked up in the booth. I’m sure I share the same feelings many other fans do. Dave Niehaus’ voice has been the singular voice (with his partner) the entire later part of my childhood. I am just thankful that I got to experience such superb calling, even though we all agree he was taken from us way too soon.
SWUNG ON AND BELTED…
My oh my, what a loss, not just to baseball but all sports. A true Hall-of-Famer, he will live on in Cooperstown and at Safeco Field in the Dave Niehaus Broadcast Center. I hope no one even tries to fill those big shoes, because it just can’t be done. No one will be that perfect baritone, not only voice of summer, but story-telling voice of baseball that rung through our TVs and radios the way Dave Niehaus was.
I send condolences to the Niehaus family and a big thank you (on this Thanksgiving Day) for letting Dave be a part of so many fans’ families. As a member of the Mariner Family this year, I was just lucky enough to meet him and was always so impressed with how genuinely nice he was, just as he looked up in the booth. I’m sure I share the same feelings many other fans do. Dave Niehaus’ voice has been the singular voice (with his partner) the entire later part of my childhood. I am just thankful that I got to experience such superb calling, even though we all agree he was taken from us way too soon.
SWUNG ON AND BELTED…
My oh my, what a loss, not just to baseball but all sports. A true Hall-of-Famer, he will live on in Cooperstown and at Safeco Field in the Dave Niehaus Broadcast Center. I hope no one even tries to fill those big shoes, because it just can’t be done. No one will be that perfect baritone, not only voice of summer, but story-telling voice of baseball that rung through our TVs and radios the way Dave Niehaus was.
I send condolences to the Niehaus family and a big thank you on this Thanksgiving Day) for letting Dave be a part of so many fans’ families. As a member of the Mariner Family this year, I was just lucky enough to meet him and was always so impressed with how genuinely nice he was, just as he looked up in the booth. I’m sure I share the same feelings many other fans do. Dave Niehaus’ voice has been the singular voice (with his partner) the entire later paart of my childhood. I am just thankful that I got to experience such superb calling, even though we all agree he was taken from us way too soon.
I moved to the NW from Calif 30 yrs ago. Back then the Ms were not a winning team for many years. I do love baseball and Dave’s voice captivated me from the first game through every time I tuned into a game. He had a knack for adding to our enjoyment and knowledge of the great history of baseball. Win or loose we still had Dave. Such integrity. He was a great man and a little kid at heart too. My Oh My Dave, I am really going to miss your passion. Your life was one great Grand Salami. Time to bring out the rye bread and the mustard. Your voice will ring in my head whenever I tune into another game.
My oh My! can you just imagine the smile in heaven today with Felix winning the Cy Young? You will be sorely missed Dave.
Dave Niehaus is the greatest baseball voice and storyteller in all of baseball. He will be missed. I cannot imagine the first game in 2011 and Dave is not there. I go to the game as many do listening to my radio for the play by play by Dave anxiously awaiting that fifth inning when he will be calling the game. I never watch the game on TV because I need Dave to tell me the story. It was so exciting hearing it through his eyes. There will be a void in the play by play at the Safe. I am so saddened about the news of his death. He is our angel now that has the pull to get us to the series. I wish peace and comfort to his family at this difficult time. He was the best! RIP Dave, God Bless, We Love You and all the memories you gave us. ALW
It’s a sad day for Dave’s family and Mariner fans…
Good Bye
My oh My
Its time to fly
Soar so high
We’ll miss you Dave, the game won’t be the same without your magic voice but we’ll remain faithful Mariner fans in memory of a man who made the ballpark an even greater place to be…
fair balls,
lori & dave macie
Dave’s passion and excitement for the game will be missed by all that knew and heard him through the years. He will be remembered for his “Grand Salami’s” “Fly Aways” but mostly, he should be remembered as a good human being that brought that little extra every time out.
Dear Dave…
Every time I drive past Safeco Field my ears ring of your voice calling the games of our beloved Mariners. Baseball in the Northwest just won’t be the same without you …. sure we have a very capable Rick Rizzs still with us in the broadcasting booth, but the entire Mariner’s Nation will miss you telling the story so ELOQUENTLY. We’ll all miss the ‘MY OH MY’s’ & the ‘FLY AWAY’s’, but I know(we all know) that you’re up in the ‘ULTIMATE’ Baseball Hall of Fame looking over the team and all of us calling each and every pitch from now on. Thanks for all that you have done for Seattle Baseball and the Mariner’s Nation. Hoping that one day we can give back to you by bringing home the WORLD SERIES to Safeco Field. GOD BLESS ….APA
Dear Dave…
Every time I drive past Safeco Field my ears ring of your voice calling the games of our beloved Mariners. Baseball in the Northwest just won’t be the same without you …. sure we have a very capable Rick Rizzs still with us in the broadcasting booth, but the entire Mariner’s Nation will miss you telling the story so ELOQUENTLY. We’ll all miss the ‘MY OH MY’s’ & the ‘FLY AWAY’s’, but I know(we all know) that you’re up in the ‘ULTIMATE’ Baseball Hall of Fame looking over the team and all of us calling each and every pitch from now on. Thanks for all that you have done for Seattle Baseball and the Mariner’s Nation. Hoping that one day we can give back to you by bringing home the WORLD SERIES to Safeco Field. GOD BLESS ….APA
I’m not a native of the Northwest. I had to upgrade to get there, but immediately felt a kinship with both Dave and with Rick Rizzs. Dave graduated from Indiana University, as did I, and Rick grew up about 15 miles from me. They reminded me of “home”.
After three years, my career brought me back east. But, through internet and satellite, Dave and Rick still reminded me of home. They turned the northwest into my home, and whenever I can, I “fly away” to Seattle.
One of the voices of summer has been silenced. Gentlemen, you made Seattle my home regardless of where I live. Condolences to all, especially the close friends, colleagues, and especially the family.
Brad Combs, Virginia Beach, VA
Fly, fly away…
Fifteen years ago Dave Niehaus narrated the greatest summer of my life.
When the 1995 season began, the Mariners were still bad; not in the sense of the product on the field, but in terms of their standing in the community. They might provide some good moments during the season, they had several exciting and supremely talented players (Junior, Edgar, and late-season call-up at SS named Alex Rodriguez), the most intimidating pitcher in the game in Randy Johnson, a fiery and already near-legendary manager in Lou Piniella; but still we assumed somewhere inside that they would just play another season like the last several: compete into July, and fade toward the end. This was natural for us: Seattle was a football town all the way, and when the weather started to turn, we stopped caring (those few of us who cared at all) about the Mariners. To care about the Mariners was to care about something that had never once provided a return on your emotional investment. To attend a game was to give up a precious slice of the only 3 (in a good year) months of great weather in Seattle to sit in the highly functional but(t) ugly, cold, and emotionless Kingdome. The Mariners were a temporary distraction during your evening commute, something to fill up a few columns in the sports pages for your morning coffee. They amused older folks who had childhood connections to “real” Major League teams; they were not a real team themselves.
To have a connection to the Mariners required some particular circumstances in life: maybe you were devoted to the game itself, something that can only be learned from a parent or parental figure. I wasn’t: I was devoted to the Seattle Mariners, and it was because of a life lived with a grandfather I never met, and whose face I didn’t see until probably 1995 itself: Dave Niehaus.
When I was 6 or 7, after my parents split up, my mother moved us from Olympia, Washington to Santa Fe, New Mexico. It was determined that I would spend summers with my father in Olympia, so at the end of every school year I would travel 1400 miles to spend 2 months living with my dad, away from my friends. I tried to play baseball in Santa Fe once, but practices start right before the end of the school year, and I left before the games began. I couldn’t play in Olympia because the teams were already set by the time I arrived. My father lived in a rural area, and there were very few boys my age around who might try to bring me onto their teams.
With no responsibilities to any sports leagues or summer programs, I would usually go with my dad on his road-trips for the Department of Natural Resources around the hinterlands of Washington State (Othello, Colville, Twisp). Countless hours of riding in state pickups across vast expanses of nothing were made bearable, and even enjoyable, listening to Dave Niehaus call Mariners games. The team was often terrible, and this was Dave’s time: his stories of Armed Forces Radio, Gene Autry (the Cowboy, owner of the Angels), the great ballplayers he’d seen and known for decades, sometimes pieces of American history (his only known interest beyond his family and baseball… he hated golf); these were woven into the tapestry of a game and a season, connecting that moment on a dark highway, sitting next to my dad, to a story of baseball, America, and humanity itself.
I became adept at “riding” the analog radio dial while my dad drove, milking every last second out of the weak, scratchy signal so we could piece together the plays we missed. Spike Owen, Alvin Davis, Gaylord Perry, Glen Abbott: These men loomed large in my psyche, and all the information began with Dave’s voice, and existed in my mind as described by him. Though I would become a huge Sonics fan after we returned to live in Bellevue in the mid-’80s, when they were winning a championship I was with my mom in the Southwest, so they didn’t have the early-childhood-hero status of the boys of summer. Listening to games with my dad, and attending one or two games in Seattle, were the highlights of every summer from ’77 to ’84.
When I returned to the Northwest, we moved in with my mom’s parents, and I became very close to my grandfather. We watched games together in his living room, and attended games at the Kingdome. My grandfather was a Detroit Tigers fan in the ’30s, and would expand and expound on Dave?s history lessons. He was in San Diego in the ?40s and ’50s in the Navy, and knew Dave called games for Armed Forces Radio. Though he was a Seahawks season-ticket holder, he was a baseball fan first and foremost, and my connection to the Mariners, combined with his history as a fan, forged another strong union around the broadcasting of Dave Niehaus.
? and then in 1995, the Mariners caught lightning in a bottle. On August 2nd we were 13 games out of first place, behind the hated Angels (for whom Dave had worked prior to being hired by Danny Kaye to call M?s games). Two months later, while my friend Jason Stotler and I sat in the first row behind home plate, Luis Sojo hit an inside-the-park grand-slam single (aided by 2 Angels Errors) to win a 1-game playoff over the Angels and send the Mariners to their first post-season. The 8 weeks in between were the most intense, thrilling, sustained sports experience of my life, transcending ?regular? fans to encompass an entire community: businesses closed early for weekday matinee games; cars stuck in traffic cranked their radios for pedestrians nearby; every cultural event in town had a radio on somewhere. As the summer wore on and the astonishing streak of comeback wins continued, the crowds gathered in the kitchen, the lobby, around the parking booth to listen to Dave Niehaus? soaring, triumphant celebration of that gloriously improbable team. They started to outgrow the number of people paying attention to whatever ?official? gathering they were attending. One night I was supposed to meet all my friends at the Sit-n-Spin on 4th for a live-reading night (aka beer-and-******** session), around 9:30p. Home games started at 7, so I figured I?d head down a bit late once the game ended. Around 10:45 I got a call from Jason, asking if I was coming down. ?Are you kidding? We are in the 13th inning!? He laughed and told me everyone was in the kitchen of the restaurant listening to the game on a transistor while the performances went on in the main room. That was the Summer of ?95: Everywhere you went in Seattle, Washington, and the Pacific Northwest, Dave Niehaus was keeping your friends, family, and community connected through, and to, the exploits of the greatest team I?ve ever known.
From that moment through 2001, the Mariners were important in baseball, and Dave Niehaus rose to that task. No backwater play-by-play man of a forgettable team, he assumed the mantle of serious baseball with dignity, gravitas, and responsibility. We were legitimate contenders, and poor play or questionable strategy was not going to slide on his watch. He was always optimistic, but knew that the greatest prize would elude any who took for granted their opportunity to compete for it. He knew the baseball was for the players to play and the management to plan, but as Fan #1 (our willing, unelected, but unanimous representative) he demanded accountability wherever he could. He welcomed with delightful enthusiasm the Japanese influence on our team, especially the otherworldly Ichiro. He mourned the losses of Junior and Rodriguez, but knew the realities of the business, and gave a fair shot to every new acquisition, as if to say: ?Management thinks you can play, so go out there and show us, son.? If you did, he was on your side; if you didn?t, he wanted to know why.
Then the Mariners were bad again, and aside from the brief Junior revival of ?09, have remained (and likely will for awhile) a bad baseball team. The Products of ?95 (as I would derisively call those fair-weather fans) dropped away, wondering what ever happened to Joey Cora and Dan Wilson. The rest of us settled back in to a familiar rhythm (myself from Los Angeles now, where Dave helped connect me to my hometown). This was not difficult for me; to the contrary, Dave Niehaus calling Mariners losses was like the comfort of a childhood blanket. After my grandfather passed away, he was with me every time I watched a game or listened to the radio broadcast. I felt my relationship with my grandfather in the relationship between Dave and Mike Blowers. They clearly enjoyed each others? company. Dave?s respect for Blowers as a player, particularly his defensive play at 3rd, obviously meant the world to Mike. When Dave started to make a few more mistakes, Mike?s instinctive ability to gently correct him felt very much like me helping my grandfather out of a fishing boat in his ?80s: The details might not look as good as they once did, but the relationship is what mattered.
That was how Dave Niehaus elevated a baseball broadcast from a sports contest to a mythology of our lives: remembering the relationships that had so enriched his life. I never was a huge fan of Ron Fairly as a broadcaster, but Dave had known him and loved him forever. I believe (though I know some disagree) that Rick Rizzs can carry on that tradition, but I know he knows it won?t be the same; just as my memories of my grandfather won?t be the same to my children. We must endeavor to make our own memories, to impart that respect for life and people, to hope our efforts might reach a young boy or girl, and mean as much to them as my grandfather did to me, and Dave Niehaus did to countless Mariners fans for 34 years.
I think I?ll go call my dad?
– Jacob Sidney Dietzman, 11 November 2010
Our family had the privilege of meeting Dave and his lovely wife Marilyn at a Mariner’s Cares fund raiser 18 years ago. Dave kept us in stitches all night with his stories about life on the road with the M’s. One in particular involved Jay Buhner drawing Nike swooshes on the side of Dave’s newly purchased cowboy boots; hilarious!
I’ll never forget how much fun we had that night and why, when I found a framed, autographed photo of Dave at his Hall of Fame induction ceremony, I jumped at the chance to purchase it. It hangs proudly at the entrance to in my husband’s man cave.
Dave we have been fans from day one and nothing is going to be the same without you. We are the kind of fans who would mute the tv so we could listen to your golden voice on the radio. Thank you for all of those memories Dave.
May your memory always be for a blessing. Our thoughts and prayers are with your beautiful wife, your family and friends.
I wasn’t a baseball fan until I met my husband 11yrs. ago. He is a HUGE baseball fan. He grew up in the bay area so he is a bay area fan. I needed to stay true to my home in the northwest so I decided to become a Mariners fan! I would listen to the broadcast on the radio in my car, while I was cooking, on t.v. any where I could, and Dave Niehaus was the voice I loved! I feel like I have lost a parent! I have never met him but would have loved to. I really don’t know how listening to the Mariners is going to be with out the “My oh MY”, the Grand Salami, and just his happy and always possitive voice. Thank you Dave if it wasn’t for you I would never have gotten so in to baseball. You will be missed greatly! MY OH MY 😦
I found this and had to post it here.
“Perhaps they are not stars, but rather openings in heaven where the love of our lost ones pours through and shines down upon us to let us know they are happy.” Eskimo Proverb.
Before a spring training game at Surprise Stadium a couple of years ago, my grandma and a family friend had the privilege of sharing an elevator ride with Dave. My grandma asked Dave if he would sign her ticket stub. He graciously granted her request. When my grandma arrived home, she said that she had a surprise for me. I opened the envelope and on the back of the ticket stub written in black ball point pen ink it said, “My oh my!” Dave Niehaus.
Mariners Baseball will not be the same without Dave. We will miss him very much.
Sincerely,
The McKee Family and Friends
Clark County, Washington
My sincere condolences to the Niehaus family. M’s games will never be the same.
My sincere condolences to the Niehaus family. M’s games will never be the same.
My husband and I were at Cooperstown to hear Dave’s acceptance speech, and it was outstanding. Very moving and very Dave. When we visited the Hall of Fame building later that day, one of the workers there (having noticed my husband’s Seattle Mariners hat) remarked that Dave’s speech was the best he had ever heard. (The speeches are piped in to the building.)
Dave, you will be forever in our hearts. And my sincere condolences to your family.
Dave Niehaus was everything thats good about baseball. Nobody will be missed more, legends never die and he will always be remembered as the class act he is
As Major League Baseball recognizes annual MVP, Gold Glove, and Silver Slugger award recipients for the 2010 season, it seems that another new honorary award: the Platinum Microphone, in remembrance of Dave Niehaus, should be developed. He made that piece of equipment as infinitely critical to the growth, wonderment, excitement, and spreading of the wonderful game of Baseball worldwide as have past gloves, bats, and MVP players! Dave was truly the most unique, gifted, and just best, mouthpiece for the game which he obviously held a great reverence and passion for, too. And how he shared that with us all was beyond description; yet, certainly he would have been able to craft just the right words. But, beyond baseball, Dave Niehaus sincerely shared his life with us and seemingly cared deeply for all others, as well. Thus, he was a great man who will continue to thrill us and warm our memories of him forever. Seattle and the Northwest were very blessed to have Dave choose to be a Mariner foremost for so long. Thanks and God bless you Dave, and may His Peace be upon your family, friends, and fans.
I moved to Seattle in the summer of 1985 and lived for a time alone in an apartment where the only entertainment available was my radio. After work that summer I got into the habit of listening to Dave’s broadcasts. The thing that I will never forget is my feeling that I was there! At the game! I could picture exactly what was going on. Dave painted such a great picture in my mind that when I read newspaper reports of many of the games the following mornings I always felt that “my” games were so much better than the ones I read about in the newspapers.
THANK YOU Dave for bringing such interest and excitement to even the most boring of games. And THANK YOU for 1995! YOU made it so exciting! For me and two of my sons. So exciting, in fact, that my middle son used the money from his newspaper route to buy tickets for us to go to the 1 game playoff with Anaheim. THANK YOU for everything Dave! May you rest in peace.
Dave will be missed at each game. We have enjoyed many
years listening to him. No will ever take his place
We wish to extend our condolences to his family.
Phil and Marilyn Russell
My rural Idaho family began listening to Mariner baseball in the late 1990’s as a means to getting through a hot, summer harvest day. My husband would listen on the radio in his combine, while the kids and I kept track of the score in the trucks. We’d discuss different plays, the current score, and Dave Niehaus when he would dump a load of wheat into the truck. The years have passed (My. oh my!), and we continued listening, because we loved Dave Niehaus. We grew to love the Mariners BECAUSE of Dave Niehaus’ love for the game of baseball and all the Mariner teams. He loved visiting with veteran players about the game of baseball. The listener could pick up on Dave’s genuine interest in people and their lives and families. He was especially interested in new talent, and when the season ended and Triple A players were called up, he got genuinely excited and hopeful that they would experience success during their debut.
Dave suffered through this last season with the rest of us. I was driving to Seattle on Sun. Aug. 1, and listened to the Mariner game. Dave’s comment to the fact that all the Mariner outs were INFIELD outs? “For Crying Out Loud!” He was so disgusted. He was always able to express his thoughts honestly, and they were received with respect. He earned that right…to express the Mariner highs and lows. And Dave’s reaction to Mike Blowers’ prediction about Tuiososopo’s home run 2 seasons ago? Dave went ballistic, “I’ve seen the light!” Every time we heard that audio clip before a game this season, we’d relive that excitement. He expressed the listeners’ astonishment perfectly! Through it all, the listeners remained faithful to the Mariners, in part, because we knew Dave would get us through these games.
It seems like he broadcast fewer and fewer innings these last couple years, and we suspected he had health issues.
My family is now grown, but my 3 children, my husband, and I will miss him like a true friend. We will never again hear a live Dave Niehaus Mariner broadcast. He was truly a legend, a good, honest man, who conveyed his baseball love to a legion of radio fans. Thank-you, Dave.
Dear Niehaus Family, I am so sorry for your terrible loss. You are in my thoughts and prayers. In hopes it may help you through this very difficult time, please know Dave will live forever in the hearts and minds of all the Mariner fans he touched with the artistry of his words, his vast knowledge and the excitement he had for this game we all love. My of My! I will miss him so.
Thank you for many years of exciting baseball Dave. It is like losing a best friend. We will all miss you. You will be remembered.
-AO-
We love going to the games. I was at the first game in 1977. But the game is not complete with out a radio so we can listen to Dave’s wonderful voice. The game will not be the same. Dave we will miss you.
My father is a very serious Seattle fan when we came back from Alaska when I was in the 2nd grade me and my brother were not used to TV but we got radio being out in the bush of Alaska there wasn’t much else. My dad turned on the Ms game and we were hooked! For most of my life and I am now 41 we watch the game but listen to the radio! the TV announcers don’t bring the class, excitement or color Dave did. He could make a losing game exciting and remind you why you were a fan. An era has truly ended because I have never heard anyone else call a game like that or never will. I am truly sad about this huge loss for my team, my community and my state. Nobody loved the M’s like Dave he will truly missed and baseball in the Pacific Northwest will never be the same! MY O MY will live in my memory forever and so will Dave Thankyou for making me love baseball and the M’s the way I do. It will not seem right without him! to his family thankyou and so sorry for your loss Just know we loved him too! Seattle and WA State is mourning with you Thankyou for sharing with us the heart and soul of our team!! my thoughts and prayers are with you
I forgot to sign my name-I am an 83 year old woman who lives outside Vancouver B.C. Canada whose American Dad my sister and me Baseball.It became my passion and I grew up with the best Teachers-first Leo Lassen and then Dave Niehaus-wasn’t I lucky.I will miss the broadcasts so much and want to send My condolences to the Niehaus family and to Rick,Kevin,Shannon and all members of the broadcast team-it will be so hard for us all next spring but they taught us well and with great gratitude I will listen again but with a heavy heart but with respect for the years we had Dave Niehaus-MY OH MY will I miss him. Rest in peace Dave -you are a well respected human being.
Nov.12 2010
baseballbabe@dccnet.com
“My, Oh MY”! It will never be the same without our Dave to give us the real play-by-play! You made us Mariner Fans just by listening to your broadcasts. How we will miss our special Hall-of-Fame announcer down here, yet we know you are having some great games up above. God Bless and Happy Trails to you, Dave. Our thoughts and prayers are with your wonderful family.
To the Niehaus Family, The Mariner’s Family and the entire Northwest Region.
I have been a fan of baseball for as long as I can remember, but the game will never be the same for me again. As a boy, we did not have cable TV so the radio was the only way that I could follow along. Dave had an amazing ability to turn my livingroom, the car, my bedroom, 7th period english…where ever I could get an AM signal, into the ball park. I have tuned in mostly from afar, New York, LA, Phoenix to check in on my beloved mariners and I could always count on that voice to keep me posted.
Durring the 2001 campaign, Dave often reffered to the mariners’ position as being “in the catbird seat” According to Dave, this was the pertch at the top of the mast on a large ship. It was the look out position. Dave, you were a true gift and you are missed today and will be for years to come. I have no doubt that you are now up there in that catbird seat keeping watch over Doubles lined down the left field line, Grand Salami’s, Swung on and BELTED and MY OH MY’s.
You were a hall of famer in my book, long before Cooperstown made it so. There is baseball in heaven, there has to be, and the pressbox, mic and headset are yours.
Jason W.
Growing up listening to Dave, I always thought that sports announcers must be geniouses to be able to describe everything as well and as colorful as he did. We’d turn on the radio outside, and listen to the game while throwing a baseball around in the backyard pretending we were mariners. Many of the good summer times I can remember from my childhood, his voice is there, coming from a radio near by, painting a picture of my favorite past time. Thanks for the memories Dave.
Thank you Dave. You were in my ear every day every summer, whether I was at a game, in the car, or watching t.v., you were there like my partner, my partner of baseball. I didn’t know how much I missed you until I went out of town to Fenway, I brought my little radio, but it wasn’t you talking to me and telling me what was going on down on the field. When I got home I was so thankful to hear your voice, I missed it, and now I always will. You made baseball come alive for me here in this town, you made me fall in love with baseball. I am so happy you made it to Cooperstown. Thank you Dave. God Bless you and your family during this time.
My sincere condolences to the Niehaus family and friends. I know our words cannot alleviate the loss you feel, but know that you have many Seattle friends that truly care for you. Dave was a giant of a man for us Seattle fans and we’ll always cherish the fond memories. God’s blessings to you all. Rest in peace Dave
Seattle, you are so lucky to have had Dave Niehaus for so long. What a talent behind the mike and he will go down as one of the best along with Harry Caray, Jack Buck, Mel Allen et al. A lifetime ago I worked for one of Chicago’s baseball teams and was fortunate enough to meet Dave on a few occasions and asked him to please say hello to my Mother if he could. He always could and it was one of her biggest thrills when she actually got to meet him some years later. Two Summers ago my brother and I rode our motorcycles through the midwest and it was one of our plans to stop in Princeton, Indiana and take our photo in front of the welcome sign and send it to Dave. We didn’t stop due to time constraints and for that I will always regret my error. RIP Dave.
this spring/ summer is going to feal werid not hering dave on the air and giving us the famious words like” MY OH MY” , and “Get out the rye bread and the mustard, grandma, it’s grand salami time!”… no mater what he will always have a seat in safeco in the booth…no one will ever take is chair and no one will EVER be as good or better as he was…”Put away the rye bread grandma, Dave has left the ball park” RIP ” MY OH MY”
REST IN PEACE DAVE….HAVE FUN CALLING AND WATCHING FROM UPSTAIRS
My sincere condolences to the family and friends of Dave Niehaus, the real “Mr. Mariner.”
In the days before baseball was so readily available on tv, you painted such colorful pictures and weaved stories into the broadcast … and when something exciting happened, you were like a kid, your voice getting louder and higher and your trademark expressions that even now give me goosebumps.
For as long as I live, I will remember your calls of “fly, fly away” “goodbye baseball” “get out the rye bread and mustard grandma, it’s grand salami time!” and finally the signature “my oh my”.
Your dedication and love of the game always came through in the broadcast and the way you conducted your life. You touched everyone you met and left them better for it with your positive influence.
For me it wasn’t baseball that gripped me, it was your call of the game.
Thanks for all the memories.
For me, Dave was a beloved teacher, artist, and friend. I’d been an ardent baseball fan as a girl, coming back to the game in 1995 with Randy and Junior and Edgar and the most unbelievably wonderful broadcaster I’d ever heard. In the years since, I came to realize that Dave Nieuhaus was the Mariners’ one constant; stars and managers came and went, but Dave was always there, tying the years together with his stories, showing me every play, explaining the why’s and the how’s, comforting me with his optimism and his hope. Dave, I’m so happy you were given the honors you deserved by the Hall of Fame while you were alive and healthy. So happy that you were there for us all. So happy to have heard your calls, especially, from a dark log cabin in Canada, catching a “bounce” on our old battery-run radio: “the Mariners would LOVE a double into the gap… the throw will be–LATE–the Mariners will play for the American League Championship! I don’t believe it!”
Like all of us fans, I don’t believe you’re gone. We will always love you.
Nancy
I have been a fan since the very beginning and as for my family, we are greatly saddened by Dave’s passing. Our prayers go out to his family, the Mariner family and for all of us who have lived Mariner baseball through the angelic voice of Dave Neihaus. God bless him as he joins the voices calling the games in heaven today. Dave, we will never forget you.
I moved from New Hampshire (Red Sox nation) to Bremerton in 1977. All I ever heard was Dave when listening to the Mariners. He will be missed nto only by Mariner’s fans but by baseball fans everywhere who have heard him. He was great at describing the game and gave the emotion you want from a great broadcaster.
Condolences to his family, the Mariner family and the baseball community. He will be missed!
I moved here from NY in 89′ and was (still am) a die-hard Mets fan and only watched NL games. I didn’t like the AL at all, but being that I couldn’t live without baseball, I didn’t have much choice. Dave was one of the main reasons I started watching the Mariners games. His enthusiasm and joy of announcing a game made it so exciting for everyone. He could take the most boring or bad game and make it sound like we were winning the World Series! His catch phrases were awesome!
I will miss miss him very much…it will never be the same watching a Mariners game without him. My deepest sympathies to his family, friends, colleagues and players. Thank you Dave for everything, you were the best. RIP
Pat Hagan
I just can’t imagine a season without Dave Niehaus! I never had a chance to meet “The Man” and am saddened that I never will. I send my condolences to his family. I actually met his son, Dave “Andy” Jr. when I was younger, I only wish that I had kept in touch over the years. Dave was the Mariners, I hope that someday we make it to the World Series, in his name. Thank you for everything you brought to each and every game! You will never be forgotten!
Susan Chesley Balogh
I’ve been a baseball fan for a long time, like my mother before me… my first memory was as a kid listening to the Reds as Pete Rose tried to set some sort of records, but they were playing the Cubs at home before lights… and the game was called because of darkness! I went away to school in Atlanta, and got seriously into the game with Skip Caray and the Braves… and his dad on cable calling the Cubs games.
When I finally moved west, eleven years ago this week, I started following the M’s. I quickly became enamored of Dave’s style of calling a game, but I didn’t know much about him other than what I heard he himself say on the radio.
Reading the articles these past two days, I was interested to learn that Dave had grown up listening to none other than Harry Caray. “I *thought* that style sounded familiar!” I said to myself.
Of course Harry was a legend… but if anything, Dave was better. He never lost his edge, he maybe got frustrated but never really got cranky when the M’s didn’t do so well… he said he’d do this until he died, and he did, and did it as well as anyone I can remember.
As someone said, somewhere in an Iowa cornfield, there was a need for a visiting sportscaster.
One dreary day, about 2 years ago, it seemed like spring would never arrive. I was half heartedly flipping through the channels, one of which was showing the outside of a stadium in Nevada. Just as I was about to change the channel, I heard that voice and I knew that spring had indeed arrived. I grew up a Navy brat, which meant the Cubs, Mets and Red Sox. My child hood baseball heroes were Tug McGraw, Roberto Clemente, Tom Seaver. It would have never occurred to me that after years away from access to baseball, my new hero would be an announcer. He brought me back to baseball. He made every game, every play exciting. We have been attending games for about 8 years now, a couple of years ago, while sitting behind 3rd base, surrounded by other Red Sox fans, I realized that I had adopted my new team. Dave Neihaus was probably more responsible for that than any player or play. I have never met Dave, but I feel like he has sat next to me in my car, and across from me in my living room. Thank you Dave, for the few years that you brought baseball back for a mom that didn’t even know how much she missed it. Thank you and your family for lending you to us, I know traveling is hard on a family.
My, oh My, Good bye Dave Niehaus. You will be missed.
There is no way to separate his voice and personality from my fond memories of the last 27 years. My first exposure to baseball was in 1983 and he truly taught me to love and understand the game. One of my lifelong goals was to meet and thank him in person and I will forever be grateful that I got that opportunity two years ago. He was a champion of the game and so good at his craft that he made it look easy. All of us feel a deep sense of personal loss but our love and prayers are with his family whose loss is immeasurably greater than our own. God be with you and may this outpouring of affection give you comfort.
Spring and summer in the Northwest has lost its soul. It will never have the richness it once did without you. Rest in peace in your own Field of Dreams my dear friend. You will always be a part of mine.
This passing has hit me harder than I would have thought. I of course never met Dave, and really only sporadically listened to M’s games on the radio, at least recently, due to a variety of factors. That said, I find myself in tears, frequently, these past few days.
I’ll echo what most everyone has already said. Dave’s voice was the M’s soul, it’s passion. There’s no doubt at all that we’ve just lost the greatest.
I’m at a loss for words…all I can really say is that my thoughts are with the Niehaus and greater M’s family.
RIP
I already expressed my condolences here (2nd comment) but I came back to read the rest of the comments. Your comments had me in tears that I found it hard to read thru them. I am more sorry that I did not meet Mr. Niehaus after reading your comments. Your comments have made the tribute even more special. Thank you.
..
I can’t imagine myself going thru a loss like this this when Mr. Vin Scully is no longer with us.
Rest in peace Mr. Niehaus.
.
Emma
http://crzblue.mlblogs.
I did’nt realize until now how close I feel to Dave he made it seem so natural> I ve been with him since the first pitch and stayed till the end. I got a picture with him at a P-I sports banquet and he was glad to do it which is not always the case.What a great guy one more thing I could always feel the sincerity when he spoke of his grandchildren since I have some of my own just another tribute to him. Baseball will not be the same in Seattle. Rudy
I came to love baseball when we moved to Seattle and my husband began listening to the Mariners. I learned the game from Dave’s colorful descriptions and frank comments. I often preferred listening to the game, while knitting, than watching. My favorite memory is a recent one: the Mariners were behind in a close game and Junior was up to bat. Dave said, “I’m ready for some old-time religion” which I thought was such a wonderful way to describe his hope that Junior would find his magical swing that night—which he did. Dave’s descriptions of the stadium on a summer’s night left one feeling that life is good. We were so blessed to have him. He gave me the gift of baseball. I will be ever grateful.
I first met Dave in 1979 while working for KVI. Twenty years later, I ran into him at an M’s game in Arizona. He rembered me and asked if I was still in radio. I told him yes and I do play-by-play for baseball. I also said that I wish I could be half as good as him at his job. He said, “just practice.” What an outstanding talent!
I have traveled all around the world, but always felt grounded to home by the distinctive voice of Dave and his ability to make every game interesting and exciting. My Oh My Dave you will be sorely missed by Mariners fans around the world. RIP and “Fly, Fly Away!”
I have been a Mariners fan for as long as I can remember. I count the days til the first broadcasted game in the spring. I have arranged my life in order to watch the games. Now that he is gone, I will dread that first game when he will not be there and his voice and amazing ways of calling a game will not be there! There is a great emptiness over me. Thankyou for brightening many days, and sharing your life with all of us. May you RIP. My condolences to his family during this most difficult time and a great thankyou for sharing him with us for so many years!
Mr. Niehaus, you were a truely amazing man, and while I Love Baseball, you surely made it a much more enjoyable sport. I will miss your voice greatly.
To the Niehaus family, I am so, so, sorry for your loss. may god bless.
Michael Arends
My son became a baseball and Mariners fan 10 years ago by listening to Dave.
For my son’s 13th birthday we discovered that the Mariners would be playing the Yankees in the original Yankee Stadium over his birthday weekend and planed a trip to Boston and Cooperstown that weekend. And much to our delight Dave was to make his first visit there as well on the same day and we were able to be present when Dave was interviewed by Voices of Summer author Curt Smith.
We got to meet Dave, shake his hand, and get his autograph all on my son’s 13th birthday. That is a trip we both will always remember.
My favorite call is “… that ball is BELTED to deep….”
Dave, thanks for giving my son a love of baseballl and rekidling mine.
Though my true loyalties have lain with the Dodgers for 50 years, after moving to Vancouver BC in the late 70’s, Dave also made me a Mariners fan. He was to the M’s what Vin Scully is to the Dodgers and he deserves his place among the best that ever were. He was the voice of baseball in the Pacific Northwest. One of the threads of my summers is now gone and I’m going to miss him every day. I’d like to send my condolences to the Niehaus family and also thank them for sharing this marvelous man and talent with us for so many years. My oh my.
I was here during every year Dave broadcast the Mariner games. What a privilege it was to listen to him. There will only be one Dave Niehaus.
Ron, Yakima
I was here during every year Dave broadcast the Mariner games. What a privilege it was to listen to him. There will only be one Dave Niehaus.
Ron, Yakima
I was here during every year Dave broadcast the Mariner games. What a privilege it was to listen to him. There will only be one Dave Niehaus.
Ron, Yakima
I was here during every year Dave broadcast the Mariner games. What a privilege it was to listen to him. There will only be one Dave Niehaus.
Ron, Yakima
I was here during every year Dave broadcast the Mariner games. What a privilege it was to listen to him. There will only be one Dave Niehaus.
Ron, Yakima
Dave had such a vocal stature that I was suprised by his height when I first met him. Seeing him helped over the rail to the top of the club house last month to interview the new manager was overshadowed by his immediate command to talk baseball. Thank you Niehaus family for sharing your most prized possession. May God comfort all.
I am a short time Mariners fan since 2008 but Dave Niehaus was a joy to listen to in Seattle and at home on TV.
My husband and I are very saddened by his passing and wish to give our condolences to his wife and family.
We will miss you!
I have spent the majority of my adult life away from the Seattle area, and Dave and the gang have been a blessing. His magical voice captived me and made me care about the Meriners even more. Listening to other announcers, I realized how special he was. The Ms will not be the same with him. He will truly be misses.
SSgt David Ryan, U.S. Air Force
Mariners broadcasts will never be the same. I will surely miss “My, oh my”.
Truly a passing of an icon. For a man I never met but felt as close to as any family member, you will be missed. Mr Niehaus you will always be more than the voice of the Mariners… you are baseball. RIP sir.
With the voice of Dave Niehaus calling the game, I never had to watch TV. He made me see everything the player’s were doing. Including rubbing their nose.
Mr. Niehaus you will always be the best!
You will be missed.
The best thing about summer was listening to Dave covering bad baseball and making it interesting with humorous stories and historical tales. Going back to baseball in spring will be difficult. We miss you Mr Niehaus.
This just hurts! To me, Dave was a part of my family and it is never easy to loose a family member. I have to try to keep myself busy in hopes that I, for even a moment, might be able to stop the continuous tears or heartache I have been feeling. Thank you Dave for always being there for all of us. No matter what was going on in our lives we could always escape by listening to you call a game. Thank you for being, not just “The Voice”, but also a true Mariners fan! Thank you for letting us into your heart! My condolences go out to Dave’s family and friends. We all love you and we will all Miss you.
Dave Niehaus brought his own style of broadcasting to the radio booth and possessed a sharp wit and mind when it came to delving into the history of the national pastime. And, of course, his expressive use of words like GRAND SALAMI, FLY AWAY and BELTED won’t soon be forgotten. Except for the fact that he often neglected to tell listeners what the score was, Dave Niehaus was both entertaining and informative, and his stirring call on Junior sliding home with the winning run against the Yankees will forever be etched in the minds and hearts of Mariners’ fans. The summer of 2011 is going to be tough for the M’s faithful as it was for A’s fans a few years back when their beloved radio voice Bill (Holy Toledo) King died.
Thank you Mr. Niehaus for making me a true Mariners fan!
Fly Fly Away…..
/Christer from Sweden.
I had the good fortune to interview Dave for my bachelor’s thesis in 2004. He told me “Baseball announcers like myself become ingrained in people?s families, because you come into their homes, if you?re a baseball fan, almost every day. And you become a part of their family.” How true this is. I was so nervous talking to him, and he put me right at ease, asking me about Whitman, about my major, and about where I grew up. Not everybody gets to talk to their childhood heroes, and I was lucky enough to talk to mine.
Dave, for me, you are the voice of baseball. Thank you so much for teaching me about the game, and for teaching me how to love it. When I listened to you, I could see the game in my mind. That’s the mark of an amazing broadcaster.
On Shannon Drayer’s blog yesterday, she related this anecdote about Dave’s belief that the ghosts of the dead Hall of Famers sneak out and play ball after Cooperstown closes each night.
“I thought that after they turned the lights off that they must sneak out of there and head over to Doubleday Field,” he said, “almost like a Field of Dreams, only everyone is a Hall of Famer and you have got the ideal pitching matchup against the greatest ball players of all time. The old Negro Leagues stars were there and it is one happy family. Why not bring them all back and play the Oscar Charlestons? Yeah, you’re darn right. There are ghosts there.”
I like to imagine Dave Niehaus among the ghosts of Cooperstown. He’s meeting Ted Williams and Joe DiMaggio. He’s talking with Harry Caray, his own childhood hero. And he gets in the radio booth as Cy Young throws a fastball to Babe Ruth with three men on, and it’s
“Babe Ruth points the bat out to left field, and it’s swung on and BELTED! Deep to left field! Ted Williams goes to the track, to the wall! This baby is gonna…FLY AWAY! GET OUT THE RYE BREAD AND THE MUSTARD GRANDMA, IT’S GRAND SALAMI TIME!!!”
Rest in peace, Dave Niehaus. It’s not going to feel like summer around here without you.
Dave Niehaus — the ‘family member’ whom we only saw on TV and heard on the radio. Yet it always felt as though he would accept an invitation to stay for dinner, like a beloved uncle. One of my life’s goals was to have the chance to thank him in person for giving me my love of baseball.
Through the summer of 1993, I came to understand what baseball really *was* — that the batter and the pitcher were but a piece of the puzzle, that the strategies of runners, pitch-count, score, late innings, moving up behind the runner, managers’ tendencies…that baseball was not a slow-moving tedious game, but that it was a very complex game that required time to have all the unspoken communication occur to let a pitch be thrown. Dave Niehaus broadcasting on the radio was Baseball 101, taught by a master. in 1994, I started attending Mariners games; in 1995, my friend (now husband) and I were behind the left field foul “pole” in the Kingdome watching Junior round 3rd and standing and screaming, because even Bone couldn’t have thrown him out!
I am now such an addict that I get to the park early so I can get my food and be settled before the first pitch; because I watch every pitch of every inning. I have collected 3 major league ballparks and plan on getting them all.
My daughter’s 9th word was “Eh-gar” and when she came out, the three voices she recognized were mine, her Dad’s, and Dave Niehaus’s. When she was fussy, we’d sometimes play a video of a Mariners game we saved because the sound of Dave’s voice soothed her….
I wish I’d gotten to tell him that. And above all, I wish I’d gotten to say, “Thank you.” And that a world full of people who grew up with TV, not radio, will never create his like again as a broadcaster. Storyteller, educator, fan, historian, friend and gentleman, Hall of Famer and grandfather of baseball in Seattle: Dave Niehaus, we will miss you.
I recall meeting Dave in the elevator of the Ritz-Carleton in Atlanta Ga the year he was inducted into the Hall of Fame. Growing up in Seattle, I was alway a Mariner fan and the brief moment I shared with him, I will treasure always. He was always the epitomy of class and truly a fan’s announcer. Although I have lived in NC for several years, my family and I have enjoyed Dave’s wonderful commentary in our home via Satelite. I will miss his passion for the people and love for the game…….rest easy Dave.
We’ll miss you Dave. I never cared for sports let alone one that took 3 hours and long games where no one scored. Not until I heard my first Mariner game called by Dave. It was the first game in M’s history, and my first game as well. I was 16 and as I listened to Dave describe the crowd and dome, I was transported there along side him. I began to see the game through Dave’s eyes, and have ever since. I became excited to listen to baseball and started going to games, still go to as many as I can. Through all the up’s and many down’s of the M’s, Dave always made it fun and colorful. Thank you Dave for giving me baseball, I will always love you for that!
“My Oh My” He will be missed!
I’m far from home, living in Hanoi, Vietnam, of all places. And silly me, I’ve been shedding tears for a man I never met, but whose voice provided the soundtrack to my life for over 30 years. I’m remembering those many long summers in the Pacific NW, the highs and lows of Mariners baseball, remembering the person I was, and today I am missing home. It feels like grandpa has died. RIP, Dave. My, oh my…
Thank you Mr. Niehaus.
I remember taking my Uncle Boone to his 1st ballgame at the age of 94. He had been a fan since the Pilots days. When Dave found out he was in the stands, he invited him to meet. I took him in his wheelchair to the Dave Niehaus Broadcasting Center by the Terrace Club. Dave came out and spoke with him for quite awhile and signed some baseballs (I have mine on the desk here). Dave then went back into the booth and told the story over the air. We had about 30 family members at the game in support of my uncle. All of a sudden, all of our cellphones were going off from friends and family all over the state who heard that our dear Uncle Boone was at the game and met Dave. Uncle Boone passed away last year but to the end, told all that would listen about his meeting with “My Oh My”.
Bob Denend, Alcohol Enforcement Team, SAFECO
I graduated from high school in the Pacific Northwest in 1977. From that time until now I can’t think of watching or hearing a Mariners game without listening to that voice. Like a sandwich made from fresh baked bread, peanut butter, and blackberry jam from the berries behind the house. The M’s and Dave all sandwiched inside of warm breezy Northwest days, with white cumulus clouds high above the space needle. I guess next year the jam will have to be a different flavor.
I’ll miss you Dave. All the years I made the long journey to Safeco from my home on the southern Oregon coast you were one of the folks I was going to see, I always wanted to meet you in person.
God bless Dave’s family and players of the organization. Next year let’s win some for Dave. I hope to be there some of the times when you do, and then I’ll close my eyes and hear an echo… “My, oh my.”
Just this past season, my husband, myself and 2 of our friends had the pleasure of riding the elevator in the Safeco Field Parking Garage with Dave Niehaus. I didn’t recognize him until I heard his voice telling us that the elevator was going “down”. I was so excited as I looked up and recognized Dave standing just in front of me. I will never forget the smile on his face as I said “Mr. Niehaus you are so wonderful!” I shall treasure that meeting even more now that he is gone. I would suggest that the Mariner Organization take the number “34” (for the number of years he was our voice of the Mariners) and retire it under the name of “Dave Niehaus”. What a fitting tribute to a man who gave us so much of his life. God Bless you Dave Niehaus…may God comfort your loved ones knowing that we shall all meet again in a better place. I guess Heaven needed a great voice to announce the games up there. MY OH MY!
My late husband and I are HUGE Baseball fans and one of the things we loved the most about going to and listening to the Mariner games was Dave Niehaus. He had such a way of making the game so much fun and it didn’t matter which team made the great play! He LOVED baseball and it showed. That love of baseball spilled out over the air waves, too, to the listeners who also loved the game. MY OH MY, and the GRAND SALAMI will be in my memory and will always bring a smile to my heart. Thanks to Dave Niehaus for making baseball in SEA a treat and now that you’ve joined him in heaven, say hello to my Davy Dan!
rj
I have been a mariner fan since they came to seattle as a team in the american league west,I have listen to all of the games and I will miss The my oh my home run saying, my condolences are with is family and all of the mariner staff and players.THANKS FOR ALL THE GOOD TIMES MY OH MY. Don Locke, Spokane,wa
I have been a mariner fan since they came to seattle as a team in the american league west,I have listen to all of the games and I will miss The my oh my home run saying, my condolences are with is family and all of the mariner staff and players.THANKS FOR ALL THE GOOD TIMES MY OH MY. Don Locke, Spokane,wa
A great man is calling games in Heaven…My Oh My. You are in our hearts forever, Dave!
Dave, Commentator
You bring the story alive
Winter comes too soon
I would like to offer my condolences to the Niehaus family and a very special thank you. Thank you for sharing your husband, father and grandfather with millions of Mariner’s fans over the past many years. We loved him so much and we appreciate the sacrifices that your family made that allowed him to be a part of our families. His death has surely proven to me that there is crying in baseball.
Rest in peace, Mr. Niehaus. Thank you.
I know that Dave lived a life that was truly a fairytale. He was in Heaven before he went to Heaven. Dave , thank you for narrating some of the best memories I will ever know. You will be forever remebered in my stories , as well as my heart. My prayers to all he has touched. Once again, THANKS.
Dylan R.
Spokane, Wa
Dave will be missed and I got emotional when I heard the news about his passing as he was like an old friend although I never did get to meet him in person but he will always be the voice of Mariners in my book. My brother Nelson and I (my name is Phill) live in Lapwai, Idaho on the Nez Perce reservation so Seattle tends to be the source of our professional sports (and we hated the Sonics left town and still mad about that issue..anyway) and by far my favorite team and sports is the Mariners baseball team with Ichiro being my all time fave Mariners player. Anyway, my condolences to the Niehaus family and the whole Mariners organization and I will be forever a Mariners fan and will miss Dave come next season…take care all may Dave rest in peace and “fly fly away…”
I was working in Anaheim for the rival Angels a couple of years ago. He was passing by on the way to the player bus and I asked him if he had any rye bread or mustard. He smiled, came over and introduced himself. I told him I was a former Bothell resident and always admired him. We spoke a couple of minutes, then he shook my hand he said thank you for speaking with him?Mr Niehaus??My Oh My? thank you for that memory and for being such a class act.
My sincere condolences to Dave’s family. As hard as it is for us fans to lose such a wonderful guy, I can only imagine the hurt you feel at his passing. Please know how grateful this fan is for the privilege of listening to Dave, the voice of the Mariners. He made it a joy to follow the team. Even during the worst of games, his charm, his humor, and his love of baseball brightened the experience, like sunbeams breaking through on an overcast day in Seattle. I teared up when I heard he was gone. He was, and is, truly beloved.
First, my condolences to Daves’ family and friends. I can’t imagine another person that could ever unite a community with such pride and spirit for any sport like Dave Niehaus did for Seattle and the Mariners. I’ve been a Mariner fan since day one and without doubt, Dave Niehaus was a big part of my enthusiasm for the game. When I wasn’t at the game, I knew that the radio would have to be on so I could hear Dave calling the game, his home-run call would send chills down your spine like you were there and he made you feel like it was the first time. Rest in Peace Dave and know your voice is etched in the minds and hearts of all who were blessed to hear you. Thank You! You will be missed!
what do you say,
thank you for you ,for the loss is to large !
Such a sad day in mariner history. Thank you for the memories and may god be with you and your family.So long from a fan in prince george b.c.
I have listened to his voice for all the years that he has been the voice of the Mariners. Dave’s voice on the air will be missed by all. Rest in peace Dave.
My late husband and I had season tickets for the Mariners and the Seahawks, up the time that the King Dome was demolished, and when SafeCo started. Even when we couldn’t always go, we watched and listened to Dave Niehaus, at home, in Bothell, WA , especially when they kept me awake for 18 innings! My prayers for his wife and family. I definitely will miss his voice!
Dave was the true voice of the Mariners win or lose. He brought a true excitement to the game like no one else. He will be remembered forever.We wish the family to know how well he was loved by the fans. Our condolences to the family. Thanks for all of the memories he brought us.
Ed & Gloria Jouper
Raymond, Washington
Dave was the true voice of the Mariners win or lose. He brought a true excitement to the game like no one else. He will be remembered forever.We wish the family to know how well he was loved by the fans. Our condolences to the family. Thanks for all of the memories he brought us.
Ed & Gloria Jouper
Raymond, Washington
Dave, converted me from a life long Dodger fan to a sold out Mariner fan …. and that wonderful team in the the 90s. Our family will miss how he made it so interesting and memorable.
We are sorry for your loss and all of our loss too.
But get out the rye bread and mustard because if there is baseball in Heaven Dave must be calling the game.
Dean
Dave was the original Mariner…and he stayed with us all the way, through the winning and the losing…Noone could paint a picture like Dave. When asked about retirement, he always said “no” to that idea: He hoped to call the games forever…He did just that…
Fond memories of Dave – as an Australian fan who listened to live broadcasts over the internet for many years I grew to love his voice, wit and knowledge and then enjoy putting the face to the man when I watch the live downcasts – he was my first introduction to listening to the baseball and stands out among all the other broadcasters as the one I fondly remember. RIP Dave
Where will we, Mariner fans of Seattle, ever find another person who can replace Mr. Dave Niehaus in the radio booth or in our hearts. He gave me many moments of sheer fun over the years. He had the respect of everyone.
Having just lost my mother, I can identify fully with the pain of his family. Here’s to you, Dave.
I have been crying my eyes out since hearing the news that Dave passed away. I feel like he was a member of my family. He’s the reason I grew to love the Mariners and baseball as well. I have been listening to him since as long as I can remember. This is truly sad news, and I have even surprised myself with how upset this has made me. I give my heartfelt sorrow and condolences to his family and every other Mariners fan who is grieving. I wish I could be in Seattle this weekend for the open house.
Dave Niehaus is the reason I am a baseball fan. In the late ’80s, when I was living in Bellingham, WA, I first heard Dave’s voice on the radio. I enjoyed the sound of his voice so much, that I started listening to Mariners games on the radio – and I was hooked! When I moved to Seattle in ’93, I had become such a fan – thanks to Dave – that I would go to games by myself, sit high up in the Kingdome, and keep score. He was the voice and sound of the Mariners; I can’t imagine broadcasts without him. I live in Louisville, KY now, so I won’t be able to make it to Safeco on Saturday, but I’ll be thinking of him.
Thanks, Dave for introducing me to the game of baseball! I never would have become a fan without you. My condolences to the Niehaus family. RIP
Thank you to Niehaus family for sharing Dave with us for his 34 years with the Mariners. My heartfelt condolences go out to all of you.
He will always be the announcer that all of the modern era announcers will be measured against and have to live up to.
Thank you Dave for painting a picture of baseball as the most beautiful game ever played through your knowledge of the game and more importantly your enthusiasm!!!
God bless the entire Niehaus family and thank you again for sharing Dave with us!!!
The Mariners will not be the same without Dave Niehaus at the helm. Dave made the Mariners team live all these years and made the dullest games exciting. He was such a moral man, a dedicated leader of the team, a person we could be proud of and one we wanted our children to emulate. My-Oh-My what a guy. Thank you Dave for the memories. You can now call the games in Heaven where I am sure there will be an “OUT OF THE WORLD SERIES.” God is fortunate to have you on His home team.
Well,like I submitted earlier,Mariners broadcasts will never be the same.Every baseball fan from wherever lost a little piece of themselves today.My oh my.Also,I think a fitting tribute would to have his seat in the pressbox empty and his microphone present for the whole season.No matter who attempts to take his place,his presence in the booth should be recognized.Thanks for all the memories Dave.
Having spent most of my life in the greater Seattle area, I would listen to the Mariners games on the radio. Even after moving to Arizona in 2001, I would listen (and still do) listen to the broadcasts on XM Radio. A very sad day, indeed, for Northwest sports.
I recall how he would keep the games interesting with his vast knowledge of baseball, even when the team was not doing too well. I remember the 1995 playoff run, Gaylord Perry?s 300th career victory, Randy Johnson?s no-hitter in 1990, and many other Mariners highlights. His signature phrases regarding certain plays will always be remembered. I was so happy when he was inducted into Cooperstown in 2008?an award that was very deserving of someone who can be considered one of the best at his trade.
We will definitely miss that distinctive voice. My prayers and thoughts go out to his family, the entire Mariners organization, and Mariners fans everywhere. Rest in peace, Dave?you will be missed. It was a distinct pleasure to listen to your voice for the 34 years in Seattle (and even your days when you were with the Angels).
Lori M, Tempe, AZ (formerly of Mukilteo, WA)
It will be very difficult when the first spring training game, and the the first regular season game are broadcast and we won’t hear Dave’s wonderful voice. He was a master at “painting the picture”, whether he was describing a play, what the weather was like or sharing some tidbit of news. I’m a life-long baseball fan and listening to Dave for the past thirty-three years has been an amazing experience. My son and daughter-in-law who both grew up listening to Dave, are so sad to lose the “voice of baseball” they’ve listened to all their lives. Dave you made even the most disappointing game interesting and the exciting ones even more so, we thank you for always making it entertaining…baseball will never be quite the same without you. RIP
There were only two announcers that I enjoyed to listen to. You could see the game by listing to them. Dave Niehaus and Vin Scully. The baseball world will miss the words “Fly Fly Away” and “Grand Salami” Many times when the Mariners were on a national T.V. I would turn the sound off on the T.V. and turn on Dave on the radio. That way I could see the twice.
Martin Pearson
In Seattle, baseball won’t be the same. We’ll miss you.
Growing up in Southern California in the 70s, I remember when Mr. Niehaus was of the voices of the then California Angels, along with Dick Enberg. The two were a great team and he certainly deserved the Mariners number 1 job when the team joined the AL in 1977. I later lived in the Pacific Northwest for the better part of 20 years and the one constant with the Mariners was Mr. Niehaus. I will miss him!
Dave has been part of our family for 34 years. My husband Al went to be with the Lord 9 years ago and I can imagine him greeting Dave and having the best time rehashing past Mariners games. My blessings to his family, Nellie Harris
The soundtrack of my every summer for as long as I remember has been filled with the voice of Dave Niehaus. Countless hours and thousands of games listening to the Great Storyteller. God, I will miss him.
To the Niehaus family, thanks for sharing him with us. Our lives have been richer for it.
I came to Seattle in 1983 from Denver so excited to finally have a major league team to root for. Never did I expect to find out how much I loved to hear the games broadcast on radio. Often I would mute the TV and opt to hear Dave announce the games. I think a fitting tribute would be to have a memorial at Safeco an…d the final goodbye should be the sound of the train whistle fading in the distance. Thanks for the Memories Dave and please, please use your powers of persuasion to put in a good word for our Mariner’s. They sure could use it. We love and Miss You already! My Oh My Fly Fly Away
Ever since I was a child, I have followed the Mariners through the good and bad. But among all the players and faces that have come and gone through the history of the franchise, none will be harder to let go than the man who called every single Mariners game since the franchise’s inception.
My condolences go out to the Niehaus family and the entire Mariners organization for this terrible loss.
I myself hope to become a broadcaster one day, and I owe the inspiration to pursue this career to this man.
Thank you Dave. We will miss you as you “Fly, fly, away…”
RIP Dave Niehaus
Hall of Fame broadcaster, Seattle Mariners
1935-2010
Farewell to a a very special person, one that will never be duplicated. There will never be another “voice” such as Dave Niehuas; known not only to Mariner fans, but baseball fans across the country. He was not only the “voice of the Mariners; he was the voice of all fans”. He was so sincere in everything he did..he will be truly missed, out hearts go out to his family..
Jo and Bud
Ever since I was a child, I have followed the Mariners through the good and bad. But among all the players and faces that have come and gone through the history of the franchise, none will be harder to let go than the man who called every single Mariners game since the franchise’s inception.
My condolences go out to the Niehaus family and the entire Mariners organization for this terrible loss.
I myself hope to become a broadcaster one day, and I owe the inspiration to pursue this career to this man.
Thank you Dave. We will miss you as you “Fly, fly, away…”
RIP Dave Niehaus
Hall of Fame broadcaster, Seattle Mariners
1935-2010
Mr.Neihaus will forever be the voice that Baseball and Mariner fans will remember. A Professional at all times…My thanks and prayers to the family that supported him through all the years.
meyxman1 you’re right. There is no one from Seattle or even the state of Washington that will be missed more then Dave Neihaus. I just can’t think of many others
My Oh My will Dave be missed by baseball fans worldwide! My most sincere condolences to his family. RIP Dave!
I haven’t cried since I was 17. Yesterday that changed. Dave is a part of my family, he’s a friend and represents everything good about baseball. He’s the voice of comfort and is the best kind of role model any kid could have. Fly Fly Fly away Dave to heaven! You will be missed. Saying thank you doesn’t justify how much I appreciated you and what you meant to me and millions of fans for more then 3 generations! You are the Mariners, you are Seattle and you are baseball. I’m blessed to be able to grow up with you. You will never be replaced and you will always be an icon.
I was absolutely heartbroken when I heard the news of Dave passing away. I can’t even imagine what his family is going through. I came to my love of baseball (always a die hard Seahawks fan) relatively late in my life, and yes, during their miracle run of 1995. I instantly connected with Dave’s broadcasting style. He always made me feel like I was there at the ballpark. Regardless if I could watch the M’s on tv,I had to be able to listen to Dave. His love for the game was readily apparent in every broadcast he did and his true regard for the players, and the fans. Mr. Dave Niehaus, your passing away much too soon will leave a hole in the hearts of the Mariner’s and their fans. We all know you have “flown away to Heaven”, where you belong.
I will miss you.
Dave was a HOF caliber announcer, with his smooth voice and stories, a way of “painting” what was happening. I knew an elderly blind lady in Olympia whose best joy was listening to the Mariners on the radio! And, as they said on TV today, he was an even better person than announcer. Obviously, he will be missed. Who knew it was his final game this year? That part is a shock. But, as he said at the HOF induction, no one appreciates that honor more than he did, and we, in turn, got to appreciate him!!!!
Baseball without Dave is going to be hard. I have been a staunch Mariner fan from Day 1..and no-one could give us the game like he did….He made it exciting and win or lose kept us as fans. Bring out the mustard and rye bread….will be heard in my memory for years to come. What are we going to do without him?? My oh my am I sad..but he will remain in the hearts and minds of Mariner players and fans always. Thank you Mr. Niehaus. My condolences to the family, friends,fans and players.
I’ve written other comments, but it still remains hard to realize he is really gone. I know that death is not a stranger to any of us, but he was someone who loved life and especially this game that I thought would go on for a very long time. Dave you will be missed and the Mariners games will just not be the same without you. I hope the Mariners will keep the wonderful sayings you created alive and when the game gets tough, they will play them to inspire and keep not only the fans but the players going. How I wish he could have had one winning team who made it all the way to the World Series, what a kick that would have been. God bless you Dave and may you rest in peace and to your family, may you find comfort and joy in knowing that he was truly loved by so many. I work on Saturday but my heart will be at Safeco from 1-3 to remember him.
Baseball without Dave is going to be hard. I have been a staunch Mariner fan from Day 1..and no-one could give us the game like he did….He made it exciting and win or lose kept us as fans. Bring out the mustard and rye bread….will be heard in my memory for years to come. What are we going to do without him?? My oh my am I sad..but he will remain in the hearts and minds of Mariner players and fans always. Thank you Mr. Niehaus. My condolences to the family, friends,fans and players.
Baseball without Dave is going to be hard. I have been a staunch Mariner fan from Day 1..and no-one could give us the game like he did….He made it exciting and win or lose kept us as fans. Bring out the mustard and rye bread….will be heard in my memory for years to come. What are we going to do without him?? My oh my am I sad..but he will remain in the hearts and minds of Mariner players and fans always. Thank you Mr. Niehaus. My condolences to the family, friends,fans and players.
Every Spring I looked forward not only to the coming of the sun, but to the coming of Spring Training and a new season of long months of baseball, listening to Dave’s stories and his iconic calling of each game. I always dreaded the year when he’d announce his retirement, because M’s Baseball is Dave. I am so utterly saddened that he will no longer be there to call those home runs and crazy plays. He was my reason for looking forward to baseball season and he will be sorely missed. Over 260 people left comments on KOMO news’ website last night and all had only wonderful things to say about our Mr. Niehaus. I so wish he could have seen his Boys make it to the Series, and I can only guess that he’ll be there wherever they end up. Thank YOU Dave. You brightened so many years of my life and I will always miss you when I tune in to those games. My deepest respect and condolence go out to the Niehaus family, and I wish them peace and grace in this trying time. RIP. YOU were and always will be the VOICE.
remembering when dave left the booth during an earthquake at the Kingdome
Living in Calgary, Canada, I watched the Mariner games on satillite. I learned so much about baseball from Mr Niehaus’s commentary. Going to Seattle and Safeco Field this last summer was one of the major highlights of my life. When I looked up into the booth and saw “the MAN”, I quietly thanked him for the knowledge he bestowed on all of us.
Rest in Peace, Sir, and thank you.
Joan MacGougan
Living in Calgary, Canada, I watched the Mariner games on satillite. I learned so much about baseball from Mr Niehaus’s commentary. Going to Seattle and Safeco Field this last summer was one of the major highlights of my life. When I looked up into the booth and saw “the MAN”, I quietly thanked him for the knowledge he bestowed on all of us.
Rest in Peace, Sir, and thank you.
Joan MacGougan
A tribute for Dave Niehaus this fall would be the 12th man flag at half staff. The best symbol of Seattle fans lowered for it’s best voice.
Dave was always a beacon of hope. A hope that winter was over and summer was coming. A hope that this season would be the season. I never met him, but I spent more time “with” him than many of my friends. Baseball will never be the same.
in 1995 I listened to the exciting games from an archaeological camp in Northern New Mexico using a long wire and special AM radio. It was so easy to pick up his voice over the other chatter. We wont understand what it feels like to be a true M’s fan until Opening Day 2011 and his voice isnt there.
I can’t think of any other person in all of Seattle (not just in baseball) who will be missed by so many and so much as Dave. How will we make it through a summer without him. He has meant so much to everyone in Seattle. He was the heart, soul and voice of Seattle.
When he started with the Mariners, I was a kid. I grew up but when I listened to the games Dave announced, I remained a kid even through his last season. Thanks so much, Mr. (Hall-Of-Fame) Niehaus. You may be gone but you will never, ever be forgotten.
My condolences to his family and friends.
Ken Levine who some time ago used to broadcast with Mr. Niehaus has a wonderful tribute in his blog
http://kenlevine.blogspot.com/2010/11/dave-niehaus-1935-2010.html?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter
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rest in peace Mr. Niehaus
Emma
http://crzblue.mlblogs.com
It’s not easy to lose a iconic voice, I admit. That’s all I need to say.
Gary
Nasty Nats Live Here (and Everywhere)
http://go-nasty-nats.mlblogs.com