The Seattle Mariners, the media, and the public have honored long-time baseball announcer Dave Niehaus in a variety of ways since he passed away from a heart attack last November. But a special tribute observed in the radio booth during last night’s season opener against the A’s in Oakland was the shortest and perhaps the most fitting.
Of course the Mariner announcers talked about how much they will miss Dave during the pre-game show and the game. There will be a ceremony to honor him next Friday at the Mariners home opener. The team is wearing a custom uniform patch this year with his name, a microphone, and the words “My Oh My!”—his signature call whenever the team did something great. There was an appreciation day at Safeco Field last fall shortly after he died so that fans could honor his life. Local sports figures, media types, politicians, and fans have expressed their feelings in interviews and blogs. The outpouring of how Mariner fans feel about Dave has been eloquent and from the heart.
Niehaus always said opening day is the best day of the year. Last night Rick Rizzs and Ron Fairly deferred to Dave to call the first pitch of the season. They chattered on as radio announcers do right up until the game started. Then they turned off their mikes and observed a moment of silence as the Oakland pitcher wound up and threw the first pitch to Ichiro. Rizzs came back on the air to let us know the result (it was a strike) and the game went on from there. Perhaps you had to be listening, but to me that one moment said it better than all of the other tributes I have heard.
It might have helped the team too. The Mariners got behind early but rallied for a 6-2 victory that included a complete game by pitcher Felix Hernandez.
I have so many memories of Dave Niehaus from the 34 years he was the team’s lead broadcaster. But other than sending him a quick note of congratulations when he was elected to the Hall of Fame in 2008, I never let him know how I feel. He was like a father, a big brother, and a close friend, all at the same time. I spent countless hours with him on summer evenings, listening and hoping, and knowing that his account of the game was the next best thing to being there. I just wish the Mariners had appeared in a World Series when Dave was in the booth.
His greatest call came near the end of the magical 1995 season when the Mariners topped the Yankees in extra innings on a hit by Edgar Martinez to advance to the American League championship series. A clip of the call has been replayed thousands of times since he died. My two favorite memories are much less dramatic.
The first is from the late 1980’s when I heard that Dave would be taking a day off for the first time since the team’s inception in 1977. Seems there was a conflict between his duties in the booth and his son’s graduation from high school. I felt proud to know he choose the graduation over the game.
The second memory is more general and dates from the early 1990’s not long after the Mariners acquired future Hall of Fame pitcher Randy Johnson. Back then the Big Unit had an overpowering fastball, but he also had problems with his control. I can remember so many times when he would start missing the plate in the late innings of close games. Even so the manager would leave him in as he was our best chance to win. Niehaus would start to lose it in the booth. First doubt, and then exasperation would creep into his voice as enemy runners got aboard with free passes. Then came acceptance when he realized the gods of baseball were going to decide the outcome of the game no matter how he called it.
Rest easy, Dave. I will miss you.
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