Rick Rizzs

Last updated
Rick Rizzs
Born (1953-11-17) November 17, 1953 (age 71)
Blue Island, Illinois, U.S.
NationalityAmerican
Alma mater Southern Illinois University (IL)
Sports commentary career
Genre Play-by-play
Sport Major League Baseball

Rick Rizzs (born November 17, 1953) is an American sportscaster and is the lead radio voice for Major League Baseball's Seattle Mariners.

Contents

Early life and career

Rizzs is from Blue Island, Illinois, where he attended Eisenhower High School, and he is a 1975 graduate of Southern Illinois University in Carbondale. From 1975 to 1980, he handled baseball play-by-play duties at the double-A level for Alexandria, Louisiana, Amarillo, Texas and Memphis, Tennessee. He became the sports director at WBNS radio in Columbus, Ohio in 1981, where he called Ohio State football and triple-A baseball for two seasons. He was named the Ohio "Sportscaster of the Year" in 1981 by the Ohio Sportscasters Association.

Seattle Mariners and Detroit Tigers

Beginning in 1983, Rizzs broadcast Mariners games along with Dave Niehaus. In 1992, Rizzs moved to WJR in Detroit as the sports director, and assumed duties as the new radio play-by-play voice of the Detroit Tigers. The previous announcer, Ernie Harwell, who had been with the Tigers since the 1960 season, had been fired in late 1991. Harwell's dismissal was not at all popular with fans; teaming with Bob Rathbun (also in his first year with the team, replacing Paul Carey, who retired) proved difficult and both were let go after the end of the 1994 season. Rizzs returned to Seattle, where he remains to this day. In 2000, Rizzs was named the Chicago-area sportscaster of the year by the Chicago Pitch and Hit Club.

Although he previously broadcast Mariners games on both television and radio, Rizzs was transferred prior to the 2007 season to work exclusively on Mariners radio broadcasts. For the first three innings, he was accompanied by Dave Sims, who was hired prior to the 2007 season, and for the remainder of the game he was accompanied by the late Dave Niehaus (as Sims and Niehaus switched positions after the third inning). Rizzs did play-by-play for the first three and one-half innings, and again in the 7th inning. In games that went to extra innings, Rizzs did the play-by-play for the even-numbered innings.

With the death of Niehaus on November 10, 2010, Rizzs became the Mariners lead radio voice.

During the 2011–2012 seasons, Rizzs did broadcasts of Mariners baseball with a rotation of guest color commentators, including former Mariners Dan Wilson and Jay Buhner, and former Mariners announcers Ron Fairly, Ken Wilson, Ken Levine, and Dave Valle.

In January 2013, it was announced Rizzs' new radio partner would be Aaron Goldsmith, formerly of the Pawsox Radio Network. His partner Goldsmith does the play-by-play for the 3rd, 6th, and 7th inning, as well as even innings when the game goes into extra innings.

Catchphrases

Rizzs is noted for using the following catchphrases on Mariner broadcasts:

"Goodbye baseball!"- used on home run calls. [1]

"Holy smoke(s)!"/"How about that?"- used for exciting plays.

"Get out the rye bread and mustard, Grandma, it is grand salami time! Holy smokes!"- used when the Mariners get a grand slam. Formerly used (except for Holy smokes!) by his longtime radio partner Dave Niehaus.

"Grandma, get out the rye bread and mustard, it is grand salami time!"- alternative grand slam call made by Rizzs.

"How about that, buddy?"- also used after a Mariners player hit a grand slam, in honor of his longtime broadcaster partner/friend Dave Niehaus.

"Happy totals"- used during the postgame when the Mariners win the ballgame, now taken over by Aaron Goldsmith. It was originally used by Chicago Cubs broadcasters in the 1970s.

Personal life

Rizzs resides in Issaquah, Washington.[ citation needed ]

Rizzs provided the commentary for the 2005 GameCube game Nintendo Pennant Chase Baseball, but the game's US release was canceled.[ citation needed ]

With former Mariner player Dave Henderson, Rizzs co-founded a charity that provides Christmas gifts to children. [2]

In December 2022, Rizzs was diagnosed with Grade 1 prostate cancer. [3]

In July 2023, Rizzs was involved in an all-terrain vehicle accident in which he suffered a fractured vertebra in his neck, two fractured vertebrae in his back, a fractured rib, and cuts on his head and ear. [4]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Seattle Mariners</span> Baseball franchise in Washington

The Seattle Mariners are an American professional baseball team based in Seattle. The Mariners compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West Division. The team joined the American League as an expansion team in 1977 playing their home games in the Kingdome. Since July 1999, the Mariners' home ballpark has been T-Mobile Park, located in the SoDo neighborhood of Seattle.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ernie Harwell</span> American sportscaster (1918–2010)

William Earnest Harwell was an American sportscaster, known for his long career calling play-by-play of Major League Baseball games. For 55 seasons, 42 of them with the Detroit Tigers, Harwell broadcast the action on radio and/or television. In January 2009, the American Sportscasters Association ranked him 16th on its list of Top 50 Sportscasters of All Time.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vin Scully</span> American sportscaster (1927–2022)

Vincent Edward Scully was an American sportscaster, best known for his broadcast work in Major League Baseball. Scully was the play-by-play announcer for the Brooklyn / Los Angeles Dodgers for sixty-seven years, beginning in 1950 and ending in 2016. He is considered by many to be the greatest sports broadcaster of all time.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dave Henderson</span> American baseball player (1958–2015)

David Lee Henderson, nicknamed "Hendu", was an American professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Seattle Mariners, Boston Red Sox, San Francisco Giants, Oakland Athletics, and Kansas City Royals during his 14-year career, primarily as an outfielder.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dave Niehaus</span> American sportscaster (1935–2010)

David Arnold Niehaus was an American sportscaster. He was the lead play-by-play announcer for the American League's Seattle Mariners from their inaugural season in 1977 until his death after the 2010 season. In 2008, the National Baseball Hall of Fame awarded Niehaus the Ford C. Frick Award, the highest honor for American baseball broadcasters. Among fans nationwide and his peers, Niehaus was considered to be one of the greatest sportscasters in history.

Len Kasper is an American sportscaster. Since 2021, he has been the radio play-by-play announcer for the Chicago White Sox of Major League Baseball, teaming with color analyst Darrin Jackson on ESPN 1000 and the Chicago White Sox Radio Network.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gary Thorne</span> American sportscaster

Gary Francis Thorne is an American sportscaster. He was the lead play-by-play announcer for Baltimore Orioles games on MASN from 2007 to 2020. He has also worked for ESPN and ABC, including National Hockey League, Major League Baseball, college football, and the Frozen Four hockey tournament. He also worked for World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), where he was the narrator for the WrestleMania Rewind program on its WWE Network streaming video service.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grand slam (baseball)</span> Term in baseball referring to the highest possible scoring play

In baseball, a grand slam is a home run hit with all three bases occupied by baserunners, thereby scoring four runs—the most possible in one play. According to The Dickson Baseball Dictionary, the term originated in the card game of contract bridge, in which a grand slam involves taking all the possible tricks. The word slam, by itself, usually is connected with a loud sound, particularly of a door being closed with excess force; thus, slamming the door on one's opponent(s), in addition to the bat slamming the ball into a home run.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mike Blowers</span> German-born American baseball player (born 1965)

Michael Roy Blowers is a German-born American former Major League Baseball player, a third baseman and first baseman for the New York Yankees, Seattle Mariners, Los Angeles Dodgers, and Oakland Athletics. Since 2007 he has been a color commentator for Mariners television and radio broadcasts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dan Dickerson</span> American sportscaster (born 1958)

Daniel Hill Dickerson is an American sportscaster, best known for his current position as the lead radio play-by-play voice of Major League Baseball's Detroit Tigers on the Detroit Tigers Radio Network.

Robert Courtland Rathbun is an American sportscaster, motivational speaker, and author. He has been the television play-by-play announcer for Atlanta Hawks and Atlanta Dream basketball games on Bally Sports South since 1996.

Major League Baseball on CBS Radio was the de facto title for the CBS Radio Network's coverage of Major League Baseball. Produced by CBS Radio Sports, the program was the official national radio broadcaster for the All-Star Game and the postseason from 1976 to 1997.

Ken Wilson is an American sportscaster, known primarily for his many years as a play-by-play announcer of National Hockey League and Major League Baseball games.

David Sims is an American sportscaster. He is the radio play-by-play commentator for the New York Yankees of Major League Baseball (MLB). He was previously the television play-by play commentator for MLB's Seattle Mariners.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dave Jageler</span> American baseball broadcaster (born 1971)

David E. Jageler is an American baseball broadcaster. He joined Charlie Slowes in the Washington Nationals radio broadcast booth to call games in 2006.

The 1990 Seattle Mariners season was the 14th for the Seattle Mariners in Major League Baseball. Under second-year manager Jim Lefebvre, they finished fifth in the American League West at 77–85 (.475). It was the second-best record in the M's history up to that point in time; the win total was one behind the club record set in 1987. The Mariners hit six grand slams, the most in MLB in 1990.

The Mariners Radio Network is the name applied to the radio stations which carry Seattle Mariners baseball games throughout Washington state.

The Double was a double hit by the Seattle Mariners' Edgar Martínez in Game 5 of Major League Baseball's 1995 American League Division Series on October 8, 1995. Trailing by one run in the bottom half of the 11th inning, with Joey Cora on third base and Ken Griffey Jr. on first, Martinez's hit drove in Cora and Griffey, giving the Mariners a 6–5 victory over the New York Yankees to clinch the series, 3–2. The play is held to be the "biggest hit in franchise history".

Aaron Goldsmith is an American sportscaster who leads play-by-play on selected games for Root Sports Northwest for the Seattle Mariners of Major League Baseball. In the off-season, he provides play-by-play for Pac-12 basketball on Fox Sports 1.

References

  1. ↑ "Mariners announcer needs signature Robinson Cano call". mynorthwest.com. 2014-04-17. Retrieved 2015-07-20.
  2. ↑ "About Us - Rick's Toys for Kids". rickstoysforkids.org. Retrieved November 7, 2016.
  3. ↑ "Rick Rizzs preaches early testing for prostate cancer in sharing his own treatable diagnosis". The Seattle Times. 2023-05-27. Retrieved 2023-07-20.
  4. ↑ "Mariners broadcaster Rick Rizzs will miss homestand after ATV accident – The Seattle Times". www.seattletimes.com. 15 July 2023. Retrieved 2023-07-20.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.