12.10.10

Cantwell, Murray Honor Mariners Broadcast Legend Dave Niehaus

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Maria Cantwell (D-WA) and Patty Murray (D-WA) released a letter delivered today to the Seattle Mariners celebrating the life of broadcast legend Dave Niehaus. The letter, and a framed copy of a resolution Cantwell and Murray have introduced, were delivered ahead of Saturday’s memorial service for the famed baseball broadcaster at Safeco Field in Seattle.
“In light of his contributions to the Seattle Mariners team and to the Pacific Northwest, we moved to introduce the enclosed resolution before the United States Senate commemorating his achievements as one of the greatest broadcasters who ever lived,” the Senators wrote. “We join with hundreds of thousands of fans in Washington and across the nation in remembering Dave for the lifetime of memories he has given each of us.”
Niehaus passed away November 10 at age 75. He is survived by his wife, Marilyn, three children and six grandchildren. During his illustrious career, he called nearly every game in the Mariners 33-year history, doing the play by play for 5,284 of the 5,385 Mariners games that have been played. In 2000, he was the second individual inducted into the Mariners Hall of Fame.
 
Full text of the letter below.
 
The Seattle Mariners
Safeco Field
1250 First Avenue South
Seattle, WA 98134
 
 
To the Seattle Mariners baseball organization and its fans,
 
On the occasion of Dave Niehaus’ memorial service at Safeco Field on Saturday, December 11, we would like to celebrate Dave for his illustrious career and irreplaceable contributions to professional sports in the Pacific Northwest. During this time of remembrance, we would also like to extend our condolences to Dave’s family – his wife Marilyn, his children, and grandchildren.
 
Dave Niehaus began his career in broadcasting with the Armed Forces Network, the California Angels, the Los Angeles Rams, and the UCLA Bruins. It didn’t take long for the Seattle Mariners to notice Dave’s extraordinary talent and recruit him to the Emerald City, where he found a permanent home as the voice and play-by-play announcer for our beloved Mariners.
 
As the voice of the Seattle Mariners for all of the franchise’s 33 years in existence, Dave broadcast many celebratory moments, including our record-tying 116 win season, and he coined some of the most memorable phrases in baseball. He called nearly every game in Mariners’ history, including all of the team’s frustrating first 14 losing seasons.
 
As an inductee of the Mariners Hall of Fame and the recipient of awards by the Washington State Society of the Blind and the National Baseball Hall of the Fame, Dave’s accomplishments have been honored by his team, his community, and Major League Baseball. In light of his contributions to the Seattle Mariners team and to the Pacific Northwest, we moved to introduce the enclosed resolution before the United States Senate commemorating his achievements as one of the greatest broadcasters who ever lived. We join with hundreds of thousands of fans in Washington and across the nation in remembering Dave for the lifetime of memories he has given each of us.
 
Sincerely,
 
 
 
Maria Cantwell                                                                                    Patty Murray
United States Senator                                                               United States Senator  
 
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