David Arnold Niehaus (February 19, 1935 – November 10, 2010) was an American
sportscaster. He was the lead
play-by-play
In sports broadcasting, a sports commentator (also known as sports announcer or sportscaster) provides a real-time commentary of a game or event, usually during a live broadcast, traditionally delivered in the historical present tense. Radio was ...
announcer for the
American League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the American League (AL), is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league ...
's
Seattle Mariners
The Seattle Mariners are an American professional baseball team based in Seattle. They 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 ...
from their inaugural season in until his death after the 2010 season. In 2008, the
National Baseball Hall of Fame awarded Niehaus the
Ford C. Frick Award
The Ford C. Frick Award is presented annually by the National Baseball Hall of Fame in the United States to a broadcaster for "major contributions to baseball". It is named for Ford C. Frick, former Commissioner of Major League Baseball. Before h ...
, the highest honor for American baseball broadcasters. Among fans nationwide and his peers, Niehaus was considered to be one of the finest sportscasters in history.
Biography
Early life and career
Niehaus was born and raised in
Princeton, Indiana
Princeton is the largest city in and the county seat of Patoka Township, Gibson County, Indiana, Patoka Township, Gibson County, Indiana, Gibson County, Indiana, United States. The population was 8,301 at the 2020 United States Census, and it is pa ...
. He graduated from
Indiana University
Indiana University (IU) is a system of public universities in the U.S. state of Indiana.
Campuses
Indiana University has two core campuses, five regional campuses, and two regional centers under the administration of IUPUI.
*Indiana Universi ...
in 1957, entered the military, and began his broadcasting career with
Armed Forces Radio
The American Forces Network (AFN) is a government television and radio broadcast service the U.S. military provides to those stationed or assigned overseas. Headquartered at Fort George G. Meade, Maryland, AFN's broadcast operations, which i ...
. He became a partner of
Dick Enberg
Richard Alan Enberg (January 9, 1935 – December 21, 2017) was an American sportscaster. Over the course of an approximately 60-year career, he provided play-by-play of various sports for several radio and television networks, including N ...
on the broadcast team of the
California Angels in
1969
This year is notable for Apollo 11's first landing on the moon.
Events January
* January 4 – The Government of Spain hands over Ifni to Morocco.
* January 5
**Ariana Afghan Airlines Flight 701 crashes into a house on its approach to ...
. Niehaus also broadcast for the
Los Angeles Rams of the
NFL and the
UCLA Bruins football and
basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular court, compete with the primary objective of shooting a basketball (approximately in diameter) through the defender's h ...
teams during this period.
Seattle Mariners
In 1977,
Danny Kaye, part-owner of the Seattle Mariners
expansion team, recruited Niehaus to become the franchise's radio voice. Despite working for a franchise which from its first year in 1977 until
1991
File:1991 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Boris Yeltsin, elected as Russia's first president, waves the new flag of Russia after the 1991 Soviet coup d'état attempt, orchestrated by Soviet hardliners; Mount Pinatubo erupts in the Phi ...
was without a winning season, Niehaus's talent gained recognition, and he was considered one of the few attractions for Mariners fans.
Even in the period before the team's memorable
1995
File:1995 Events Collage V2.png, From left, clockwise: O.J. Simpson is acquitted of the murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman from the year prior in "The Trial of the Century" in the United States; The Great Hanshin earthquake str ...
season, the Mariners were regularly one of the leading major-league teams in terms of the percentage of radios in use.
Niehaus became immensely popular in Seattle, twice being named Washington Sportscaster of the Year. The team chose him to throw out the ceremonial first pitch at the opening of its new ballpark,
Safeco Field
T-Mobile Park is a retractable roof stadium in Seattle, Washington, United States. It is the home ballpark of Major League Baseball's Seattle Mariners and has a seating capacity of 47,929. It is in Seattle's SoDo neighborhood, near the western ...
, on July 15, 1999.
That same year, Niehaus was added to the
Nintendo 64
The (N64) is a home video game console developed by Nintendo. The successor to the Super Nintendo Entertainment System, it was released on June 23, 1996, in Japan, on September 29, 1996, in North America, and on March 1, 1997, in Europe and ...
game ''
Ken Griffey, Jr.'s Slugfest'' as an announcer during gameplay.
In
2000
File:2000 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Protests against Bush v. Gore after the 2000 United States presidential election; Heads of state meet for the Millennium Summit; The International Space Station in its infant form as seen from S ...
he was the second person to be inducted into the Mariners Hall of Fame,
and in he was named the winner of the
Ford C. Frick Award
The Ford C. Frick Award is presented annually by the National Baseball Hall of Fame in the United States to a broadcaster for "major contributions to baseball". It is named for Ford C. Frick, former Commissioner of Major League Baseball. Before h ...
, which recognizes career excellence in baseball broadcasting and is considered the highest baseball broadcasting honor.
As of the end of the
2007 season, Niehaus had called 4,817 of the 4,899 games the Mariners had played since their inception.
May 7, 2009, was Niehaus' 5,000th game as a Mariners broadcaster. Niehaus broadcast 5,284 of the 5,385 Mariners games which had taken place as of the end of the 2010 season, and had intended to broadcast the full
2011 season.
Notable catchphrases
Niehaus is noted for using the following
catchphrase
A catchphrase (alternatively spelled catch phrase) is a phrase or expression recognized by its repeated utterance. Such phrases often originate in popular culture and in the arts, and typically spread through word of mouth and a variety of mass ...
s on Mariner broadcasts:
*''"My, oh my!"'' – a variant of former Angels partner Enberg's "Oh, my!", used for big, exciting plays.
*''"Swung on and belted!"'' – used on long fly balls that may go over the wall for a home run.
*''"It will fly away!" (sometimes ''"Fly, fly away!"'') – used for home runs.
*''"Get out the rye bread and mustard, Grandma, it is grand salami time!"'' – used for a
grand slam home run by a Mariners player.
*''"Get out the rye bread and the mustard this time, Grandma! It is a Grand Salami! And the Mariners lead it, 10-6! I don't believe it! My, oh, my!"'' - Used when Edgar Martinez broke a 6-6 tie in the bottom of the 8th Inning on October 7, 1995
*''"The Mariners have erupted!"'' – used during scoring outbursts
Notable nicknames coined
*"A-Rod" – first to call
Alex Rodriguez
Alexander Emmanuel Rodriguez (born July 27, 1975), nicknamed "A-Rod", is an American former professional baseball shortstop and third baseman, businessman and philanthropist. Rodriguez played 22 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the ...
"A-Rod"
*"Death to Flying Things" – first to call
Franklin Gutiérrez
Franklin Rafael Gutiérrez (born February 21, 1983), nicknamed "Guti", is a Venezuelan former professional baseball outfielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Cleveland Indians, Seattle Mariners and Los Angeles Dodgers. While pri ...
by his current nickname
*"The Kid" – Niehaus's name for
Ken Griffey Jr.
Notable calls
Death
Heart problems had forced Niehaus to undergo two
angioplasties
Angioplasty, is also known as balloon angioplasty and percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA), is a minimally invasive endovascular procedure used to widen narrowed or obstructed arteries or veins, typically to treat arterial atheroscleros ...
in
1996, causing him to give up
smoking and change his diet. On November 10, 2010, he suffered a
heart attack
A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when blood flow decreases or stops to the coronary artery of the heart, causing damage to the heart muscle. The most common symptom is chest pain or discomfort which ma ...
at his home in
Bellevue, Washington
Bellevue ( ) is a city in the Eastside region of King County, Washington, United States, located across Lake Washington from Seattle. It is the third-largest city in the Seattle metropolitan area and has variously been characterized as ...
, while preparing to barbecue some ribs on his deck, and died that day at the age of 75.
In a formal statement, Mariners Chairman Howard Lincoln and President Chuck Armstrong said "Dave has truly been the heart and soul of this franchise since its inception in 1977... He truly was the fans' connection to every game."
Washington governor
Chris Gregoire said "Today the Pacific Northwest lost one of its sports icons...Dave was an institution here starting with the team's first pitch in 1977. With all due respect to the great
Alvin Davis
Alvin Glenn Davis (born September 9, 1960), nicknamed "Mr. Mariner", is a former Major League Baseball first baseman and designated hitter. He played eight of his nine seasons for the Seattle Mariners and won the American League Rookie of the Year ...
, Dave is 'Mr. Mariner.'" At news of Niehaus's death, tributes came from
Jay Buhner
Jay Campbell Buhner (born August 13, 1964), nicknamed "Bone", is an American former professional baseball right fielder. At and , he was among the most recognizable players of his day, noted for his shaved head, thick goatee, and patch of pine ...
,
Ken Griffey Jr., Seattle Mayor
Mike McGinn
Michael McGinn (born December 17, 1959) is an American lawyer and politician. He served as mayor of the city of Seattle, Washington, and is a neighborhood activist and a former State Chair of the Sierra Club.
In what was characterized as a "s ...
, other Mariners broadcasters, and fans.
Prior to the
Mariners' home opener in 2011 against the
Cleveland Indians
The Cleveland Guardians are an American professional baseball team based in Cleveland. The Guardians compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. Since , they have played at Progressive Fi ...
, the city of Seattle and King County declared April 8 "My oh My! Dave Niehaus Day." After a successful petition drive by fans Glen Garnett and Mark Caylor, the city also gave the block of First Avenue S. between Edgar Martínez Dr. S. and S. Royal Brougham Way the honorary designation of Dave Niehaus Way S. A sign which paid tribute to Niehaus was unveiled in the press area.
Tributes in Seattle
On December 22, 2010, Seattle MC
Macklemore
Benjamin Hammond Haggerty (born June 19, 1983), better known by his stage name Macklemore ( ; (formerly Professor Macklemore), is an American rapper and songwriter. A native of Seattle, Washington, he has collaborated with producer Ryan Lewi ...
released a song called "My Oh My" in tribute to Niehaus. It describes the sportscaster's influence on not only Macklemore's own childhood but the lives of Seattleites in general. The song also features the audio clip of the winning call from the 1995 American League Division Series. When it was debuted by a radio host, numerous calls were received from Mariners fans who had pulled over on the highway in tears from the lyrical work and memory of Niehaus. Macklemore performed the song at Safeco Field on Opening Day 2011 during the team's tribute to the late broadcaster.
A bronze statue of Niehaus was unveiled on September 16, 2011, at Safeco Field.
Niehaus's longtime broadcast partner
Rick Rizzs presided over the private unveiling ceremony. The statue is located on the main concourse near Section 105 in right centerfield. It depicts Niehaus sitting at a desk behind a microphone, with his Mariners scorebook in front of him.
The artist, Lou Cella, viewed dozens of photos before creating the statue, which was first sculpted in clay, then cast in bronze. There is an empty seat next to the statue so fans may sit next to Niehaus and pose for photos.
References
Further reading
*Smith, Curt. ''Voices of Summer: Ranking Baseball's 101 All-time Best Announcers''. New York: Carroll & Graf. .
External links
Dave NiehausFord C. Frick Award biography at the National Baseball Hall of Fame
Baseball Hall of Fame: Frick Winner Niehaus Makes First Hall VisitBaseball Hall of Fame: It will fly away! Niehaus honored with 2008 FrickSeattle's soothing baseball voice headed to CooperstownAudio: Niehaus announcing during 1996 earthquake*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Niehaus, Dave
1935 births
2010 deaths
People from Princeton, Indiana
American radio sports announcers
California Angels announcers
College basketball announcers in the United States
Ford C. Frick Award recipients
Indiana University Bloomington alumni
Los Angeles Rams announcers
Major League Baseball broadcasters
National Football League announcers
Sportspeople from Bellevue, Washington
Seattle Mariners announcers
UCLA Bruins football announcers