Reaction to Hall of Famer Dave Niehaus

Pauls Toutonghi-- I am so unbelievably happy. This confirms something that I have known for years: Dave Niehaus is the best baseball announcer since Red Barber. I am actually tearing up a bit. Through my entire life -- every summer, dependably -- no matter what was happening, I could turn on that radio at 7pm and listen to Niehaus. Seattle is my home, sure. But what sound do you have to prove that a place is your home? Honestly, for me, that sound is Niehaus announcing the Mariners.

Shane Milam-- Looking back, I think of the times when I stayed up listening to Mariners broadcasts as a kid in the mid-eighties, before games were widely televised, but nothing is distinct. I remember enjoying his play-by-play, and obviously his home run calls--the greatest, if I remember correctly was "Bring out the rye bread and the mustard, it's grand salami time!" Anyway, he did make listening to those games interesting, and kept me tuning in whenever possible, despite how bad those teams were. I have listened to other broadcast teams while traveling around the country, and even more this past season on mlb.com, and I have to say that I have generally been disappointed that the other teams don't seem to have the chemistry or enthusiasm that I remember Neihaus' having. The other thing I remember is the excitement of listening to the Mariners' run through August and September of 1995--while the players on that team get the credit for saving baseball in Seattle, a lot of it is probably due to Niehaus, whose passion came through the radio and helped the city rally around our first playoff team.

Ian Huntington-- When the Mariners won the one-game playoff in 1995, Niehaus' call was "Right over the heart of the plate! Randy looks to the sky--that is covered by the dome and bedlam, as the Mariners now erupt! Nineteen long years of frustration is over! This is just...indescribable!" What still gives me goose bumps about that call is something I realized as I first heard it: those 19 long years of frustrations Dave refers to were his own. Not the players', not the owners', not anyone else's celebrating on the field that day. Only dedicated fans were in a possible position to empathize with Dave, but while the rest of us could turn off a game during a blowout or neglect the Mariners after a mid-season collapse, Dave had to be intensely present for every one of the roughly 3000 games prior to 1995. One the greatest pleasures of the 1995 season was being able to listen to Niehaus so obviously enjoy the ride.

Jonathan Herzog-- The summers of my youth were spent in the San Juan Islands. I always realized that my life would was good when I found myself at the beach, sitting on a log, listening to Dave Niehaus guide me through the dog days of August. Niehaus has guided me through more rough times than my mother, best friend, and rabbi combined.

Drew Milam-- I think Niehaus makes the game of baseball bearable and enjoyable for the common sports fan on the radio. His enthusiasm and energy behind his broadcasts are easy to relate to, you can tell that in his heart he's a true Mariners fan and wants to see them succeed. As he said in his press conference yesterday, he wants to see the Mariners in the World Series and I think the Mariners want to see Niehaus at the World Series just as much. With all the memorable calls in Niehaus' career, I love the introduction of Ken Griffey Jr. during his Mariner debut that is featured as the opening to the Kid Sensation/Junior song "The Way I Swing."

Ed Swidler-- I always enjoy and respect a person who is the best at what they do. Fred Astaire, Ernest Hemingway, Antionio Vivaldi, and Edgar Martinez come readily to mind. So to does maestro Niehaus. I have listened to, enjoyed, and appreciated his work for over a quarter of a century. His ability to describe a play, a player, or a game is, to me, unparalled. I have spent so many rewarding hours listening to his sometimes lyrical, sometimes excited descriptions. At his peak he was the best ever at what he did. Hall of Fame and Dave Neihaus, a perfect marriage.