They don't come better than Rick Rizzs.The man who has narrated 41 years of Mariners fans through the highs and lows of 162 games in a season for four decades i
They don't come better than Rick Rizzs.
The man who has narrated 41 years of Mariners fans through the highs and lows of 162 games in a season for four decades is hanging up the microphone at 72 years old this weekend.
He wants to spend more time with his family. He absolutely deserves it.
He's gone through so much off the field: the untimely death of his son, his own medical scare, all while continuing to deliver the game he loves to the next generation of baseball fans.
This meant so much to him. He wants to pass his love of baseball on to all of you.
Rick will be immortalized in the Mariners Hall of Fame next year and will never be forgotten by fans for his booming voice and iconic calls: "Goodbye, Baseball!" "Holy Smokes!" and so many more.
That alone makes him iconic.
But I want to talk about why Rick is one of the best people you'll ever meet.
The easy start here is his charity work, and rightfully so. 'Rick's Toys for Kids' has ensured that kids in need will at least have something for Christmas for 30 years now. It's been around so long that Rick beams with pride when he tells you about adults who stop him in public and thank him for that gift when they were children.
There's 'Rick's Locker', which ensures access to sports in underserved communities by securing gear- which can get quite expensive - for kids who just want to play the game they love.
If you ask Rick, that's his greatest impact: using his platform to give kids joy. A chance to play. A bright spot in what might be a difficult upbringing.
The thing about Rick is, there's something that makes me and everyone who meets him say, "he's the best person you'll meet." It's that he treats everyone this way.
I remember my first days working at KOMO; the Mariners held a press conference for a free agent signing, and I was still trying to find my way in a dream job. You know who sought me out right away?
Rick Rizzs.
He praised my work (which was all the motivation and vindication I would ever need), asked genuine questions about my family, and I'll never forget his kindness to 'the new guy'. I made a friend for life.
Fast forward some time, the Mariners were in their first American League Divisional Series in 21 years.
I was in the cafeteria at Houston's stadium that October afternoon in 2022; Rick was too. I decided to sit a table away to give him space as he wrote his pregame notes. Let the master work in peace, if you will.
Rick looked up, saw me, and gestured for me to come over.
After the usual pleasantries, he locked eye contact and said, "Just listen", with a pause.
Admittedly, in that moment, I didn't know what he was talking about. It was just him and me; was I missing something?
In the next few minutes, it became perfectly clear.
One by one, baseball legends, the best in broadcasting, too. Everyone at that game in Houston came to talk to Rick. They came to hear his stories, wisdom, and more.
They were in awe; people flocked to his table just to get any insight imaginable.
After a while, he gave me that look: 'This is what I meant'
He didn't have to do any of that; I could say he took me under his wing, and it's true, but the reality is he did that for everyone he met.
Shoot, one day, shooting the breeze pregame at T-Mobile Park, I was joking with Rick about how my toddler son would only eat pancakes when my wife made them and not me. Here's Rick Rizzs, the legendary voice, whose time is so valuable and in demand, stopping with genuine care: "Well, how are you making them?" and proceeded to tell me his way of doing it.
Suffice to say, it worked, and now my pancakes are in demand too.
I love to share these stories because so many people have the same experience with Rick.
There have been tears at the ballpark all weekend, and that won't stop with the season ending.
The reality is, Rick Rizzs gave everything he had to the Mariners organization and everyone who roots for that team. While the iconic calls, like the "laser beam" from Ichiro in right field, Cal Raleigh's home run to end the drought in 2022, or even Eugenio Suarez's grand slam in the 2025 ALCS, are the stuff that will be played back for decades to come---(let's not forget the epic calls in 1995 such as "everybody scores!") Rick's impact certainly is so much more than that.
We love the great calls, but while they may be ending, Rick's charity work will continue.
I'm certain he'll still be at the ballpark for years to come.
Indeed, the impact of Rick Rizzs is forever. He made sure of it by being the person he is, even more than the iconic broadcaster.
Rick never let the stature of his job or status in the game change who he is.
Because he's one of the best people you'll ever meet.
They don't come better than Rick Rizzs.
