After 40 years of making Mariners baseball come to life over the radio waves with his smooth baritone voice, allowing fans to feel like they are there while stuck in traffic, slogging through a work day or at work or making dinner, Rick Rizzs will step away from the microphone after the 2026 season.
On Tuesday, the longtime radio voice of the Mariners announced that the upcoming season – the 50th in the Seattle Mariners’ existence – will be his last as the primary announcer for the team’s radio broadcasts.
He released the following statement through the Mariners.
“I’ve been blessed to live my dream as a baseball play-by-play announcer for the past 51-seasons, including 43 amazing seasons calling Major League Baseball, 40 with the Seattle Mariners, three with the Detroit Tigers and eight in the minor leagues. I can honestly say I’ve loved every minute, from my 25 years with the great Dave Niehaus and my friend, producer-engineer Kevin Cremin to my current partners, Gary Hill and Aaron Goldsmith.”
“Calling Mariners games has been the highlight of my life and having the chance to connect with managers, coaches, players, clubhouse personnel, my colleagues in the booth, those in the front office, but especially the great fans here in the Pacific Northwest has made it unbelievably special.”
“I can’t thank them enough for the love and support they’ve given me all these years, but the reality is that the time has come for me to step back and spend more time at home with my grandkids.”
“So, with the support of those who have given me the opportunity to broadcast Mariners baseball all these years, I’m ready to let everyone know that the 2026 season will be my final year in the Mariners broadcast booth. I plan to broadcast the home games every day paired with a reduced schedule of road games. But, believe me, I’ll be on hand to be at every Postseason game all the way to the World Series!”
Rizzs, who turned 72 in November, was hired in 1983 to pair with Niehaus on the Mariners radio broadcast. The duo worked together for nine years. Rizzs accepted the unenviable task of replacing Hall of Fame broadcaster Ernie Harwell, who had been fired from the Detroit Tigers radio broadcast in 1992. Rizzs’ stint in Detroit lasted three seasons before the entire broadcast was replaced.
The end with Tigers proved to be serendipitous for Rizzs, who returned to the Mariners broadcast for the magical 1995 season. He never considered leaving the organization again. He is the longest-tenured radio broadcaster in club history.
“As we embark on our 50th season in 2026, the amazing Rick Rizzs will begin his 41st behind the mic calling our games. Truly some Happy Totals,” Mariners chairman and managing partner John Stanton said in a statement. “Rick has become the Voice of the Mariners, and his iconic calls, energy and love for our team and this community shine through every call he makes, and every interaction he has with a player, fan, or listener. Fans in the Northwest, and all of us at the Mariners, have been blessed to have two of the great hometown radio broadcasters in baseball history call our games since the start of the franchise in 1977. We look forward to celebrating Rick throughout the 2026 season as he concludes an amazing, Hall of Fame caliber career.”
Unapologetically positive and optimistic about the organization and players even in the worst of times, with a special fondness for prospects and rookies making their way to the big leagues, Rizzs was the perfect ambassador for the organization. He relished and often relived the success of 1995 and 2001, honoring the heroes like Lou Piniella, Ken Griffey Jr., Edgar Martinez and Jay Buhner, but still noting the contributions of lesser-known players like Rich Amaral, Mark McLemore and Aaron Sele. For as much he loved talking about those franchise-changing seasons, he still believed and publicly maintained that better days were always ahead, even if others didn’t see it.
His signal lines of “Holy Smokes” and “Goodbye Baseball” have been entrenched in fans’ minds. He revered Niehaus and was crushed when his longtime broadcast partner passed away in 2010. To this day, he still uses Niehaus’ trademark call, “Get out the rye bread and mustard, Grandma. It’s grand salami time!” whenever a Mariners’ player hits a grand slam.
Rizzs has also been tireless in working with his nonprofit charity “Toys For Kids,” which he helped found along with former player and broadcast Dave Henderson in 1995. Since its creation, Toys for Kids has purchased brand new toys for over 360,000 kids in the Pacific Northwest during the Holiday season. In the last decade, the charity also awarded $5,000 college scholarships to 80 students in honor of Henderson, who passed away in 2015. Recently, Toys for Kids has added “Rick’s Locker” program where he provides new baseball gloves and bats for children in need.