Rick Rizzs

Rick Rizzs is an American sportscaster and is the lead radio voice for Major League Baseball's Seattle Mariners.

Early life and career

Rizzs is a 1975 graduate of Southern Illinois University in Carbondale. From 1975 to 1980, he handled baseball play-by-play duties at the double-A level for Alexandria, Louisiana, Amarillo, Texas and Memphis, Tennessee. He became the sports director at WBNS radio in Columbus, Ohio in 1981, where he called Ohio State football and triple-A baseball for two seasons. He was named the Ohio "Sportscaster of the Year" in 1981 by the Ohio Sportscasters Association.

Seattle Mariners and Detroit Tigers

Beginning in 1983, Rizzs broadcast Mariners games along with Dave Niehaus. His tenure with the Mariners was only interrupted by a two-year stint from 1992 to 1994 providing game coverage of the Detroit Tigers, teaming with Bob Rathbun on WJR. After the end of the 1994 season, Rizzs returned to Seattle, where he remains to this day. In 2000, Rick was named the Chicago-area sportscaster of the year by the Chicago Pitch and Hit Club.

Although he previously broadcast Mariners games on both television and radio, Rizzs was transferred prior to the 2007 season to work exclusively on Mariners radio broadcasts. For the first three innings, he was accompanied by Dave Sims, who was hired prior to the 2007 season, and for the remainder of the game he was accompanied by the late Dave Niehaus (as Sims and Niehaus switched positions after the third inning). Rizzs did play-by-play for the first three and one-half innings, and again in the 7th inning. In games that went to extra innings, Rizzs did the play-by-play for the even-numbered innings.

With the death of Niehaus on November 10, 2010, Rizzs became the Mariners lead radio voice. He is well known by Mariners fans for his sunny optimism.

Notable catchphrases

Rizzs is noted for using the following catchphrases on Mariner broadcasts:

"Well hit ball to deep part of the outfield"- used on long fly balls that may go over the wall for a homerun.

"Goodbye baseball!"- used for homeruns.

"Holy smokes"- used for big, exciting plays.

"Get out the rye bread and mustard, Grandma, it is grand salami time! Holy smokes! Dave Niehaus, this one is for you, buddy" - used for when Miguel Olivo hit the first grand slam since his longtime friend Dave died in November 2010, as a tribute.

"Get out the rye bread and mustard, Grandma, it is grand salami time! Holy smokes!"- used when a Mariners hit a grand slam.

"Happy totals"- used during the postgame when a Mariners win the ballgame.

Personal life

Rizzs resides in Issaquah, Washington. He has one son, Nick and two grandsons, Jaxon and Braden.

Rizzs also provided the commentary for the 2005 Nintendo Gamecube game Nintendo Pennant Chase Baseball, but the game's U.S. release was canceled.

External links

• Interview with Rizzs about the 1995 Mariners
• Uplifting Rizzsisms