Originally published Wednesday, July 23, 2008 at 12:00 AM
PrintSeattle Mariners announcer prepares for Hall of Fame honor
Longtime Seattle Mariners baseball announcer Dave Niehaus will fly Thursday to Cooperstown, N.Y., where Sunday he will be presented the Ford C. Frick Award for broadcasting excellence during the Hall of Fame induction ceremony.
Seattle Times staff reporter
PREV
JIM BATES / THE SEATTLE TIMES
Dave Niehaus is "nervous" about Sunday's Hall of Fame ceremony.
Dave Niehaus' Cooperstown speech is mostly written now, a valiant attempt at summarizing his broadcast career in the time constraints he was given: five to seven minutes on the podium.
"It's hard to thank everyone involved and go over 40, 45 years of your life in five to seven minutes," he said. "I know I'm going to miss somebody, and I want to apologize to them at the beginning of the speech, and I do, for not naming them."
But the hardest part of all, Niehaus acknowledged Tuesday upon returning to Safeco following his annual post-All-Star Game hiatus, will be getting through it without breaking down.
Niehaus will fly Thursday to Cooperstown, N.Y., where Sunday he will be presented the Ford C. Frick Award for broadcasting excellence during the Hall of Fame induction ceremony.
It was Bill Mazeroski — a former Mariners coach in 1979-80 — who set the bawling standard during his induction speech in 2001. Overcome with emotion, Mazeroski was unable to continue.
"I don't want to pull a Bill Mazeroski, but I'm not saying I won't," Niehaus said. "I think his speech lasted 45 seconds before he sat down. He probably got the biggest ovation of anyone in the history of the Hall of Fame.
"It shows his love of the game; that's what everybody appreciates. Certainly, I have that same love."
And the same emotional wellspring. During a session with reporters on Tuesday, someone brought up the Mariners' tiebreaking playoff game with the Angels in 1995 that put them in the postseason for the first time in club history. Afterward, the ecstatic crowd saluted Niehaus in the booth.
Recalling the moment Tuesday, Niehaus' eyes welled up with tears. He had to compose himself before speaking.
"That was probably the biggest thrill of my life until this weekend," he said finally. "I didn't know I meant that much to them."
Looking forward to the Cooperstown adventure that awaits him, Niehaus said, "I'm getting very nervous. Very nervous. It's intimidating, like I knew it was going to be. It's also going to be the thrill of my life. I know that."
Copyright © 2008 The Seattle Times Company
Print
Digg
Newsvine
UPDATE - 7:15 PM
Mariners' Felix Hernandez has fun in spring debut, after scary start
UPDATE - 8:27 PM
Catcher Gregg Zaun retires after 16 seasons
Mariners' Ackley adjusting at second base
Carlos Beltran singles in first spring at-bat | Baseball
Sideline Chatter: And you thought there wasn't a Hornets in baseball
Rescue of 13-year-old boy at Wallace Falls
Museum officials discuss King Tut exhibit installation
Kayak surfing
Male song birds
Newly hired Seattle schools superintendent Jose Banda
Inmates work with abandoned felines
May Day raw video: Protesters march along Jackson
May Day raw video: Rally at Marion St. and 2nd Ave
May Day raw video: Police attempt to clear downtown intersection
Open Houses
|
Find all open houses.
|
nwautos
(Daihatsu) Daihatsu FC Sho Case This futuristic four-seater debuted at the Tokyo auto show in December. Its seats can fold flat into the floor and th...
Post a comment
- Madrona dad killed by a bullet as he drove through Central Area
- Matt Flynn has good day in Seahawks' 3-way QB competition
- Facebook messages trigger melee at Whitman Middle School
- Why dealing for Kellen Winslow makes sense for Seahawks | Steve Kelley
- Brandon League looks out of his own for Mariners
- Ex-boyfriend sought in death of Renton girl, 17
- Komen controversy hurting Race for the Cure
- Driver fatally shot in Central Area
- Juror alternates' actions have court on red alert
- Seattle police twice face hostile crowds at scenes of violent crime
- Opponents of gay-marriage law say they have enough signatures
886 - Mariners look to get back on winning track against Angels 475
- Madrona dad killed by stray bullet as he drove through Central Area 383
- Komen controversy hurting Race for the Cure 223
- Typical CEO made $9.6M last year, AP study finds 162
- Seattle police twice face hostile crowds at scenes of violence crime 108
- Fact check: Ad exaggerates Obama's debt 107
- May questions, volume seven 64
- A worthwhile conversation about charter schools 64
- Brandon League blows save in the ninth...again 64
- Madrona dad killed by a bullet as he drove through Central Area
- Driver fatally shot in Central Area
- Facebook messages trigger melee at Whitman Middle School
- Downtown building fetches $55M, thanks to Amazon effect
- Opponents of gay-marriage law get unexpected aid: from Muslims
- Get a sitter — please — for these 10 great date-night restaurants | All You Can Eat
- Komen controversy hurting Race for the Cure
- Rescued teen tells author how story helped him survive
- Sounders FC salaries released for 2012 season | Sounders FC Blog
- 520 bridge builders pledge to look into beer drinking
