Dave Niehaus, the voice of the Seattle Mariners since the franchise's inception, a man who broadcast over 5000 games and was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2008, passed away yesterday after suffering a heart attack.
He is known for having made so many memorable calls. His calls have become household clichés all over the Pacific Northwest. Mariner fans celebrate a "Grand Salami," or watch fly-balls "Fly Away" over the outfield fence. Some of us express our satisfaction after a great play with a simple "My Oh My." When I think of Dave Niehaus' great, poetic calls, three specific calls stand out to me.
1. The Double (10/8/1995)--probably Niehaus' most popular call, "The Double" was the capstone of the great 1995 playoff run. It was Game 5 of the 1995 ALDS, at the Kingdome, in front of 57,411 rabid Mariner fans. The Yankees sent David Cone to the mound to take on Andy Benes. The Mariners scored two runs in the 8th inning to even the score 4-4. In the top of the 9th inning, Norm Charlton, who had taken over with 2 outs in the 7th, was still on the mound for the Mariners. He gave up a double and a walk to begin the inning, and Lou Piniella decided to bring in Randy Johnson out of the bullpen. The Big Unit wiggled out of the jam in the top of the 9th without allowing a run. Neither team was able to score in the 9th or the 10th. So, the game went to the 11th, where the Unit issued a leadoff walk that ultimately came around to score after a sacrifice bunt and a single.
Dave Niehaus Hall Of Famer
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