Rick Rizzs nears final Mariners radio call after 41 Seattle seasons

Rick Rizzs is approaching his last Mariners radio call as the club's primary play-by-play broadcaster. Sunday's home game against the Angels closes a farewell weekend for a voice that has spent 41 seasons with Seattle and 52 in professional baseball. The Mariners announced the September 25–27 celebration in August, months after Rizzs said this would be his final season in the role.

The farewell has become personal inside the clubhouse. MLB's Saturday feature describes players and staff greeting Rizzs on Friday in commemorative shirts, with catcher Cal Raleigh planning to wear a Rizzs-themed chest protector this weekend. The Mariners posted a welcome from the club as the final series began.

Rizzs' place in Seattle baseball is built on showing up for the club through very different seasons. He worked alongside Dave Niehaus for 25 years, and he has carried the booth's distinctive energy forward since Niehaus died in 2010. This season has ended without a Mariners playoff place, but the farewell is about a connection that outlasts a standings position. MLB reported that players and staff lined the tunnel to surprise him before Friday's game.

The broadcaster himself discussed his decision and career in a September 19 MLB video conversation. The club's January retirement announcement makes an important distinction: he is stepping away as the primary radio broadcaster after this season, rather than disappearing from Mariners life altogether. MLB reports that he will remain a club ambassador.

Saturday's ceremonies lead into Sunday's final call. Fans who grew up hearing Rizzs describe Seattle games have one more regular-season broadcast with him in that familiar seat. The farewell is a chance to hear the voice itself, not just read the career total.