SEATTLE — The Seattle Mariners announced today that Rick Rizzs, now in his 41st season regaling fans in the Northwest and across the country as the radio voice of the Mariners, has been selected for induction into the Mariners Hall of Fame. Mariners Chairman & Managing Partner John Stanton made the announcement today during the club’s 50th Season Celebration at T-Mobile Park.
“For most of the past two decades, Rick has been the Voice of the Mariners, with his energy, iconic calls, and love for our team and this community shining through every call he makes, and every interaction he has with a player, fan, or listener,” Stanton said. “We are celebrating our 50th season today, and the amazing Rick Rizzs has been behind the mic calling our games for 41 of those seasons. He’s always been a Hall of Fame broadcaster, and we look forward to making it official next season as he joins his longtime partner and friend Dave Niehaus as the only two non-uniformed members of the Mariners Hall of Fame.”
Rizzs will be the 12th member of the Mariners Hall of Fame and joins current members (in order of induction): Alvin Davis (1997), Dave Niehaus (2000), Jay Buhner (2004), Edgar Martinez (2007), Randy Johnson (2012), Dan Wilson (2012), Ken Griffey Jr. (2013), Lou Piniella (2014), Jamie Moyer (2015), Ichiro Suzuki (2022) and Félix Hernández (2023).
Rizzs was originally hired by the Mariners to pair with Hall of Fame broadcaster Dave Niehaus in 1983. Rick spent nine years in Seattle (1983-91) prior to a brief three-year stint as the lead voice of the Detroit Tigers, where he replaced Hall of Fame award winner Ernie Harwell. Rick returned to Seattle for the magical 1995 season and has remained the voice of Seattle’s summer over the 31 years since. He is the longest-tenured broadcaster in club history, with his 41 seasons surpassing Niehaus’ 34-year career in Seattle.
In addition to his broadcast work, Rick is also co-founder in 1995 of the non-profit Toys for Kids charity. Over the last 30 years, Toys for Kids has purchased brand new toys for over 360,000 kids in the Pacific Northwest during the Holiday season. In the past 10 years, Toys for Kids has awarded 80 $5,000 college scholarships in honor of co-founder Dave Henderson. And over the last few years TFK’s Rick’s Locker program has helped ensure that kids in need have a chance to receive a brand-new baseball glove and bat.
Toys for Kids is a year-round initiative that collaborates on other programs, including providing support to unhoused mothers as they care for their children while working to find employment and housing, as well as assisting school children experiencing challenges with food scarcity and/or acquiring back-to-school basics.
Rick, who grew up on the South Side of Chicago, is a 1975 graduate of Southern Illinois University in Carbondale. He began his broadcasting career with six seasons (1975-80) calling Double-A games for Alexandria, Amarillo, and Memphis. He became the sports director of WBNS radio in Columbus, Ohio in 1981 where he called Ohio State Football and Triple-A baseball for two seasons prior to being hired by Seattle.