III 

111TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. RES. 687 

Honoring the life and career of Dave Niehaus. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

NOVEMBER 19, 2010 

Ms. CANTWELL (for herself and Mrs. MURRAY) submitted the following 

resolution; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary 

RESOLUTION 

Honoring the life and career of Dave Niehaus. 

Whereas Dave Niehaus was the voice of the Seattle Mariners 

and led the play-by-play announcing for the Seattle Mariners from 1977, the inaugural season of the franchise, 

until his passing in 2010 at the age of 75; 

Whereas Dave Niehaus leaves behind a loving wife, Marilyn, 

3 children, Andy, Matt, and Greta, and 6 grandchildren; 

Whereas Dave Niehaus is largely considered one of the preeminent broadcasters in baseball history; 

Whereas in 2008, Dave Niehaus was awarded the Ford C. 

Frick Award, the highest honor for baseball broadcasters, 

by the National Baseball Hall of Fame; 

Whereas Dave Niehaus influenced multiple generations of 

baseball fans in the Pacific Northwest; 


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•SRES 687 IS 

Whereas Dave Niehaus called nearly every Seattle Mariners 

game in the history of the franchise, calling 5,284 of the 

5,385 Seattle Mariners games played during his illustrious career; 

Whereas Dave Niehaus broadcast the amazing moments of 

players such as Ken Griffey, Jr., Edgar Martinez, Dan 

Wilson, Randy Johnson, Alvin Davis, Jay Buhner, Ichiro 

Suzuki, and Felix Hernandez; 

Whereas Dave Niehaus provided the play-by-play for a game 

between the Seattle Mariners and the New York Yankees 

in September 1995, the first Major League Baseball 

game to ever be broadcast over the Internet; 

Whereas Dave Niehaus threw out the ceremonial first pitch 

at Safeco Field on July 15, 1999; 

Whereas Dave Niehaus voiced such notable catchphrases as 

‘‘My, Oh, My’’, ‘‘Fly Away’’, and ‘‘Get out the rye bread 

and mustard, Grandma, it is grand salami time!’’; 

Whereas Dave Niehaus was given an award by the Washington State Society for the Blind for the compelling 

ways he used words to illustrate Seattle Mariners games; 

Whereas in 2000, Dave Niehaus was the second person to be 

inducted into the Seattle Mariners Hall of Fame; 

Whereas Dave Niehaus began his career with the Armed 

Forces Network and continued working in broadcasting 

for nearly half a century; 

Whereas Dave Niehaus was the voice of the Seattle Mariners 

during the first 14 losing seasons of the franchise as well 

as the historic 2001 season in which the Seattle Mariners 

tied the Major League Baseball record with 116 wins; 


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•SRES 687 IS 

Whereas baseball commissioner Bud Selig recently stated 

that Dave Niehaus ‘‘was one of the great broadcast 

voices of our generation, a true gentleman, and a credit 

to baseball’’; 

Whereas Dave Niehaus, at the time of his passing, was the 

only Seattle Mariners staff member remaining from the 

original staff of 1977; 

Whereas the soothing voice of Dave Niehaus reassured fans 

during the earthquake that shook the King Dome and 

caused tiles to fall from the ceiling of the King Dome in 

May 1996; and 

Whereas Safeco Field, which might not have been possible 

without Dave Niehaus, was open on Saturday, November 

13, 2010, so that fans could come and pay their respects 

to Dave Niehaus: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the Senate— 

2 (1) commends the long and industrious career 

3 of Dave Niehaus as the voice of the Seattle Mari4 ners; 

5 (2) recognizes the achievements of Dave 

6 Niehaus as a preeminent baseball broadcaster and 

7 as a fan and booster of baseball in Seattle, Wash8 ington; and 

9 (3) requests the Secretary of the Senate to 

10 transmit an enrolled copy of this resolution for ap11 propriate display to Marilyn Niehaus and to the Se12 attle Mariners organization. 

Æ 


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