The Mariners snapped their 21-year playoff drought in dramatic fashion on Friday night, thanks to a walk-off home run by catcher Cal Raleigh. The wild card-clinching victory led to a huge celebration in Seattle.
Maybe the best part of these regular season celebrations is seeing the local broadcasters, who have been with the team’s all season long, get to call the big moments. That is exactly what happened with the Mariners on Friday, and the team shared the moments with social media.
First up is Root Sports announcer Dave Sims, who is currently in his 16th season as the Mariners television play-by-play announcer. In his first playoff-clinching call with the team, Sims brought out his iconic “hey now, hey now” line for an electric call.
With MLB’s postseason being nationally televised, Sims will not have a chance to call a playoff game on the local TV station, making this even more special.
However, this moment might have meant more to Rick Rizzs, who has been the Mariners radio voice for 37 years. It’s been a long time since he had a chance to call a moment like this, and he did not disappoint.
Seattle’s playoff appearance means a lot to so many members of that organization and community. But it also gave the team’s announcers to show off in the biggest moment of the season.
