Seattle Mariners broadcaster Rick Rizzs will retire after 2026 season, his 41st with the franchise

SEATTLE (AP) — Longtime Mariners play-by-play broadcaster Rick Rizzs will retire at the end of the 2026 season after his 41st year in the booth in Seattle, the franchise announced Tuesday.

The 72-year-old Rizzs was hired by the Mariners in 1983 to pair with Hall of Fame broadcaster Dave Niehaus. Aside from a brief three-year stint broadcasting for the Detroit Tigers from 1992-94, Rizzs has worked for Seattle every season since 1983. He is the longest-tenured broadcaster in franchise history, with his 40 seasons surpassing Niehaus’ 34-year career in Seattle.

“I’ve been blessed to live my dream as a baseball play-by-play announcer for the past 51-seasons, including 43 amazing seasons calling Major League baseball, 40 with the Seattle Mariners, three with the Detroit Tigers and eight in the minor leagues,” Rizzs said in a statement released by the team. “I can honestly say I’ve loved every minute, from my 25 years with the great Dave Niehaus and my friend, producer-engineer Kevin Cremin to my current partners, Gary Hill and Aaron Goldsmith.”

Rizzs grew up on Chicago's South Side and was a graduate of Southern Illinois University in 1975. He broadcast minor league baseball games in Alexandria, Virginia, Amarillo, Texas, Columbus, Ohio, and Memphis, Tennessee, as well as Ohio State football, before joining the Mariners' broadcast booth. But it is in the Pacific Northwest where Rizzs has become a mainstay for Seattle fans.

“Calling Mariners games has been the highlight of my life and having the chance to connect with managers, coaches, players, clubhouse personnel, my colleagues in the booth, those in the front office," Rizzs said, "but especially the great fans here in the Pacific Northwest has made it unbelievably special.”

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