May Dave Niehaus Fly, Fly Away to Baseball Heaven

If you're a Seattle Mariners fan like myself, there would always be one constant whenever a TV or radio would be turned on. It would be the voice and presence of announcer Dave Niehaus. For all 33 years of the Mariners' existence, Niehaus would be a constant companion to those that wanted to keep track of of their team. He was there when Diego Segui threw that first-pitch strike during the Mariners' inaugural game against the California Angels in 1977. And he was there for all but 101 games of the Mariners' existence through the end of the Mariners' dreadful 2010 season.

Regardless if the team was one of the best in baseball or one of the worst, Niehaus was one of the reasons why I have remained loyal to the team. He called every game with a level of enthusiasm that is unmatched to other great announcers the game of baseball has seen and heard. He was honored by the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2008 with the Ford C. Frick Award, which is always presented to the baseball announcer that has made significant contributions to the game of baseball.

Niehaus' signature calls like "Fly, Fly Away!", "My Oh My!", and "It is Grand Salami Time!" will always stick with Mariners fans. Here are two of my favorite Niehaus moments (first one of which is a no-brainer):



When the Eric Wedge era gets underway with Spring Training next March, there will be a relatively big void when the activities get started in Peoria. The voice of baseball in the Pacific Northwest has been silenced permanently. But the memories that came from that very voice will last forever. Fly, fly away to heaven, Dave. You will be missed tremendously, and Mariners games will never be the same without you calling them.