{"id":303,"date":"2023-05-23T19:42:51","date_gmt":"2023-05-23T19:42:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/podcasts\/?p=303"},"modified":"2023-05-23T19:42:51","modified_gmt":"2023-05-23T19:42:51","slug":"seattle-mariners-voice-rick-rizzs-still-going-strong-five-decades-in","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/podcasts\/seattle-mariners-voice-rick-rizzs-still-going-strong-five-decades-in\/","title":{"rendered":"Seattle Mariners Voice Rick Rizzs Still Going Strong Five Decades In"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Seattle
Dave Sims Twitter<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Imagine replacing an icon. Rick Rizzs<\/strong> did and it wasn\u2019t pleasant. He left Seattle, where he was calling Mariners games, for Detroit where hall of famed Ernie Harrell<\/strong> was unceremoniously let go. It didn\u2019t sit well with Tigers fans. \u201cThat\u2019s was one of the toughest things I ever had to do in my life They should have never let him go,\u201d Rizzs tells us on the latest show.<\/em><\/p>\n

Rizzs lasted three years, was dumped by new owner Mike Ilitich and luckily, wound up back in Seattle the following season, where he\u2019s been ever since.<\/p>\n

Rizzs, who grew up in Chicago rooting for both the Cubs and Sox<\/em> as George did, loves living in the “Emerald City” where coffee and landscape are king. \u201cThere\u2019s mountains and rivers and streams and the air is fresh. I love it here.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

Rizzs and George have several things in common. They will turn 70 later in the year, grew up without knowing each other in Chicago, but met at Southern Illinois University<\/strong> in 1974. Rizzs was already the voice of SIU football, basketball and baseball. And, in the Fall of that year George became student sports director and actually became his boss! They also revered the legendary baseball coach Richard \u201cItchy\u201d Jones who took the school to three College World.
\nSeries.<\/p>\n

\u201cI loved him the first day I met him,\u201d<\/em> Rizzs remembers of his college broadcasting days.<\/p>\n

Rizzs is not on social media, but became a hit there when a video of him calling Cal Raleigh\u2019s dramatic home run<\/a> that vaulted the Mariners into the playoffs for the first time in two decades went viral.<\/p>\n

\n

CAL RALEIGH\u2019S WALK OFF HOME RUN AS CALLED BY RICK RIZZS ON MARINERS RADIO: pic.twitter.com\/8tyjsusQ78<\/a><\/p>\n

— MLB Walk Offs & Game Winning Plays (@MLBWalk_Offs) October 1, 2022<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n