Alright, well, while the storm
just wrapped up their season,
the Seattle Mariners are barreling
toward the playoffs in better shape
than they've been in a really,
really, really long time.
After another win last night,
the M's are 18 games above 500
and they are tied with Tampa Bay
for the number one wild card spot.
This is so exciting.
Here to discuss one of the most
is one of the most recognizable
faces and voices in Seattle sports.
We're thrilled to welcome back to New
Day Mariners broadcaster Rick Rizz.
Hi, Susie. Welcome back.
It's nice to see you and it's nice to see.
Yeah, yeah. How you doing?
Good. OK. Today, September 7th,
and the Mariners are playing games.
Now that really matter.
I mean, I'm not, right?
I mean, we have to say that.
What's it like to be in the radio booth?
And that vibe,
as my kids would say out there,
Susie, it is so exciting right now.
The ball club is heading for the playoffs
for the first time in a long time.
Last time, the mayors got there 21 years ago,
back in 2001 when they had that magical
year winning a Major League record.
116 games. But this team is built for the
playoffs and to go deep into the playoffs
because the pitching is just so good.
Jerry Dipoto did a great job and his
scouting department, the baseball analytics,
Scott service, I think,
deserves to be the manager of the year.
He should have won the award last year
by putting together this ball club.
Last year was really the springboard, Susie.
They went out and won 90 games.
When a lot of people in baseball
thought they were gonna lose 90,
they won 90 and they were a win or two away
from getting to the playoffs last year.
But Jerry?
Went out and he signed as a free agent,
the American League saying
award winner from last year,
Robbie Ray, who was with Toronto.
We got him now for the at least for the
next 5 and then the trade with Cincinnati,
the Jesse Winker and a Eugenio Suarez.
Then they go out and get one of the
best pitchers in baseball at the
trade deadline and Luis Castillo,
coupled with the young players
that have been so exciting,
Logan Gilbert last night winning
his 12th game of the year in
Cal Raleigh and George Foreman,
it's it's very exciting to be in the
booth because there's so much excitement.
You know,
around the ballpark and it's a lot of fun,
the chemistry in the dugout
and looks like it's so good.
And you see the dancing. Yeah.
What? What are you seeing?
What are they feeling?
I'm seeing a ballclub that's it's having fun,
you know, it's it's fun to win and
they're doing a lot of winning right now.
They have the best record in the American
League since June, June the 21st,
and the second best record in
baseball behind only the Dodgers.
So they're having a good time.
They take it from the clubhouse.
They're family in there.
These guys are close knit.
They take it out in the field and it
shows they're playing great baseball.
Like I said,
the pitching is the best in in baseball,
so they're just having a great
time right now, winning,
and it shows.
The fans are showing up like
crazy and the energy in the
ballpark is just incredible.
It's wonderful to see how
you put that all together,
building what we saw last year,
and we kind of were teased with that,
well, maybe with that 90 games and then
and to see this is so is just exciting.
So as of this morning,
the Mariners are tied with Tampa Bay
for the number one wild card spot.
So this remains a very, very close race.
Can you explain why,
when we look at the other contenders,
that the Mariners are in such good
shape going into this right now?
Yeah, they're they're built for the playoffs.
They're built for going deep in the playoffs
because the starting pitching is so good.
You know, you added, like I said,
Robbie Ray during the offseason,
one of the best pitchers in baseball.
You add Luis Castillo during the course of
the season to go along with Marco Gonzalez,
who is outstanding,
this guy so competitive.
2 great young pitchers in Logan, Gilbert and.
And George Kirby and and when
what that starting staff,
you know you right behind them,
they're getting deep into ball games.
Right behind him is the best
bullpen in baseball.
Paul sewald.
Then you got a young kid who's
really burst onto the scene,
Andres Munoz,
sort of 102 miles an
hour with a great slider.
To hear you say Munoz is so exciting. It
is watching these guys
coming to the ballpark,
they're now the lowest bomberos.
They have an identity, they have a name.
They're the firefighters,
you know, they come in with
all this energy and excitement.
It's just, it's just so much.
Fun to watch this scene,
but I'm excited about the next
few days to the end of the
regular season and into October.
The whole season. Who's been your
biggest surprise as of late?
I'd I'd have to say Julio Rodriguez.
This kid is only 21 years of age,
loaded with talent,
and here he is his rookie season.
Last year he started off at Everett and
then went to AA Arkansas and Bypass AAA.
When I went to spring training,
he had a great spring and
he makes the ballclub.
We're thinking maybe he can.
He can be a corner outfielder.
I feel the right field,
but he goes out there and proves he
can play center field and he makes
the All Star team at the age of 21.
This kids talent is just off the charts.
The way that he plays the game,
his charisma,
his joy for the game,
the smile,
his interaction with the fans
they already have the no fly
zone out there in right field
and and the Jay Rod squad.
So
fans feel that that what you
just said, the joy for the game.
They feel that they respond to that.
How about Cal rally?
Oh my goodness, he's he's part
of the really core of the young.
Years that have really made leaps and bounds.
You know this year last at the
early part of the year he was
in like oh 83 really struggling,
went down to AAA, came back,
figure things out, made adjustments,
quick to the ball and now he's been one
of the best hitters in the American
League over the last few weeks.
In the last few months he has
more home runs than any catcher
in the American League right now.
He had a big two run home run
last night in the bottom of the
eighth inning to seal the deal.
The three nothing shutout win
yesterday over the Chicago White Sox.
But this kid is doing it at home plate.
He's doing it behind the plate,
catching all these guys.
He's made so such a big improvement
this year.
What's your message to the fans,
especially as we're knee deep
in this seven game homestand? I
tell you what, my best is the fans is
you're taking a look at one of the most
exciting teams in baseball right now.
You got your veterans on the ball club.
Mariners really missed Mitch Haniger in
the early part of the year. Now he's back.
And then you got the young players
that have really added to it like Cal
Raleigh and George Kirby and Munoz and.
Logan Gilbert and on Matt Brass
started the year in the rotation.
Now he's working out of the bullpen.
This is one of the most exciting
teams I've seen in my 40 years here,
and 95 was great.
That was the team that saved baseball 2001.
It was a team that won 116 games.
But this team is is built for the playoffs
and they're going to get us there.
OK, so I have to ask,
you've been calling games since what,
you were 12 years old in the in
the basement of your family home?
Yeah, right. Are there any phrases you.
Came up with back then that
that have transferred over.
No, not really. You know,
when I was 12 years old I'd come home from
school and my mother, bless her heart,
was the biggest cub fan in the world and
she loved Ernie Banks and Ron Santo,
who was born and raised here in Seattle.
And and so I'd watch the game with
her but there were times where I'd go
downstairs turned on our big TV set down
there our Zenith TV and and pretend I
was Jack Brick house said watch the
game turned out in the sound and do
play by play when I was 12 years old.
Here's Ernie Banks swinging a flyball.
It's gone. Grand Slam, you know,
but so that's how I got started.
When I was twelve,
I wrote Mr Brickhouse the letter.
Jack Brick House was the Hall of Fame
broadcaster for the Chicago Cubs,
and he wrote me back a letter,
and I was very inspired by his letter.
And this is what I wanted to do
ever since I was 12 years old.
So Fast forward, you know, college,
Southern Illinois University,
eight years in the major leagues.
Dave Newhouse of the Mariners
hired me in 1983.
And and so
did you ever imagine you would
spend so much time with one team?
I I wanted to. That was the. Role.
And I was here for 9 years and I went to
Detroit and tried to follow Ernie Harwell.
That didn't work out in Mr Niehaus.
David got me back here again,
so thank goodness I didn't
miss the 1995 season.
So I've been here for 37 years
and I love it here.
I grew up on the South side of Chicago,
but Seattle is my home
and has been for a long
time. Well, you two are magic together.
Look, Rick Rizz and the team.
Thank you so much,
Susie, great to see you
come out to the ballpark.
All right, so I'm going. OK.