Longtime Seattle Mariners broadcaster Rick Rizzs emotionally announced that the 2026 season will be his last after 40 years with the team. At a press conference in T-Mobile Park, the 72-year-old reflected on his career and expressed optimism for the Mariners' future. Rizzs, known for his upbeat personality, plans to call all home games before retiring.
Rick Rizzs, the voice of the Seattle Mariners for four decades, held back tears during a Wednesday press conference at T-Mobile Park, where he confirmed that 2026 would mark his final season in the broadcast booth. The announcement came a day after he formally shared the news, capping a career that began with the Mariners in 1983.
"I've had the greatest life in the world," Rizzs told the gathered media and team figures. "This has been truly a joy. Lou Gehrig said it best, 'I'm the luckiest man on the face of the Earth.' Well, you're looking at a guy who's now 72 years old that has been fortunate enough to live his dream."
Mariners chairman and managing partner John Stanton praised Rizzs' impact beyond the microphone. "His legacy is much more than being the voice of the team," Stanton said. "His legacy is the relationships he's formed with the fans, with the players. ... We deeply, deeply appreciated everything he's done, and we'll be celebrating him [throughout] the year."
Rizzs considered retiring after the previous season but returned due to the team's near-miss at the World Series. He plans to broadcast all 81 home games with a reduced road schedule and will join Spring Training in Arizona in two weeks. Despite his departure, his enthusiasm remains undimmed: "We're going to get to the World Series this year, and we're going to win it this year."
Addressing manager Dan Wilson, Rizzs added, "I'm not putting any pressure on you, Dan, because everybody in that clubhouse believes it. Because we were so close last year, we're going to get there and we're going to win the World Series."
The event drew Marilyn Niehaus, widow of Rizzs' longtime partner and mentor Dave Niehaus, who died in 2010. "He taught me so much about broadcasting," Rizzs said. "And we had some lean years here, as you know, until the boys in 1995 got together and saved baseball here."
Rizzs' path included stints with the Mariners from 1983 to 1990 and since 1995, sandwiched around four years with the Detroit Tigers. At 72, he reflected on his future: "I love coming to the ballpark every day. ... I still want to be associated with the ballclub in some way." He lauded the organization as "the best team in baseball" with the top fans and ballpark.
