[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 687 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

111th CONGRESS
  2d Session
S. RES. 687

             Honoring the life and career of Dave Niehaus.


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                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                           November 19, 2010

  Ms. Cantwell (for herself and Mrs. Murray) submitted the following 
    resolution; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
             Honoring the life and career of Dave Niehaus.

Whereas Dave Niehaus was the voice of the Seattle Mariners and led the play-by-
        play announcing for the Seattle Mariners from 1977, the inaugural season 
        of the franchise, until his passing in 2010 at the age of 75;
Whereas Dave Niehaus leaves behind a loving wife, Marilyn, 3 children, Andy, 
        Matt, and Greta, and 6 grandchildren;
Whereas Dave Niehaus is largely considered one of the preeminent broadcasters in 
        baseball history;
Whereas in 2008, Dave Niehaus was awarded the Ford C. Frick Award, the highest 
        honor for baseball broadcasters, by the National Baseball Hall of Fame;
Whereas Dave Niehaus influenced multiple generations of baseball fans in the 
        Pacific Northwest;
Whereas Dave Niehaus called nearly every Seattle Mariners game in the history of 
        the franchise, calling 5,284 of the 5,385 Seattle Mariners games played 
        during his illustrious career;
Whereas Dave Niehaus broadcast the amazing moments of players such as Ken 
        Griffey, Jr., Edgar Martinez, Dan Wilson, Randy Johnson, Alvin Davis, 
        Jay Buhner, Ichiro Suzuki, and Felix Hernandez;
Whereas Dave Niehaus provided the play-by-play for a game between the Seattle 
        Mariners and the New York Yankees in September 1995, the first Major 
        League Baseball game to ever be broadcast over the Internet;
Whereas Dave Niehaus threw out the ceremonial first pitch at Safeco Field on 
        July 15, 1999;
Whereas Dave Niehaus voiced such notable catchphrases as ``My, Oh, My'', ``Fly 
        Away'', and ``Get out the rye bread and mustard, Grandma, it is grand 
        salami time!'';
Whereas Dave Niehaus was given an award by the Washington State Society for the 
        Blind for the compelling ways he used words to illustrate Seattle 
        Mariners games;
Whereas in 2000, Dave Niehaus was the second person to be inducted into the 
        Seattle Mariners Hall of Fame;
Whereas Dave Niehaus began his career with the Armed Forces Network and 
        continued working in broadcasting for nearly half a century;
Whereas Dave Niehaus was the voice of the Seattle Mariners during the first 14 
        losing seasons of the franchise as well as the historic 2001 season in 
        which the Seattle Mariners tied the Major League Baseball record with 
        116 wins;
Whereas baseball commissioner Bud Selig recently stated that Dave Niehaus ``was 
        one of the great broadcast voices of our generation, a true gentleman, 
        and a credit to baseball'';
Whereas Dave Niehaus, at the time of his passing, was the only Seattle Mariners 
        staff member remaining from the original staff of 1977;
Whereas the soothing voice of Dave Niehaus reassured fans during the earthquake 
        that shook the King Dome and caused tiles to fall from the ceiling of 
        the King Dome in May 1996; and
Whereas Safeco Field, which might not have been possible without Dave Niehaus, 
        was open on Saturday, November 13, 2010, so that fans could come and pay 
        their respects to Dave Niehaus: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the Senate--
            (1) commends the long and industrious career of Dave 
        Niehaus as the voice of the Seattle Mariners;
            (2) recognizes the achievements of Dave Niehaus as a 
        preeminent baseball broadcaster and as a fan and booster of 
        baseball in Seattle, Washington; and
            (3) requests the Secretary of the Senate to transmit an 
        enrolled copy of this resolution for appropriate display to 
        Marilyn Niehaus and to the Seattle Mariners organization.
                                 <all>