[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 152 (Friday, November 19, 2010)]
[Senate]
[Page S8130]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  SENATE RESOLUTION 687--HONORING THE LIFE AND CAREER OF DAVE NIEHAUS

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

                              S. Res. 687

       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.

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