Mariners broadcaster Rick Rizzs to retire after 2026 season
After four decades of Happy Totals, Picks to Click and plenty more “Holy Smokes,” Rick Rizzs will retire following the 2026 season, the legendary Seattle Mariners radio broadcaster announced Tuesday.
The “voice of Seattle’s summer” has spent 40 years in the Pacific Northwest, part of a 51-year career in the play-by-play booth that turned him into a Mariners icon.
“I’ve been blessed to live my dream as a baseball play-by-play announcer for the past 51-seasons, including 43 amazing seasons calling Major League baseball, 40 with the Seattle Mariners, three with the Detroit Tigers and eight in the minor leagues,” Rizzs said. “I can honestly say I’ve loved every minute, from my 25 years with the great Dave Niehaus and my friend, producer-engineer Kevin Cremin to my current partners, Gary Hill and Aaron Goldsmith.
“Calling Mariners games has been the highlight of my life and having the chance to connect with managers, coaches, players, clubhouse personnel, my colleagues in the booth, those in the front office, but especially the great fans here in the Pacific Northwest has made it unbelievably special.”
Rizzs, 72, first joined the Mariners broadcast crew in 1983, paired with Hall of Fame broadcaster Dave Niehaus. He spent nine years in the Pacific Northwest before a three-year stint as the voice of the Detroit Tigers (1992-94), returning to Seattle ahead of the team’s first AL West title in 1995. He’s remained a local staple ever since.
It’s time for Rizzs to “step back” and spend more time with his grandkids, he said Tuesday. He’ll call every Mariners home game in 2026 with a “reduced” road schedule.
“But, believe me, I’ll be on hand to be at every Postseason game all the way to the World Series!”
A Chicago native, Rizzs graduated from Southern Illinois University in 1975 and began his storied career calling Double-A baseball games for Alexandria, Amarillo, and Memphis (1975-80). The former sports director for WBNS radio in Columbus, Ohio, called Ohio State football and Triple-A baseball for two years (1981-82) before joining the Mariners in ‘83, sparking a 43-year stint in the major leagues.
Rizzs co-founded Toys for Kids in 1995, a nonprofit charity that has provided holiday toys for more than 360,000 local children over the past three decades. Toys for Kids has awarded 80 college scholarships worth $5,000 in honor of co-founder Dave Henderson, and the charity’s “Rick’s Locker” program provides new baseball equipment for kids in need.
“Rick has become the Voice of the Mariners, and his iconic calls, energy and love for our team and this community shine through every call he makes, and every interaction he has with a player, fan, or listener,” Mariners Chairman and Managing Partner John Stanton said in a team release. “Fans in the Northwest, and all of us at the Mariners, have been blessed to have two of the great hometown radio broadcasters in baseball history call our games since the start of the franchise in 1977. We look forward to celebrating Rick throughout the 2026 season as he concludes an amazing, Hall of Fame caliber career.”
This story was originally published January 27, 2026 at 10:56 AM.
