Dave Niehaus, 1935-2010

Dave Niehaus, the Hall of Fame broadcaster who called Seattle Mariners games from the franchise's birth to the end of the 2010 season, died today of a heart attack at the age of 75. He was a wonderfully excitable homer whose voice could stretch from bucket-of-gravel to police-siren at the crack of a bat.  It's difficult to say politely, but there were seasons when Niehaus' reliable enthusiasm was all Mariners fans had to count on. His greatest moment, and the team's, came when the Mariners beat the Yankees on Edgar Martinez' extra-inning double in the 1995 ALDS:

Right now, the Mariners looking for the tie. They would take a fly ball, they would love a base hit into the gap and they could win it with Junior's speed. The stretch... and the 0-1 pitch on the way to Edgar Martinez swung on and LINED DOWN THE LEFT FIELD LINE FOR A BASE HIT! HERE COMES JOEY, HERE IS JUNIOR TO THIRD BASE, THEY'RE GOING TO WAVE HIM IN! THE THROW TO THE PLATE WILL BE ... LATE! THE MARINERS ARE GOING TO PLAY FOR THE AMERICAN LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP! I DON'T BELIEVE IT! IT JUST CONTINUES! MY, OH MY!

Listen here.

Niehaus is said to have been the first to call Alex Rodriguez "A-Rod."