Statue of Dave Niehaus located where it belongs, with his fans
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Marilyn Niehaus sits at the desk with her family this afternoon after a ceremony to unveil the statue honoring the late broadcaster Dave Niehaus.
Friday, September 16, 2011 | 4:24 pm
Emotions flowed again for the late Dave Niehaus this afternoon as the Mariners unveiled what's going to be a very popular place at Safeco Field.
The Dave Niehaus statue was unveiled to a small crowd of family and friends of the Mariners' longtime broadcaster, who died last November. The statue, with a figure of Niehaus behind a desk with a microphone and his scorebook, features a place where fans can sit next to the Hall of Famer.
The public will get its first look at the statue when gates open at 5:10 p.m. for tonight's game against the Texas Rangers.
“We appreciated his passion for the game and how he delivered that passion on the airwaves,” said former Mariners catcher Dan Wilson. “But most of all, as fans we really appreciated the way Dave would tell a story. I love that the design of this statue allows us all to kind of pull up a chair next to Dave and let him tell us just one more story.”
Marilyn Niehaus, Dave's wife, said she was moved several weeks ago when she saw the clay version of the statue.
“I cried with a huge smile on my face. It captured David's likeness and spirit perfectly,” she said. “David never, ever wanted to retire from doing what he loved. With this unbelievable statue, it's almost as if he never did. He would be humbled by this honor. Generations will be able to see David at his best, smiling at all of us.”
After a short ceremony, Mrs. Niehaus and the family gathered around the statue for photos. Some of the grandkids couldn't help but give a loving hug.
The statue, located on the main concourse in right-center field, is visible from nearly every part of the stadium. It shows Niehaus wearing a headset, his trademark blazer and a baseball-print tie that he wore often at the ballpark. Dave's son, Andy, wore the tie today.
Artist Lou Cella of Chicago recreated detail down to Niehaus' scorebook, which was open to Game 5 of the American League Division Series on Oct. 8, 1995, when the Mariners beat the Yankees on Edgar Martinez's 11th-inning two-run double.
The statue is on permanent display in its outfield location during and after the season.
“We will have to expand our tour route,” said Rebecca Hale, the Mariners' director of public information. “We know fans will want to come out and see it.”
A decorative railing that separates the statue from the seating area below was produced by Creo Industrial Arts of Everett. The railing incorporates three of Niehaus' famous broadcast calls _ “Swung on and belted,” “Fly fly away” and “Get out the rye bread and mustard Grandma, it's grand salami time.”
The Dave Niehaus statue was unveiled to a small crowd of family and friends of the Mariners' longtime broadcaster, who died last November. The statue, with a figure of Niehaus behind a desk with a microphone and his scorebook, features a place where fans can sit next to the Hall of Famer.
The public will get its first look at the statue when gates open at 5:10 p.m. for tonight's game against the Texas Rangers.
“We appreciated his passion for the game and how he delivered that passion on the airwaves,” said former Mariners catcher Dan Wilson. “But most of all, as fans we really appreciated the way Dave would tell a story. I love that the design of this statue allows us all to kind of pull up a chair next to Dave and let him tell us just one more story.”
Marilyn Niehaus, Dave's wife, said she was moved several weeks ago when she saw the clay version of the statue.
“I cried with a huge smile on my face. It captured David's likeness and spirit perfectly,” she said. “David never, ever wanted to retire from doing what he loved. With this unbelievable statue, it's almost as if he never did. He would be humbled by this honor. Generations will be able to see David at his best, smiling at all of us.”
After a short ceremony, Mrs. Niehaus and the family gathered around the statue for photos. Some of the grandkids couldn't help but give a loving hug.
The statue, located on the main concourse in right-center field, is visible from nearly every part of the stadium. It shows Niehaus wearing a headset, his trademark blazer and a baseball-print tie that he wore often at the ballpark. Dave's son, Andy, wore the tie today.
Artist Lou Cella of Chicago recreated detail down to Niehaus' scorebook, which was open to Game 5 of the American League Division Series on Oct. 8, 1995, when the Mariners beat the Yankees on Edgar Martinez's 11th-inning two-run double.
The statue is on permanent display in its outfield location during and after the season.
“We will have to expand our tour route,” said Rebecca Hale, the Mariners' director of public information. “We know fans will want to come out and see it.”
A decorative railing that separates the statue from the seating area below was produced by Creo Industrial Arts of Everett. The railing incorporates three of Niehaus' famous broadcast calls _ “Swung on and belted,” “Fly fly away” and “Get out the rye bread and mustard Grandma, it's grand salami time.”
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