A's, Angels Rick Rizzs sendoffs bring rare moments of real joy to this Mariners slog

Rick Rizzs doesn't deserve to go out like this. We've said it before. In fact, SoDo Mojo's Sydney Jones literally wrote it. Yet we're all for taking what moments of joy we can get at this point in the Seattle Mariners' lost 2026 season, and doubly so if said moments pay homage to the team's radio voice in his 41st and final season at the mic.

So, hats off to the Athletics for honoring Rizzs and for donating to his charity this past weekend in Sacramento. Adam Jude of The Seattle Times passed along the footage on Sunday:

Hats off to the Los Angeles Angels, as well, for sending Rizzs a cake during Monday's game at Angel Stadium. Shannon Drayer of Seattle Sports snapped a photo:

What we have here is an outpouring of respect that couldn't be more well-earned. Rizzs is a Mariners Hall of Famer for a reason, after all: He's been really dang good at his job for decades.

Indeed, Rizzs is a key ingredient in the secret sauce that has kept Mariners fans coming back, even as the franchise has mostly struggled for relevance throughout its 50-year life. What an absolute embarrassment of broadcast riches we've gotten to enjoy. Rick Rizzs? Dave Niehaus? Both are GOATs. Dave Sims was a gem in his own right, and Aaron Goldsmith is as good as any TV broadcaster working today.

None of us should take any of this for granted, and I don't think any of us do. And when even other teams go out of their way to honor Rizzs, it really hits home how lucky we have been to have him.

It's a shame the Mariners couldn't give Rick Rizzs a better sendoff

There have, unfortunately, been too many times this year when listening to Rizzs' calls has been a painful experience.

Take Sunday's loss to the A's, for example. The last two innings were a whirlwind for Rizzs, consisting of befuddlement on Jhonny Pereda's baserunning gaffe and Dominic Canzone's throwing error, genuine excitement with Randy Arozarena's go-ahead homer, and finally, a lament for a "tough, tough loss" after Lawrence Butler's walk-off homer.

It's not what any of us had in mind for Rizzs when he revealed that this would be his final season. By all rights, he should have had more chances to lose himself in joy, as he did when he channeled Dave Niehaus on Eugenio Suárez's grand slam in the ALCS last year. As we all did, he must have reasoned that there would be more where that came from in a 2026 season with so much promise.

Instead, the Mariners are a mess of untold proportions. It is what it is, and it is something that sucks. Appreciating Rizzs in his last days on the job has become perhaps the only genuine reason for Mariners fans to keep tuning in.

If so, well, it's the least we can do for him after 41 years.

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