Courtesy the Boston Globe

(April 1, 2011) After an offseason of uncertainty and a couple of tweaks to the roster, “The Baseball Show’’ will be back on Comcast SportsNet New England beginning at 9 a.m. Saturday. However, there will be no radio simulcast, as there had been the first two seasons.

WEEI decided to go with its own weekend programming — Rob Bradford, Kirk Minihane, and Matt Perrault will team up for a 9 a.m.-1 p.m. program — while 98.5 The Sports Hub and CSNNE couldn’t come to terms on a deal.

Bob Neumeier will usually check in as the program’s host, though Michael Felger will fill that role for the first two weeks. The Globe’s Dan Shaughnessy, who has left his Saturday gig on The Sports Hub, will serve as a regular co-host and contributor, along with CSNNE and The Sports Hub’s Sean McAdam.

Lou Merloni will also be a regular — because of his WEEI affiliation, he wouldn’t have been able to participate had it landed on The Sports Hub — and Jessica Moran will handle the online/social media role. Steve Buckley, a regular in the show’s first two seasons, won’t be as prominent, though he will be a rotating co-host .

 

 

 

 

 

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/jerrybrewer/2014653651_brewer01.html

RIZZS CARRIES NIEHAUS' LEGACY INTO SEASON
(April 1, 2011) Rick Rizzs carries a wallet-sized photo of Dave Niehaus everywhere he goes. Sometimes he pulls out the picture, gazes at the smiling face of his friend and mentor and talks to it with unabashed sincerity.

"Dave, help me out here," Rizzs will say. "Help me do the best I can."

Decades of lessons about sports broadcasting will come rushing back. Be yourself. Have fun. Respect the game. If it isn't a good baseball game, it doesn't have to be a bad broadcast.

Rizzs knows Niehaus died last November, but don't tell him that his buddy is gone. Niehaus is still here. Rizzs feels him, even at the goofiest of times. And the pupil is prepared to spend the next six months reminding you just how close the old legend remains.

"I'm dedicating this season to make sure that Dave's memory stays alive this year," Rizzs says. "He's looking at me right now, and he's got that smile on his face."

My, oh my, what a thought.

That day is here, sadly. You've known it was coming for nearly five months. The Mariners will play their first official game without Niehaus on Friday night against Oakland. The voice of a franchise that clung to his vocal chords for 34 years has been muted. Your friend can't help you digest the Mariners' misery anymore. The next time the Mariners hit a grand slam, he won't be able to make you crave salami with rye bread and mustard.

Instead of a singular Hall of Fame presence, pieces of Niehaus are now sprinkled among the memories of those he touched. That number is in the thousands, maybe even the millions. Something special and enduring now lifts a legacy.

Rizzs, who started working with Niehaus in 1983, gets to be the connector of this group as the Mariners' lead radio voice. It's a challenge Rizzs embraces even as he continues to mourn. He gave a moving, tearful tribute to Niehaus during a December remembrance, and in an interview Thursday, he fought with his emotions again.

The hardest part isn't trying to replace a legend. Rizzs knows that's impossible. He had a stint with the Detroit Tigers from 1992 to 1994, and when the franchise tried to force out the beloved Ernie Harwell, Rizzs was left in a no-win situation. By 1995, he was back with Niehaus and the Mariners.

So Rizzs doesn't look at himself as Niehaus' replacement. The Mariners aren't putting that pressure on him or Dave Sims, who will handle the play-by-play on television. You shouldn't either. Rather than enveloping them in Niehaus' shadow, rather than making comparisons and declaring they're not good enough, it's best to let Rizzs and Sims honor Niehaus in the best way they know: by staying true to themselves and providing entertaining broadcasts in their own way.

That was always Niehaus' advice to Rizzs. Beyourself.You'reRickRizzs.That'senough.But more than the words of wisdom, Rizzs wishes he could get a knock on the door, open it and hear what Niehaus probably said to him the most during their 25 years working together.

"Hey, where do you wanna go have lunch?"

During this road trip, they often would go to their favorite cafe in San Francisco. Those memories hurt Rizzs the most.

"He meant so much to me," Rizzs said. "He had his health issues, but I never thought he would be gone on Nov. 10. I miss the joy of his laughter, his love of the game, the stories that he told. I mean, he got me to Seattle twice. I owe him so much. In quiet moments, I'll think about him and feel so sad."

Every first has been difficult. First day at spring training. First broadcast from spring training. First road trip. Now, the first real game.

But, in baseball, the one certainty is that the games will go on unceasingly. Niehaus, who died of a heart attack at age 75, knew this better than anyone. And for 34 years in Seattle, he crafted his legacy by always being there for the listeners through losing streak or Griffey homer streak, through the forgettable or The Double, through a meaningless game in April or a rare playoff game in October.

The games must be played, even without him. And the standard of the broadcasts must remain high. Rizzs understands he is now a steward of excellence.

"I just want the fans to know that he's going to be in the booth," Rizzs said. "I can't wait for our first grand slam. It's not just going to be, 'Goodbye, baseball!' Grandma is going to get out the rye bread and mustard and make a salami sandwich."

When it happens, Rizzs will be talking to the audience and to a friend who remains as close as a photo tucked neatly into a wallet.

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