Jeff Sullivan of Lookout Landing, SB Nation's Seattle Mariners blog, weighed in with his own personal thoughts on the death of Dave Niehaus. As usual, he nails the feeling among many fans tonight:
No doubt, it's a great shame that Dave never got to see the M's in the World Series. Having been with the organization from the very beginning, he deserved it more than anyone else, and it hurts to just imagine how excited he would've been. Dave would've had the time of his life.
But rather than get mad at the Mariners for failing to deliver for Dave over 34 years, I think what people need to understand is that, even without a deep trip in October, Dave had the time of his life anyway. Earlier today, we were talking a little about Joe Buck, and it's evident that Buck doesn't approach the game of baseball with a childlike enthusiasm. I do not think that's a barrier from being a good announcer. But in order to be a great one - you gotta love the game, and Dave loved the game like few others do. Announcing was his job, and from time to time it would most certainly feel like a job, but it says something that, on his infrequent days off, Dave would relax and listen to a game. Some people use their offdays to clear their heads. Dave's was never cluttered.
Don't be mad at the Mariners, and don't feel bad for Dave. There could've been more highs, but the man lived his passion every day. He was a lucky one.
He concludes by stating the obvious, that no one will ever replace Niehaus, and wonders when it's going to sink in that he really is gone. That's tough to say, given that Niehaus missed games with some frequency in these later years. I don't know when, exactly, that's going to be for me, but I'll be honest -- I'm not looking forward to that day. Because I'll probably cry like a baby all over again.