Mariners Voice, Rick Rizzs, Hurt in a Blewett Pass ATV Accident

Mariners Voice, Rick Rizzs, Hurt in a Blewett Pass ATV Accident.

It all happened last Wednesday, during the Major League Baseball All-Star Break.

Rick Rizzs and the rest of the Mariners organization only get four days off in July, during All-Star week. Rick says Nick, his son, wanted to show him the area on Blewett Pass, where he loves to go snowmobiling in the wintertime. Rick was driving a UTV “side by side” while Nick was close by on his motorbike. It was after some time of having fun on the mountain that Rick was heading back down to where Nick parked his truck - that Rick took a turn…and that’s the last thing he remembered.

Rick Rizzs and the side-by-side flipped upside down.

During the sudden accident, he banged his head. Nick came over and helped his dad out the Side by Side, and onto the side of the trail.  They were able to get the vehicle backup and Rick managed to drive it down to his son's truck. It was from there that Nick drove his dad, one of the longtime voices of the Seattle Mariners to the emergency room at Swedish Medical Center in Seattle. He was cleaned up, x-ray’d and had an MRI. Rick found out he had some fractured vertebrae in his neck and back. He also fractured his rib.

Seattle Sports host Dave Wyman asked Rick Rizzs what on his body bothers him the most from the accident: 

Right now, it's my back. I got some pretty good meds to take care of the pain for the back. It's been really tough getting into bed. Really tough getting out of bed in the morning. I’m glad I had my son Nick with me, day and night. Also Greta Niehaus (daughter of the late hall of fame broadcaster, Dave Niehaus) who met me at the hospital along with Marilyn Niehaus (Dave’s wife)...without them and Nick, I would have been in deep trouble -Rick Rizzs on 710 ESPN Seattle

Rick shared the good news that he won’t need surgery. His doctor said: 

Rizzs, you’re a lucky man, the good news is that you don’t need surgery.’ So I’m so grateful I don’t need surgery. I’m just kind of banged up right now. -Rick Rizzs, quoting his doctor on 710 ESPN Seattle

So when will Rick be able to get back to calling baseball for the Seattle Mariners Radio network? 

He thinks he’ll be able to get back to the broadcast booth after the Mariners upcoming road trip - that’ll wrap up the last weekend of July  - so, perhaps the upcoming Monday July 31st home game at T-Mobile park versus the Boston Red Sox.

Fingers crossed for a quick recovery.

Rick joined the Seattle Mariners broadcast team in 1983, teaming up with Dave Niehaus (who passed in 2010.) He briefly left Seattle for a three year stint with the Detroit Tigers. He came back to the Pacific Northwest, just in time for the magical “Refuse To Lose” M’s team of 1995.

Rick has called Mariners games every since.

Here’s to hearing more “Goodbye Baseball” and “Happy Totals” in the coming few weeks.

Info Source: Seattle Sports ESPN 710 Seattle