Sims looks back on legendary career in Mariners broadcast booth

This story was excerpted from Daniel Kramer's Mariners Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

SEATTLE -- As elated as Dave Sims has been since being hired last week to replace John Sterling as the lead radio voice of the Yankees, he’s also reflected on his 18 years in the broadcast booth with the Mariners.

“So many great memories, so many good people. From the bottom of my heart, I thank you for having this interloper coming in and being part of your culture,” Sims said in a video he shared on social media. “I really enjoyed it, and I wish everybody in Seattle and the great Pacific Northwest all the best as we move forward. Go Mariners -- and go Yankees.”

Shortly after that post, he added more reflection in an interview with MLB.com.

A Philadelphia native, Sims became embedded within the Mariners’ community for his outgoing personality, gracious humility, positive relationships with those he covered and, above all, his iconic calls on the airwaves. His voice became among the most ubiquitous and enduring in franchise history, enhanced even more in recent years in congruence with the team’s success and the viral nature of video sharing.

The highlight that will always stand out, especially in Mariners annals, is his call of Cal Raleigh’s walk-off homer that clinched a postseason berth in 2022, ending the longest active playoff drought in North American professional sports.

“That one would probably be at the tippy top,” Sims said. “But there are some other ones that really resonated and I’ll always remember. ... Looking at those clips the past few days has been really hard.”

Sims’ time with the Mariners is not just a story of a broadcaster but also a tale of dedication, evolution and the connection he forged with the Pacific Northwest's baseball fans.

One of the key aspects of Sims' style has been his ability to balance analysis with enthusiasm. Known for his natural storytelling, Sims seamlessly weaved the game’s events with insight into the players and their backgrounds -- a skill that required extensive preparation.

“It’s all part of the story; if you’re going to tell a story, you can’t just look at numbers all the time,” Sims said. “And you just can’t go off the top of your head. That’s an important ingredient. What’s the pulse of the team? What’s the temperature of the team? Who’s up and who’s down? Who’s a good dude? Who’s got a good life story?

“You’ve got to be intellectually curious enough to go after it, and I just like interacting with guys. ... I just like ballplayers. I think like they do in a lot of respects. When I’m doing games, I feel like I’m with my own kind.”

Sims’ arrival in Seattle in 2007 was largely due to happenstance and his broad network of media colleagues. The offseason prior, his brother-in-law mentioned that the team had an opening and that he had a friend who worked there and had a direct line to Kevin Martinez -- who’s been with the organization since and was recently hired as its new president of business operations.

Well before applying, Sims connected with Martinez through the years when doing part-time MLB broadcasts for ESPN. Then, he interviewed with a panel of roughly seven front-office personnel in December 2006 while in town calling a Seahawks-49ers game for Westwood One. The offer was then made, but Martinez asked Sims to conduct one final chat with iconic broadcaster Dave Niehaus before making his decision.

“I felt very at home in that setting,” Sims said.

Off the field, Sims has been a devoted advocate for the Black community, most notably when he paneled “Black Voices in Baseball” to recognize Juneteenth and raise awareness of Black Lives Matter during the height of protests calling for racial equality in June 2020. He also regularly hosted the Mariners’ Jackie Robinson Day Roundtable at the ballpark.

Robinson has been Sims’ greatest hero, for his courage and perseverance paving the way for members of the Black community to break barriers. To this day, Sims regularly says that he wouldn’t be in his position without Robinson.

Throughout his Mariners tenure, Sims made New York -- where his wife Abby resides, along with both of his sons and two granddaughters -- his offseason home. In that context, the Yankees gig is a homecoming.

Because of his enthusiasm, Sims’ void in Seattle will be felt when the team adjusts its broadcast personnel next year. And because of his longevity, he’ll always be remembered among the franchise’s broadcasting greats.