NY Vinnie Richichi recalls most famous Mariners moment

I know that today is the twentieth anniversary of the ALDS victory, the most famous moment in Mariners history.

To be quite honest, I remember being there ... seats behind third base ... remember the elation, the magic, the pure joy that only a win like that can bring as the Mariners beat the hated Yankees and George "Seattle will never be a baseball town" Steinbrenner that night

I was at the game with my good friend Trish Twomey, but that night and actually that time was a foggy chain of shows with Mikey [Knight] in the morning on KJR, rallying fans in the afternoon and a wild baseball ride in the evening.

I remember being in the clubhouse after the game doing interviews and over at FX [McRory’s] and the KJR Roadshow afterwards. But for me and some other people there was a bigger win that was needed: That was the one to keep the Mariners in town.

This was the time between the final losing vote count and the governor calling a special session of the legislature to try to work out a deal to essentially change the result of an election. [Less than a month before the game, Seattle voters rejected funding for what became Safeco Field.]

It was a tough time for me morally because the people had spoken and I believed in that. I also though knew that it would be a disaster if the Mariners were to leave town and so I pounded the drum for people not only to celebrate the win but to "Get up off of your ass!" and call your state legislator and let ‘em know that they needed to call a special session and save the Mariners.

I believe the win 20 years ago today saved the Mariners for Seattle as it moved people so much emotionally that not only did they go crazy but they picked up the phone and called their legislators.

I remember a few days later an unnamed Mariners official met with me and asked that I call people off of the Speaker of the House ... he was going change his mind and allow the special session that would create the funding for a ballpark.

In the days when radio was "Social Media" Michael Knight, The Gas Man Mike Gastineau, Mitch Levy, Brian Wheeler and others at KJR including myself made sure that we did what we could so that "Everybody Scores" and nights like this weren't going to be the only great baseball memory for the City of Seattle.

Without tonight there would have been no tomorrow for Seattle Baseball.

The picture is of a pen that was used by Gov. Lowry to sign the ballpark legislation into law.

It reminds me that anyone of us can make a difference whether we hit home runs or like talking to people.

KIRO