To My Long Time Pallies: Waddaya hear, Waddaya say? I am sitting here writing the letter to you I hoped I would never have to write. After almost 17 years of talking sports and life with you on the radio or TV here in the beautiful Northwest, I will be moving on. I have signed on to an opportunity in another city back east. As soon as I can reveal the details I will. This is not a decision that comes lightly. I love Seattle. Unfortunately the media business being what it is right now, it has been impossible to find full time work here. There is so much I’ll miss, the friendships I made here, the things we as sports fans accomplished together. Together we raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for local charities and saved two teams from leaving town by standing up as a group and telling the politicians that building two world class sports facilities and renovating a third was the right thing to do. I brought you the action from Super Bowls, a World Series, a Stanley Cup final, an NBA Championship, A Final Four and several Mariners playoff runs. A few Rose Bowls and freezing cold Apple Cups in Pullman were pretty awesome too! I’ve learned so much…how to win the right way, with integrity, from people like Mike Price, Lou Piniella, Mike Holmgren and Nate Mc Millan. How dedication and hard work can pay off from Ichiro, Jamie Moyer, Edgar Martinez, Mark McLemore, Shawn Alexander, Matt Hasslebeck, Mack Strong, Gary Payton, Hersey Hawkins, Nate Robinson, Lorenzo Romar, Sue Bird and Ann Donovan. There were many hours of me watching athletes spend many hours coming back from injuries and playing through pain in order to help their team. I hope I gave you a flavor of that side of it as well.
It’s been a great time! I’ve been privileged to be able to interview a former President, a number of politicians, have Al McGuire and Meat Loaf co host my show, rap with Flo Rida, sing Take Me Out to the Ballgame with David Cook, incite the audience to chant for the Sonics at a taping of Oprah (“who’s the king of the Westside?...Supah-Sonics!!!”), jam with Paul Allen’s band and dance with the Sonic Dancers. I’ve had players rub my belly for luck, been elected to a public office by my neighbors and best of all got a kid who used to call my show interested in books and maybe changed his life. I was on the air and talking with you for so many great events, games and stories. I think we all made Seattle a baseball town together. Being on the air and talking to you after the win against the Angels in ’95, the Randy Johnson trade, the day that Safeco Field was finally approved, the sweep of the White Sox in 2000, the return of Baseball after 9/11 and 116 wins were easily the highlights although the woman who flashed me at a live remote in FX one night is still seared in my memory! I also talked about some incredible news stories with you on the air. I sweated the night I was describing the WTO riots, cried a bit after Columbine and 9/11 shifted from sports to news when JFK Jr.’s plane disappeared and when major storms hit. The night we sat and talked about things you invented while sitting on the toilet was a monumental moment in broadcasting as well. Thank you for all of the great conversation.
So many great things have happened on the air and off that it is hard to fit them all in but they are all buzzing around in my head. The best thing has been all of you who have come up to me and said thank you for all of your hard work in helping to keep the Mariners and Seahawks here. Thanks also to my former on air partner Michael Knight. I would never have been here without him. I also am so thankful for the chance to raise my daughter in this incredible place. One other thing…it has also been very cool to share my passion for cars with you on Drivetime and drivetime-radio.com. Some of you have actually bought a car after hearing me talk about what I liked about a particular ride. That feature will continue every weekend on KOMO Newsradio thanks to Dennis Kelly. Maybe the wind will blow me back here someday. After all it has become home. If not, the beauty and majesty of this place will be seared in my soul forever. Hopefully there will be a seat in the ballpark for me when the Mariners finally get to the World Series. Mr. Tremaine my scoutmaster taught me to always leave a campground better than you found it. I think I did that here. Until then be kind to each other, be kind to yourselves and say what’s on your mind. It can be the most attractive part of a person. Thanks for everything. I’ll talk to you soon if the Lord’s willing and the creek don’t rise! New York Vinnie
SEAHAWKS HONOR VINNIE AND THE SAVE OUR SEAHAWKS GROUP WITH A PLAQUE AT QWEST FIELD
A proud Sunday as Vinnie and a number of people who formed the grass roots group of fans" Save Our Seahawks" were honored by the team with a plaque at Qwest Field prior to the Hawks game against the San Francisco Forty Niners. The plaque which was placed in the southwest entrance to the stadium pays tribute to what the group accomplished in spearheading the drive to keep the team here in 1997 when then owner Ken Behring had moved the team to Los Angeles. Without SOS vocal support early on, then commissioner of the NFL Paul Tagliabue might not have ordered the team back to Seattle and present owner Paul Allen might not have seen the fan interest and potential in buying the team. Allen purchased the team after the passage of Referendum 48 which funded the stadium, exhibition hall and athletic facilities all over the state of Washington. Click below left to see video of the dedication and THANK YOU SEAHAWKS!
HERE IT IS BY POPULAR DEMAND...THE STORY BEHIND BASEBALL'S NEWEST CALLED SHOT
click on the link at the left to hear my feature on the now famous Mike Blowers prediction of Matt Tuiasosopo's first major league home run that aired on the Seattle Mariners Radio Network tuesday night. this feature also contains Dave Niehaus' comments about Mike's prediction powers before his call . for the actual calls go to http://www.mynorthwest.com/?nid=373
SUNDAYS WITH DAVE
click on the video for a behind the scenes look at my final 2009 'sundays with dave' conversation with Mariners Hall of Fame broadcaster Dave Niehaus. from the october 4th edition of Mariners Magazine on the Mariners Radio Network.
CUCUMBER DERBY 2009-A DAY AT THE RACES VIDEO CLICK ON THE CUCUMBER TO GO TO THE PAGE!
VINNIE AND AMERICAN IDOL WINNER DAVID COOK - CLICK ON PICTURE TO HEAR THE INTERVIEW AND DUET!!!
Thanks for stopping by newyorkvinnie.com. This is the place where fans of New York Vinnie can get information on how and where they can catch up with their long time sports talkin' pal. Keep checking back frequently for appearances, shows, activities and coming soon the Daily Take....straight up commentary on the local sports scene.
he's back (finally)!
vinnie and the mariners are back together! you can catch vinnie hosting mariners magazine sunday mornings and talking baseball before and after mariners games on the mariners radio network and its flagship station 710 espn in seattle. like willie, mickey and the duke, koufax and drysdale, king and dome or martin and jackson, vinnie and the mariners broadcasts go together.
check out several new additions to the photo gallery by clicking on the tab to the left.
check out Vinnie's auto review website www.drivetime-radio.com . it has an archive of vinnie's popular auto review feature DRIVETIME plus local auto news, interviews, event calendars and stuff of interest to the puget sound auto enthusiast.
