Dave Sims leaving Mariners to become new voice of Yankees

Nov 14, 2024, 1:41 PM | Updated: 5:08 pm

Seattle Mariners broadcaster Dave Sims speaks in 2023 during The Players Alliance Game Changers Celebration. (Mat Hayward/Getty Images for The Players Alliance)

(Mat Hayward/Getty Images for The Players Alliance)

BY BRENT STECKER

Editor, Seattle Sports

Longtime Seattle Mariners broadcaster Dave Sims is leaving the team to become the new radio voice of the New York Yankees.

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The Yankees announced Sims’ hiring by WFAN, the team’s flagship radio station, on Thursday.

Sims had been rumored to be in the running to replace John Sterling as the play-by-play announcer on WFAN, the radio home of the Yankees, since Sterling announced his retirement earlier this year.

We’re thrilled to welcome Dave Sims as the new play-by-play voice of the Yankees on @WFAN660 🎙️ pic.twitter.com/pCGuFyHXAJ

— New York Yankees (@Yankees) November 14, 2024

According to a report The Athletic prior to the official announcement, Sims and WFAN had a verbal agreement on a two-year deal.

The 71-year-old Sims just finished his 20th year calling Mariners games on both the Seattle Sports radio and ROOT Sports television broadcasts.

Sims shared a video message on social media “to Seattle and the Pacific Northwest” on Thursday night.

A message to Seattle and the Pacific Northwest. ❤️ pic.twitter.com/DLcIzzOqdr

— Dave Sims (@davesims_) November 15, 2024

Sims has history in the New York market and specifically at WFAN, where he was a sports talk show host from 1989 to 1993. He is a native of Philadelphia and has an extensive broadcasting resume that includes calling MLB. NFL, college football and college basketball games for outlets like ESPN and Westwood One.

Last month, Sims was named one of 10 finalists for the 2025 National Baseball Hall of Fame Ford C. Frick Award, which is awarded annually for excellence in baseball broadcasting. Sterling is among the other nominees.

“I was blown away,” Sims said at the time of finding out about his nomination. “I’m humbled, to say the least, to be along with this group of nominees. All marvelous, outstanding broadcasters, giants in the industry for a long time. Wow. Just to be in the same sentence, the same photo, just to be on that list is just unbelievable.”

Sims won three straight Washington Sportscaster of the Year Awards from the National Sports Media Association from 2018-20.

Mariners history is full of memorable calls by Sims, including Ichiro Suzuki’s walk-off grand slam off of Yankees Hall of Fame closer Mariano Rivera in 2009, Félix Hernández’s perfect game in 2012, Mitch Haniger’s season-saving go-ahead single during a playoff chase in 2021, and Cal Raleigh’s playoff-clinching walk-off home run in 2022.