TEEING OFF
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Mariners Broadcaster Dave Sims Wears Many Hats
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AN EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW BY BRIAN BEAKY CG EDITOR
had to ask about the hats. If you’ve seen Seattle Mariners broadcaster Dave Sims on ROOT Sports or possibly at any of the local golf courses he frequents, you know what I’m talking about. The 30-year veteran of the broadcasting scene is almost never without one of his trademark caps, usually a Kangol or a Panama, though occasionally a ballcap sporting a Titleist logo or a “42,” in honor of baseball legend Jackie Robinson. “When you keep a shaved head and work outside in the summertime, you’ve got to have some protection, so you might as well look good doing it,” he says. “It’s sort of become my trademark. Now that the summer is coming, I can break out the Panamas. It’s fun.” A native of Philadelphia and a veteran of print, radio and TV, Sims has served since 2007 as the voice of the Mariners, calling Felix Hernandez’s perfect game; Ken Griffey, Jr.’s return to the Mariners, and other great moments over the last decade. (No, really, there have been others. I’ll come up with one soon.) Sims also calls the NFL and the NCAA Tournament for Westwood One Radio, and hosts a radio show with Duke men's basketball head coach Mike Krzyzewski — which means that if he’s going to play as much golf as he wants to, he has to get a little creative.
How long have you been playing golf? “I played a few times when I was 14 or 15, but didn’t really get into it until I was doing talk radio in New York in the mid-80s. A friend of mine told me, ‘The whole sports business world revolves around the golf course, so you’ve got to learn how to play.’ And I’ve been playing fairly consistently since then.”
What’s your favorite place you’ve ever played? “Oakland Hills is pretty darn nice. There’s a course in Kansas City that all the Negro Leaguers used to play ... Buck O’Neil, Joe Louis, all the black sports celebrities of their day. So I got a kick out of that. Also, years ago I played Winged Foot and Bethpage Red, and both of those were cool. Harding Park, in San Francisco, too — I love that place.”
How’s your game? “I’m usually between 88-95, but I have my days. Inconsistent driver sometimes; I’ve got to get better at using my lower half. My short game’s getting better, though, and I made some big putts the other day at West Seattle. I enjoy it, though, man.”
What do you like best about the game of golf? “It’s all you. It’s all personal. It’s a challenge to stay committed and focused. And, of course, being out and about and seeing great layouts.”
Where are some of your favorite places to play in Seattle? “I go to Interbay and practice. I like West Seattle, Newcastle, Snoqualmie Ridge. Sahalee I’ve played a couple of times. I also like Redmond Ridge; my first summer here, my son and I played three days of golf out there, and it was a blast.” Do you take your clubs with you on the road? “Oh, God, yes. There are a few places around the league that I particularly like. Strawberry Farms (in Orange County) is a good place, and there are lots of others ... let’s see, I got to play in Philadelphia this year with some old teammates, we played in Detroit, and ... gosh, where did I just come from? Oh, we played in Washington, in Bethesda. I’m not good with names anymore, but yes, we play as much as we can.”
What’s the most important lesson you’ve ever learned on the golf course? “Be humble, I’ll tell you that. And perseverance is huge. Also, you have to be willing to put the time in to practice if you want to get better.” Are there any parallels between golf and baseball? “Pretty much everything I just said, yeah.” (laughs) What’s the best thing about your job? “Man, what’s not to like? I get to know everybody in the American League and really feel like a part of the team. I’ve built a lot of good relationships. Broadcasting is a blast; it’s what I’ve always wanted to do. It’s really a dream come true. You don’t get many black kids coming out of Philadelphia by way of New York who even aspire to major-league jobs, much less get one, so it’s really special. With the waning interest in black America in major-league baseball, I want to do whatever I can do to help
reinvigorate the black community the way it was in the ‘50s and ‘60s.” I’m sure you could write a book about it, but what do you think needs to happen to get more black kids to play baseball? “Yeah, I probably will at some point. For one thing, football is doing a number on itself with the concussion issue; I think in the next generation, you’re going to see parents starting to bail. And the opportunities in baseball are incredible — if you’re willing to work and sacrifice, the money is there. But, of course, there’s the whole sociological bit — baseball is very much a father-son hand-me-down sport, and the black community has its issues with mass incarceration and a lot of kids being raised without fathers.” Baseball’s not all that different from golf in that way, really, which might help explain the similar lack of black golfers. “Yep, exactly.” What’s your favorite sport to cover? “What I’m doing right now: baseball. I love them all, though, and I can’t believe I’ve been able to do this for such a long time. I’ve been tremendously blessed, and I’m proud of what I’ve accomplished.” Choose one: either the Mariners win the World Series, or you break par at Augusta. “Give me the World Series. I’ll worry about par later. This franchise deserves it. Yeah, that’s an easy one.”