After hurling peanuts with outstanding accuracy since the Mariners' inception in 1977, beloved Seattle sports fixture Rick Kaminski has died at the age of 67 after a brain aneurysm.
Affectionately referred to as "The Peanut Man," Kaminski was known for not only his amazing tossing abilities, but for his sense of humor as well.
"His speed and accuracy with a bag of peanuts was matched by his quick wit and smile. He always seemed happy to see you, even if he was meeting you for the first time," said Mariners President Chuck Armstrong in a statement. "Rick loved what he did and the fans loved him for it."
Born in Seattle, Kaminski attended King's Garden (now King's School) in Shoreline, and was a right-handed pitcher on the baseball team, experience that would clearly come in handy in the future. After later graduating from Lincoln High School, and serving in the Army in Vietnam, he would enroll at Shoreline Community College.
While at SCC, Kaminski would be elected student body president. During his tenure, he would speak out against tuition hikes, saying that they would impact the over 150 foreign students who had a difficult time affording school, being able to work only during the summer months.
In Rick's memory, the Shoreline Community College Foundation has established an athletic scholarship.
"It is a wonderful way to pay tribute to his life and to his service as Student Body President while he was attending the college," said Jane McNabb, Executive Director of the Foundation. Contributions to the Rick Kaminski Memorial Scholarship Fund should be mailed to the Shoreline Community College Foundation, 16101 Greenwood Ave. North, Shoreline, WA 98133 or online at www.shoreline.edu/foundation
Kaminski is the third memorable local sports figure with Shoreline ties to die in the past several years. Ed McMichael, known to local sports fans as the "Tuba Man," graduated from King's in the early 1970s. McMichael died in 2008 after being attacked during an attemped robbery by three teenagers. Bill "The Beerman" Scott (who appeared in a Rainier Beer ad with Kaminski in the late 1980s) was a 1967 graduate of Shoreline High School, and was captain of the wrestling team. Scott, who would later attend Shoreline Community College, died from complications of colon cancer in 2007.
