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Vin Scully, the Broadcaster for the Los Angeles Dodgers for 67 Years, Passed Away at the Age of 94.

Jeremy Caroll

Clayton Kershaw remarked after a Dodgers victory in San Francisco, “He was the greatest.” “An amazing man.”

Vin Scully, whose dulcet tones entertained and informed Dodgers fans for 67 years, died Tuesday night. 94-year-old

Scully died at his Los Angeles home, family members told the team. Death was undetermined.

Clayton Kershaw remarked after a Dodgers victory in San Francisco, “He was the greatest.” “He’s really unique. I’m thankful I knew him well.

Scully was the longest-tenured broadcaster for a single franchise in pro sports history. He started in the 1950s with Pee Wee Reese and Jackie Robinson, then Don Drysdale and Sandy Koufax, Steve Garvey and Don Sutton, and Orel Hershiser and Fernando Valenzuela. Mike Piazza and Hideo Nomo in the 1990s; Kershaw, Manny Ramirez, and Yasiel Puig now.

“You gave me the name of my Wild Horse. I feel loved by you. Upon making his Dodgers debut in 2013, the excellent outfielder from Cuba wrote on Twitter, “You hugged me like a father.” “My heart is broken, but I’ll never forget you.”

Scully and his calming, perceptive demeanor remained a staple for the fans through the Dodgers’ frequent changes in personnel including players, managers, executives, owners, and even coastlines. The well-known opening line of his broadcasts was, “Hi, everybody, and a very nice good evening to you wherever you may be.”

Scully, who was always kind in person and on broadcast, saw himself as nothing more than a conduit for the people and the game. The Giants displayed a Scully homage on the video board following the Dodgers’ 9-5 victory.

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Dodgers manager Dave Roberts stated, “There isn’t a greater storyteller, and I believe everyone considers him family.” “He spent several generations in our living rooms. He led a magnificent life, leaving behind a lasting legacy.

Scully was paid by the Dodgers, but he was never afraid to criticize a poor play or a manager’s choice or to praise an opponent while making up storylines to go along with routine plays and notable accomplishments. He frequently cited the need to look with the eyes rather than the heart.

Team CEO and President Stan Kasten remarked, “We have lost an icon. His voice will always be audible and permanently ingrained in everyone’s memory.

The Bronx is where Vincent Edward Scully was born on November 29, 1927. He was the son of a silk salesman who passed away at the age of 7 from illness. The red-haired, blue-eyed Scully grew up playing stickball in the streets of Brooklyn when his mother relocated the family there.

In order to hear whatever college football game was on the air as a child, Scully would take a pillow, place it under the family’s four-legged radio, and lay his head squarely under the speaker. The child was distracted by the roar of the crowd as he munched on saltine crackers and drank milk nearby. He had the idea that he would like to initiate the action.

Scully started his career working baseball, football, and basketball games for the university’s radio station. He played outfield for the Fordham University baseball team for two years. He was employed by a Washington, D.C., CBS radio station at the age of 22.

He soon joined Red Barber of the Hall of Fame and Connie Desmond in the radio and television booths for the Brooklyn Dodgers. Scully set a record for being the youngest broadcaster of a World Series game in 1953 when he was 25 years old.

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In 1958, he headed to the West with the Dodgers. Scully called 18 no-hitters in addition to three perfect games: Don Larsen’s in the 1956 World Series, Sandy Koufax’s in 1965, and Dennis Martinez‘s in 1991. He was also broadcasting when Don Drysdale began his stretch of 58 2/3 scoreless innings in 1968 and again when Orel Hershiser broke the record 20 years later with 59 straight scoreless innings.

In 1974, Hank Aaron faced the Dodgers when he hit his 715th home run to surpass Babe Ruth’s mark, and Scully of course called it.

Scully informed the audience, “A Black man is getting a standing ovation in the Deep South for breaking a record of an all-time baseball idol. What a fantastic time for baseball.

The invention of the transistor radio, according to Scully, was “the greatest single break” of his career. In the first four seasons, the Dodgers played in the large Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, fans had problems identifying the weaker players.

In 2016, he stated, “They were 70 or so odd rows away from the action.” They brought the radio in order to learn more about all the other players and to monitor what was happening on the field.

When the club relocated to Dodger Stadium in 1962, this practice persisted. Scully was able to unite generations of families with his remarks as listeners held radios to their ears and those who couldn’t attend did so from home or the automobile.

He frequently remarked that it was best to rapidly summarise a large drama before becoming silent so that spectators could hear the commotion. In 1965, after Koufax’s perfect game, Scully remained silent for 38 seconds before speaking once more. After Kirk Gibson’s pinch-hit home run to win Game 1 of the 1988 World Series, he remained mute for a while.

He was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1982, was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame the following year, and in 2001 the stadium’s press box was named in his honor. In 2016, he had a street named in his honor that led to the main entrance to Dodger Stadium. President Barack Obama awarded him the Presidential Medal of Freedom in the same year.

Before retiring, Scully, a devout Catholic who went to service on Sundays before going to the ballpark, remarked, “God has been so nice to me to allow me to accomplish what I’m doing.” “A boyhood dream came true, and I have had 67 years to relish every second of it. For me, that is a fairly big Thanksgiving.

Scully was the voice of the Dodgers in addition to announcing play-by-play for NFL and PGA Tour events, 25 World Series, and 12 All-Star Games. From 1983 until 1989, he served as NBC’s top baseball announcer.

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Scully made a small number of appearances at Dodger Stadium after his retirement in 2016, and his endearing voice could occasionally be heard narrating a video that was shown during games. He was most satisfied to remain nearby his house.

In 2016, he stated, “I just want to be remembered as a nice man, an honest man, and one who upheld his own views.” Scully auctioned off years’ worth of his own stuff in 2020, raising more than $2 million. It was given in part to UCLA for ALS research.

He was predeceased by Sandra, his second wife. She passed away at the age of 76 in 2021 due to ALS complications. Together, the two had a daughter named Catherine throughout their 47 years of marriage. Kelly, Erin, Todd, and Kevin are Scully’s additional kids. In 1994, a boy named Michael perished in a helicopter mishap.

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