Vin Scully, the Hall of Fame broadcaster and voice of the Dodgers radio for almost seven decades, has passed away. He was 94.
Scully was a beloved figure in the history and legend of the Dodgers franchise for his smooth voice and story-telling style. He graduated from Fordham University and helped to create WFUV, a student radio station. In 1950, he started working on the Brooklyn Dodgers broadcasts. After the 1957 season, he accompanied the team west to Los Angeles.
He was their voice, their laureate, their conscience, capturing their beauty and chronicling it all,” the Dodgers said. The Dodgers released a statement saying he was their conscience, their laureate. He captured their beauty and documented their glory, from Sandy Koufax to Jackie Robinson, Kirk Gibson, Clayton Kershaw.” Vin Scully was the heartbeat for the Dodgers and, in many ways, of Los Angeles.
His most notable moments behind the mic included Sandy Koufax’s perfect game against Chicago Cubs on Sept. 9, 1965. The ninth-inning call of this game was described as pure baseball literature. Scully stated, “There are 29,000 people at the ballpark and a thousand butterflies.”
He became more well-known as a CBS caller from 1975 to 1982, calling baseball and NFL football. From 1983 to 1989, he became the lead baseball play-by-play announcer at NBC.
These were his most memorable calls. Fans will remember Kirk Gibson’s famous pinch-hit homer in Game 1 against the Oakland A’s of the 1988 World Series.
After letting the images speak for themselves, Scully exclaimed “In a YEAR that was so improbable the impossible has happened!”
Although he did not travel as much during the last stages of his career in the later stages, Scully still called most Dodgers home games up to his retirement in 2016.
His many awards and honours include the Ford Frick Award from the National Baseball Hall of Fame, presented in 1982; an Emmy for lifetime achievement in 1995; and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame that was dedicated in 2001. He also received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2016. In Scully’s honour, the Dodger Stadium press box was also named.
Stan Kasten, President and CEO of the Dodgers, stated that “we have lost an icon.” “The Dodgers’ Vin Scully is one of the most respected voices in sports. He was a great broadcaster and humanitarian. He loved people. He loved living. He loved Dodgers baseball. He loved his family. We will forever remember his voice and the impression it made on our minds.
“I can tell he was excited to be with Sandi, the love of his entire life. We send our condolences to his family. Vin will be greatly missed.”