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Vin Scully, the legendary voice of baseball for the Los Angeles Dodgers for 67 years, died Tuesday at the age of 94.
Los Angeles Dodgers @dodgers
Scully served as the Dodgers’ play-by-play broadcaster from 1950 until his retirement in 2016, spanning the Brooklyn and LA franchises. In 1982 he received the Ford Frick Award from the Baseball Hall of Fame.
The New York native also covered MLB national games for NBC Sports, as well as the NFL, PGA Tour and tennis for CBS Sports during his seven-decade career.
Scully, who also worked on radio for the Dodgers, became known for his unique style, which often felt more like a light-hearted conversation with the viewer or listener than a formal sports show.
The wordsmith wove interesting anecdotes without missing a single moment of the plot and told memorable stories to fill the time between pitches.
Here’s an example from a 2012 game between the Dodgers and rival San Francisco Giants in which Scully described his skating race against the legendary Jackie Robinson, who had never skated before:
Scully delivered several calls that have stood the test, from Hank Aaron’s historic 715th home run to San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Dwight Clark’s “The Catch” during the 1981 NFC Championship game.
But he will always be remembered most for his work with the Dodgers, who retired his mic at a ceremony in 2017.
Dodgers President Stan Kasten released a expression Monday night:
“We lost an icon. Vin Scully of the Dodgers was one of the greatest voices in all of the sport. He was a giant of a man, not just as a broadcaster but as a philanthropist. He loved people. He loved life. He loved baseball and the Dodgers. And he loved his family. His voice will always be heard and engraved in our memories forever. I know he was looking forward to meeting the love of his life, Sandi. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family at this very difficult time. Vin will be truly missed.”
MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred also commented on Scully’s death:
“Today we mourn the loss of a legend in our game. Vin was an extraordinary man whose gift for transmission brought joy to generations of Dodger fans. In addition, his voice played in some of the greatest moments in the history of our sport. I’m proud that Vin was synonymous with baseball because he embodied the very best of our national pastime. As great as he was as a presenter, he was also great as a person. On behalf of Major League Baseball, I extend my deepest condolences to Vin’s family, friends, Dodger fans and his admirers everywhere.”
NBA legend Magic Johnson, who is a member of the Dodgers’ ownership group, expressed his condolences on Twitter:
In addition to his broadcasting accolades within MLB, Scully also received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1982 and the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2016.
CSPAN @cspan
“The game of baseball has a handful of distinctive sounds. You hear the bat crack. You got the crowd singing in the seventh inning and you have the voice of Vin Scully.”
As of 2016, Vin Scully receives the Presidential Medal of Freedom. REST IN PEACE pic.twitter.com/wmw9ZcWLOe
It will long be remembered as one of the greatest play-by-play broadcasters in sports history.
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