Remembering Vin Scully

My second-favorite baseball movie is "Cobb." Despite Robert Wuhl's god awful acting nearly derailing it, it's great because it's an honest portrayal of a deeply flawed baseball legend. I also love that it has the late, great Ernie Harwell's only movie credit. He plays a Hall of Fame host. As a Georgian-turned-Michigander myself, in that moment it comes full circle to see a Georgian-turned-Michigan-legend inducting another Georgian-turned-Michigan-legend into The Hall of Fame. I was honored to listen to Harwell for almost ten years. The only announcer who compares to him: Vin Scully.




During October (probably--unless the Dodgers aren't in the playoffs) Vin Scully will conclude his sixty-seven year announcing career. The radio station that hosts Scully made a two-hour audio commentary about his life. You can download it here.

My favorite Vin Scully memory occurred during spring training at the Dodgers' former site in Vero Beach sometime during the late '90s (probably '96 or '97). My dad, who always has a small portable radio and earphones when he watches games at the parks, was yelling random things at the Dodgers-- "C'MON, ______, STRIKE THIS GUY OUT!" and other things. Suddenly he leaned toward me, put the earphones on my head and said, "check this out." I heard Scully announcing the game (he was very visible from where we were sitting). Then, interspersed between his play-by-play calls I heard my dad yelling, "LET'S GO ______!" as he sat beside me then very clearly on the radio on a three second delay.

Thanks, Vin.