Farewell Vin Scully

Baseball and the Sports World Lose Vin Scully

By David A. Avila

That easily distinguishable voice swirling over the airwaves is gone.

Vin Scully, 94, who kept all of Southern California apprised of Los Angeles Dodger baseball from 1958 until 2016 has departed. The sports world has bowed its head toward the great commentator who started announcing back in Brooklyn in 1950.

Many native Southern Californians can remember the first time they ever heard Scully’s voice carry over the radio waves. For my family it began when the Dodgers made the World Series in 1959 against the Chicago White Sox.

Hearing Scully call out Dodger second baseman “Charlie Neal steals second base” remains the first time I recall his voice over the transistor radio my cousin was carrying. Our large family was huddled around to hear the play-by-play of the 59 World Series in L.A.

We could not afford to attend Dodger games back then. That was for rich people. Instead, we listened to tiny transistor radios to hear Scully open up the baseball world to us with his rich and vibrant stories. It was baseball lore and we loved it.

Scully was like a hero to us. We seldom missed a game and when TV began showing the Dodgers and Scully, we finally got to see the legend. For my family it was watching the Dodgers led by Maury Wills battle against the dreaded San Francisco Giants led by the great Willie Mays.

Who can forget the feeling of watching Mays come up to bat against Don Drysdale or Sandy Koufax in dreaded Candlestick Park with the Dodgers leading 2-1 in the bottom of the ninth?

“And look who’s coming up…Willie Mays,” would claim Scully with his journalistically balanced approach.

More than one in my family would say “shut up Vinny!”

Scully was never a homer. He wouldn’t ballyhoo the Dodgers or the home team like most announcers do today. He was an ethical man who gave balanced reporting. And few if any could match his wonderful tales of baseball yesterday.

When I first got an assignment to cover the Dodgers back in 1994 for the L.A. Times, I was ecstatic and petrified all at once. My first assignment was to interview Raul Mondesi who was making waves as a rookie.

While underneath the stadium I searched and searched for the muscular Mondesi who was very shy and uncomfortable with reporters back then. As I scoured the dungeon someone yelled at me “hey kid, what are you doing?”

I looked back and there was Tommy Lasorda the Dodger manager dressed in an undershirt and baseball pants waving me over. He invited me to his dressing room and inside was a full buffet of various delicious looking food.

A man sitting with his back to me turned and said hello and that was my introduction to Mr. Vin Scully. I introduced myself and quietly sat a short distance away as they continued their conversation.

I can’t recall the exact conversation but remember them talking about their days back in Brooklyn. They mentioned a name or two about a few Brooklyn Dodgers like George Shuba and Peewee Reese. I was soaking it in and anxious to tell my family about the incredible encounter. After 15 minutes or so I thanked them and departed on my search for Mondesi.

Over the years I would run into both Lasorda and Scully as a baseball reporter. Always they were cordial and greeted me warmly. Meeting Scully and Lasorda was the stuff that dreams are made of.

Baseball ¾

Roughly 50 games remain in season 2022 with the Los Angeles Dodgers leading Major League Baseball with 76 wins. They are 43 games over .500 and lead the second place San Diego Padres by 16 games.

The Padres addition of Juan Soto, Josh Bell and Josh Hader could not prevent the Dodgers sweeping them last weekend, but it does bode well for the team if they make the playoffs as expected. Currently they are one of three teams leading the NL. Wild Card race.

Two other super-hot teams making their move are the New York Mets who lead the NL East and the St. Louis Cardinals who lead the NL Central. The Cardinals in particular wiped out the New York Yankees and that is no easy feat.

One team surprising everyone has been the Baltimore Orioles who jumped over the Boston Red Sox and are within an eyelash of competing for an AL Wild Card playoff spot.

Those NY Yankees have hit a rough spot, but all teams do. They are deep and powerful but trading away pitcher Jordan Montgomery to the St. Louis Cardinals was puzzling. He stymied the Yanks when he pitched against them last weekend.

Injuries to Chris Sale of Boston and Chicago White Sox shortstop Tim Anderson will be severely impactful to their respective teams.