By: Kelly Byrnes
Let me start this off by saying, this one is going to hurt for a while. I really wanted to write this poetic beautifully written article about Vin, but I just couldn’t do it. Nothing I could say would be enough to honor him and most the stuff I would say I already wrote in my post just after his retirement, Thank you Vin For That. Instead, I reached out to many of the Dodger/baseball fans I know and asked if they wanted to put into words what Vin meant to them or the game of baseball. Before we get to that I’ll end with this, and use Vin’s own words, “Hi everybody and a very pleasant afternoon/evening to you, whenever you may be”.
By: Mike Carter
To me Vin Scully was more than the voice of the Los Angeles Dodgers, he was the voice of baseball. He connects to Connie Mack, having told the story of meeting him in 1950 when Mack was wrapping up his long and storied career, and Vin was starting his career. Mack began playing baseball in 1886 and managed until 1950. Between the two of them they span the game from 1886 until 2016. That’s 130 years.
I remember hearing him on national TV as a kid, but my most vivid recollections of Vin are from MLB Network carrying the West Coast games on Friday nights in this century. I would stay up unusually late after the kids had gone to sleep, and not because I was a Dodgers fan, but because I wanted to hear Vin Scully call the game and spin a few yarns along the way. Staying up until 1:00 in the morning with newborns is an unwise move, but I did it anyway. It was to hear Vin Scully.
Vin gave us 67 years in his career, and I wish he could have given double that. He had the unique ability to not only transfix you but to transform you as well. He did it with a style that made you realize we all shared a common identity, first as human beings, but also as Americans. And he did it in a way that was neither grandiose nor demeaning. If you are looking for an example of this, watch his brief PSA given during the Covid-19 pandemic; see if you disagree with anything he says whether you are a Republican or Democrat. It didn’t matter to Vin. He treated you as if you were his neighbor, and he stayed that way his entire life. Godspeed, Vin Scully. There will never be another like you, an icon who broke the mold.
By: Wayne McBrayer
Vin represented what was the best way to follow baseball if you weren’t at the ballpark and that is on the radio. He was one of the few who had the ability to call a game and you do not know what team he was broadcasting for. He was to baseball what Dick Enberg was to broadcasting and that was a master of his craft.
By: Lucky Rogers
“It is time for Dodger Baseball” any Dodger fan knows where that came from and was still said by the Kershaw family before the game I went to on Tue, July 26th. I have been a Dodger fan my entire life. I took about 6 photos of me by the stars on the streets in Hollywood, Vin Scully was one of those. He is synonymous with Dodger Baseball. As much as any player ever was. His name is who you think of first when someone says Dodgers. He did so much more than that, but to me he is and always will be the voice of the Dodgers. So eloquent in how he spoke and knew when not to speak. Never be another. Put it this way – Giants and Yankees fans respect him. No need to say anything else. He was quoted as saying he wanted to see one more Championship, and he did. Now I hope they can go win one for him. Amazing man that was loved by all. He is rooted in my soul.
By: Hollie Hamilton
After a long day, most women would soak in a bathtub with a glass of wine. I am not most women. I have loved baseball my whole life, so I would get my dinner and the glass of wine and turn on the television and hear the words, “It’s time for Dodger baseball.” I would love to hear the words that would come out of Vin Scully’s mouth. I was a new Dodger fan. I had previously given up baseball because of my children’s medical needs, and it was Dodger baseball that brought me back to life, brought me back to baseball. I would watch the game and hear the stories. This was a new way to watch the game, but there was a vintage feel to it, and his voice was like a hug; in it, you felt safe and loved. As a writer, I loved how he weaved the details of baseball history while being in the present during the game. It was like being in two different worlds, but they merged into a beautiful, magical place. When my youngest son couldn’t sleep, we discovered he had a sleep disorder. Ian and I would snuggle up with a comforter, and we would watch Dodger games. I would teach him the game, and Vin would tell his stories. It was a wonderful thing to share. There would be nights I would just sit with my son and stroke his hair and Vin would tell the stories and Ian would be asleep and peace was in the house.
When the announcement came of his passing across the screen, I gasped, and Ian looked up and burst out into tears. He screamed “NO!” He grabbed me for a hug, and we cried over Vin. It was then that I realized how powerful Vin Scully and Dodger baseball had been. I comforted my son with the knowledge that he lived a long life and had a wonderful family. Ian said, “I am going to miss the stories.” I am too, Ian, I am too. Vin Scully, from my son Ian and I, thank you for the stories and our time together.
By: Norm Ordaz
Growing up in Kimberly, Idaho, I remember grabbing my portable radio with many channels searching for the Dodgers radio network. I would find the game and fall asleep listening to Vin. I loved how Vin would paint a picture of what was happening in the game. He would tell a wonderful story and at the same time keep up with the game. I learned a lot about the game from Vin and Mel Allen. My passion for the game can be traced back to the early days of my childhood listening to Vin in the basement of our house in Idaho. Vin, thank you for being such a great role model. Thank you for being you. There will never be another Vin Scully. Thank you, Vin!
By: Jayann Kellogg
Vin Scully felt like a friend I never met but always knew. He was proof that there were still kind and loving people in the world that could see good in others. He was the voice of the team and sport that I will forever love and hold dear to my heart until the day I die. He made me proud to wear Dodger blue.
By: Jeff Barnes
In the year of the improbable, the impossible has happened, Vin Scully has left us. Dick Enberg a great announcer in his own right called him the poet laureate of Baseball. Until he retired in 2016, I had never known baseball without him. And even then, he was never far away. As a boy I listened to many games on the radio with Vin, and sometimes on TV. TV games were rare then. Vin would simulcast some games, or split innings up with Ross Porter and Jerry Doggett between radio and TV. Vin painted a picture of the game that helped nurture the love of baseball that burned inside me. He provided color to every moment of the game always allowing the game to breath and allowing his audience to feel as though they were right there in the stadium. To this day I often prefer to listen to the game instead of watching on TV (Missing Vin the whole time). His calls created conversation for an inquisitive little leaguer and his grandfather. “What does can of corn mean?” was one of many questions I had. When my grandpa passed away Vin was a link to him, with every game he called. Sometimes it was if my grandpa and I were listening to him together. He brought the game to me in such a way, that I was enthralled, and swallowed whole by the beauty of baseball. Some of my greatest memories and my love of the grand ole game will always be connected to greatest of all time, Vin Scully.
By: Jana Dunow
I can tell you exactly where I was and what I was doing on October 15, 1988. That was the first game of the World Series, the Dodgers vs. the A’s. We all know what happened – another famous call by Vin Scully. I have been a Dodgers fan since birth, as my mom always said, so I grew up listening to Vin. He was part of our family. He taught us about baseball, and he kept us enthralled with the stories he told. He told us stories about our favorite players and players that we didn’t even know. Vin allowed those of us not lucky enough to be at the stadium the opportunity to hear the roar of the crowd. I love hearing the roar of the crowd. Vin taught me to soak in those moments that are improbable and impossible. He was the voice of my childhood. He was the voice of summer. As a kid you always think your favorites will never die. When one does it hits right in the gut. It’s not only the loss of the greatest sports announcer of all time, but it’s the loss of a friend who shared the love of the game.
By: Karla Olmos
Vin Scully…The voice of LA, the synonym to the soundtrack of Summer. The way he narrated games was picture perfect and could make you feel as though you were watching the game from the stands. I’ve shed many tears and gotten many goosebumps hearing the way he described plays. He was a best friend I never had the opportunity to meet but thankful to have been at his last game in San Francisco. His voice was peaceful but powerful. There will never be another quite like him. He is the GOAT and a legend. Even if you’re not a fan of baseball, you know Vin and you’re familiar with these 5, simple but potent words, “It’s Time for Dodger Baseball”! May he RIP!
By: David Gutierrez
When my buddy Kelly came to me and said he wanted to write a piece on the late great Vin Scully because he didn’t know if he could. He asked me to help him out and the answer was pretty simple. For those that may not know Kelly and I have known and been best friends for 36 years. And in those 36 years we both share one thing…the love for baseball and our beloved Dodgers. At the center of that is Vin Scully. Sure, you can talk about the 3 perfect games he called, the 25 World Series, the 12 All-Star games and countless of memorable calls! But one thing that will always stand out for Dodger fans is his 67 seasons of calling games for the boys in blue. His style is second to none, the story telling while calling a game will always be my favorite memories of him. For Kelly and I, Vin Scully will always be the voice of the Dodgers. As the baseball world mourns the loss of a legend behind the mic, we will celebrate his life, and in the words of the late Vin Scully, ”if you have a sombrero throw it to the sky”. Thank you, Vin Scully…will miss you!!