Vin Scully facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Vin Scully
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Scully in 1985
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| Born |
Vincent Edward Scully
November 29, 1927 |
| Died | August 2, 2022 (aged 94) Hidden Hills, California, U.S.
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| Alma mater | Fordham University |
| Occupation | Sportscaster |
| Years active | 1949–2016 |
| Spouse(s) |
Joan Crawford
(m. 1957; died 1972)Sandra Hunt
(m. 1973; died 2021) |
| Children | 4 |
| Awards |
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| Sports commentary career | |
| Team(s) | Brooklyn Dodgers / Los Angeles Dodgers (1950–2016) |
| Genre(s) | Play-by-play |
| Sports | Major League Baseball NFL football PGA Tour golf |
Vincent Edward Scully (November 29, 1927 – August 2, 2022) was a famous American sportscaster. He was best known for calling baseball games for the Los Angeles Dodgers for 67 seasons. His career with the Dodgers started in 1950 when the team was in Brooklyn. It ended in 2016.
Scully's time with the Dodgers was the longest any broadcaster has stayed with one team in professional sports history. He retired at age 88 in 2016. In his last season, Scully announced most Dodgers home games on TV and radio. He was famous for his clear voice, descriptive style, and his special greeting: "It's time for Dodger baseball! Hi, everybody, and a very pleasant good (afternoon/evening) to you, wherever you may be." Many people believe he was the greatest baseball broadcaster ever.
Besides Dodgers baseball, Scully also announced football and golf games for national TV. He worked for CBS Sports from 1975 to 1982 and NBC Sports from 1983 to 1989. He also called the World Series for CBS Radio from 1979 to 1982 and again from 1990 to 1997.
Contents
Early Life and Baseball Love
Vin Scully was born in the Bronx, a part of New York City. He grew up in the Washington Heights area of Manhattan. His father was a silk salesman, and his mother was a homemaker. His father passed away when Vin was four years old. His mother later married Allan Reeve, whom Vin considered his dad.
Scully found his love for baseball when he was eight. He saw the results of a 1936 World Series game and felt sad for the New York Giants who had lost badly. Since he lived near the Polo Grounds stadium, he could go to games for free. He became a big Giants fan.
Starting a Broadcasting Career
From College to National Radio
After serving in the United States Navy for two years, Scully began his career at Fordham University. He studied English and helped start the university's radio station, WFUV. He also wrote for the school newspaper, sang in a group, and played baseball. He announced games for Fordham's baseball, football, and basketball teams.
After college, he sent many letters to radio stations. Only one station, WTOP in Washington, D.C., hired him as a fill-in announcer. Red Barber, a sports director at CBS Radio, noticed Scully. He was impressed by Scully's broadcast of a football game from a very cold stadium roof. Scully never complained about the cold on air. Barber became Scully's mentor and taught him to be a fair announcer, not openly favoring one team.
Calling Games for the Dodgers (1950–2016)
Brooklyn Dodgers Era (1950–1957)
In 1950, Scully joined the Brooklyn Dodgers' radio and TV team. He worked with Red Barber and Connie Desmond. When Barber had a disagreement about his salary before the 1953 World Series, Scully took his place in the TV booth. This made him the youngest person ever to broadcast a World Series game, a record he still holds.
After Barber left the Dodgers in 1954, Scully became the main announcer for the team. He announced Dodgers games in Brooklyn until 1957. That year, the team moved to Los Angeles.
Los Angeles Dodgers Era (1958–2016)
Starting in 1958, Scully moved with the Dodgers to Southern California. He quickly became very popular there. In the Dodgers' first few years in Los Angeles, fans brought transistor radios to games. They wanted to hear Scully describe the action, especially in the large Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. This continued even after the team moved to the smaller Dodger Stadium in 1962.
In 1964, the New York Yankees offered Scully a job, but he chose to stay with the Dodgers. By 1976, Dodgers fans voted him the "most memorable personality" in the team's history.
Unlike today, where many announcers talk together, Scully and his partners, Jerry Doggett and Ross Porter, each called innings by themselves. Scully would call most of the game, switching between radio and TV. When Jerry Doggett retired in 1987, former Dodgers pitcher Don Drysdale took his place. Drysdale sadly passed away in 1993, which was a very difficult moment for Scully to announce on air. Rick Monday then joined the broadcast team.
On August 28, 2015, Scully announced that he would return for the 2016 season, his 67th with the Dodgers. He said it would likely be his last year. Scully's final regular season game from Dodger Stadium was on September 25, 2016. The Dodgers won the game with a walk-off home run. His very last game was on October 2, 2016, in San Francisco.
Working for CBS Sports (1975–1982)
From 1975 to 1982, Scully also announced National Football League games for CBS Sports. He worked with different analysts. Scully called Dwight Clark's famous "The Catch" in a key football game in 1982. He said it was a "hell of a game to quit doing football."
Scully also helped cover PGA Tour golf and tennis for CBS. Because of his national work, he called fewer Dodgers games. CBS Radio also had him announce the All-Star Game and the World Series during this time.
Scully decided to leave CBS for NBC in 1983. This happened because CBS chose Pat Summerall to be the main play-by-play announcer for football alongside John Madden, instead of Scully.
Working for NBC Sports (1983–1989)
Outside of Southern California, many people remember Vin Scully as the main baseball announcer for NBC Sports from 1983 to 1989. He called the Saturday Game of the Week, three World Series, and four All-Star Games. During this time, Scully adjusted his Dodgers schedule. He called home games on radio and road games for Dodgers TV, taking Fridays and Saturdays off for NBC.
During his time at NBC, Scully called some of baseball's most famous moments. These include Bill Buckner's error in the 1986 World Series and Kirk Gibson's amazing home run in Game 1 of the 1988 World Series. He also called Fred Lynn's grand slam in the 1983 All-Star Game and Jack Morris' no-hitter in 1984.
On June 3, 1989, Scully had a very busy day. He called 10 innings of an NBC game in St. Louis. Then, he flew to Houston to call the Dodgers game. When he arrived, the Dodgers game was still going in extra innings, so he went straight to the stadium. He ended up calling the final 13 innings of that game, meaning he announced 23 innings in one day in two different cities!
After the 1989 season, NBC lost the rights to show Major League Baseball games. Scully said it was "a passing of a great American tradition" and felt it was sad.
After NBC and Retirement (1990–2016)
After leaving NBC, Scully focused mainly on his Dodgers duties. He also returned to being the national radio announcer for the World Series from 1990 to 1997. He called Game 7 of the 1997 World Series, which was his last World Series game.
For health reasons, Scully began to call fewer road games, especially those far from Los Angeles, starting around 2005. In his final season in 2016, he called about 100 games. He would announce the first three innings for both radio and TV, then only for TV.
On January 31, 2016, Scully announced he would retire after the 2016 season. He chose not to call any postseason games, saying he didn't want to "say goodbye 12 different times."
The Dodgers honored Scully on September 23, 2016, with a special ceremony. Many famous people, including baseball commissioner Rob Manfred and Dodgers legends Sandy Koufax and Clayton Kershaw, spoke about his career. His final home game was on September 25, 2016, which the Dodgers won with a walk-off home run. His very last broadcast was on October 2, 2016, in San Francisco. After the game, he gave a heartfelt farewell message to his fans.
In 2017, the Dodgers reached the World Series. Many fans and even other announcers asked Scully to come out of retirement to call some games, but he politely declined. He did, however, take part in the first pitch ceremony before Game 2 at Dodger Stadium.
Other Appearances and Impersonations
Besides sports, Scully was the narrator for a TV show called Occasional Wife. He also co-hosted the Tournament of Roses Parade in 1967 and hosted a game show called It Takes Two.
Scully was the announcer for the MLB video game series on PlayStation for several years. He retired from video game announcing after MLB 2005. He also appeared as himself or his voice was heard in several movies and TV shows, including For Love of the Game and The X-Files. The character Dana Scully from The X-Files was named after him because the show's creator was a Dodgers fan.
Some people have impersonated Scully, including Harry Shearer on Saturday Night Live and The Simpsons. San Francisco Giants broadcaster Jon Miller is also known for his Scully impression.
Awards and Honors for Vin Scully
Vin Scully received many awards for his amazing career. In 1982, he won the Ford C. Frick Award from the National Baseball Hall of Fame. He also won a Lifetime Achievement Emmy Award and was inducted into the National Radio Hall of Fame in 1995.
The National Sports Media Association named Scully "National Sportscaster of the Year" four times. They also named him "California Sportscaster of the Year" 33 times! He was inducted into their Hall of Fame in 1991. The American Sportscasters Association named him "Sportscaster of the Century" in 2000.
Scully has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Since 2001, the press box at Dodger Stadium has been named after him. A street at the Dodgers' old spring training facility was also named "Vin Scully Way."
WFUV, the radio station Scully helped start at Fordham University, gives out an annual "Vin Scully Lifetime Achievement Award." Scully himself was the first person to receive this award in 2008.
Scully was the Grand Marshal for the 2014 Tournament of Roses Parade. He also rode on the Dodgers' float in the 2008 parade.
On September 5, 2014, he received the Commissioner's Historic Achievement Award from baseball's commissioner, Bud Selig. This award recognizes people who have made very important contributions to baseball.
In 2016, his final year, many more honors came his way. The Los Angeles City Council voted to rename the street leading to Dodger Stadium to "Vin Scully Ave." July 8 was called "Vin Scully Day" in California. The Mayor of Los Angeles gave him the key to the city. On November 22, Scully received the Presidential Medal of Freedom, which is the highest award a civilian can get in the United States.
In 2017, Scully's commentary from the final Brooklyn Dodgers game in 1957 was chosen for the National Recording Registry. This means it's considered very important culturally and historically. He also won the Icon Award at the ESPY Awards.
Personal Life
In 1972, Scully's first wife, Joan Crawford, passed away after 15 years of marriage. In 1973, he married Sandra Hunt. She had two children, and they later had a child together. Sadly, Scully's oldest son, Michael, died in a helicopter crash at age 33 in 1994. He was inspecting oil pipelines after an earthquake.
Scully was a very religious person and said his faith helped him cope with the loss of his wife and son. He encouraged devotion to the Virgin Mary. In 2016, he even narrated an audio recording of the Rosary.
Vin Scully and his second wife, Sandra, were married for 48 years. Sandra passed away on January 3, 2021, from a disease called ALS.
On August 2, 2022, Vin Scully passed away at his home in Hidden Hills, California, at the age of 94. He had four children, two stepchildren, sixteen grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren.
