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mchenrycards
Featured Contributor, Vintage Corner, Senior Membe
As most baseball fans know, 89 year old Vin Scully is in his 67th and final season broadcasting Dodger baseball to the fans of America. Vin has seen players and coaches come and go while being the one steady voice of reason throughout nearly seven decades. In his career, baseball has seen the disappearance of stirrup socks and the high and tight intentional fastball. Stadiums have gone from neighborhood gathering places to cookie cutter monoliths to now a combination of the two. Players now wear betting helmets, arm pads, ankle guards and toe guards while batting while pitchers are still unable to defend themselves against a 120 mph comebacker to the mound. In Vin's career players have gone from making $4000 per season and needing a full time job in the off season to make ends meet to needing accountants, publicists, agents and an entourage for even the 25th man on the Major League roster. Scorecards are no longer a dime and hot dogs and beer are no longer two bits but the game on the field is still mostly unchanged from when Vin took over the announcing duty from legendary broadcaster Red Barber. Just as the basics of the game is virtually unchanged, Vin Scully has also remained unchanged though his years behind the microphone.
Taking the advice from Red Barber who once told him to be successful he needs to avoid being a homer, Vin Scully parlayed his voice as well as his ability to let the game and the crowd do the talking into a Hall of Fame career and earned him the reverence of baseball people everywhere. I had the opportunity to meet Mr. Scully on several occasions while I worked in MLB and had the even greater opportunity to sit on the dugout bench as he held court with Tommy Lasorda while they told stories of days gone by. I remember having to pinch myself as I sat there and listened to the voice of God tell the gathered media members about his experiences with Hodges, Robinson, Alston, Drysdale and so many other players that I had only read about. It was an awesome experience with an awesome man who was the same in front of a crowd of thousands or in a runway tunnel behind the dugout out of the view of everyone. It is sad to see our greats get old and watch them fade away but thanks to modern technology, we will forever have the man who welcomed is to watch Dodger baseball all those summer (and sometimes autumn) days.
I hope you enjoy today's photo of the day.
Vin Scully with his crazy 50's hair style as he hangs out in the Ebbets Field dugout with Dodgers great Gil Hodges and other assembled media members.
Don Drysdale Vin Scully and Sandy Koufax ....year unknown. Looking at those Sansabelt slacks my guess is late '70's early '80's.
"Good is not good when better is expected" - Vin Scully
Taking the advice from Red Barber who once told him to be successful he needs to avoid being a homer, Vin Scully parlayed his voice as well as his ability to let the game and the crowd do the talking into a Hall of Fame career and earned him the reverence of baseball people everywhere. I had the opportunity to meet Mr. Scully on several occasions while I worked in MLB and had the even greater opportunity to sit on the dugout bench as he held court with Tommy Lasorda while they told stories of days gone by. I remember having to pinch myself as I sat there and listened to the voice of God tell the gathered media members about his experiences with Hodges, Robinson, Alston, Drysdale and so many other players that I had only read about. It was an awesome experience with an awesome man who was the same in front of a crowd of thousands or in a runway tunnel behind the dugout out of the view of everyone. It is sad to see our greats get old and watch them fade away but thanks to modern technology, we will forever have the man who welcomed is to watch Dodger baseball all those summer (and sometimes autumn) days.
I hope you enjoy today's photo of the day.
Vin Scully with his crazy 50's hair style as he hangs out in the Ebbets Field dugout with Dodgers great Gil Hodges and other assembled media members.
Don Drysdale Vin Scully and Sandy Koufax ....year unknown. Looking at those Sansabelt slacks my guess is late '70's early '80's.
"Good is not good when better is expected" - Vin Scully
