The voice of baseball

On the eve of the the Dodgers playing in their first World Series since 1988, only one name comes to my mind: Vin Scully. 

Growing up you learn to idolize celebrities, athletes, and prominent people in pop culture.  In my household there are 4 people who we looked up to:  Bruce Springsteen, Larry David, Sandy Koufax and Vincent Scully.  An eclectic group you might think, but it spoke to the true heart of who we were as a family.  My mom idolized, mesmerized and got googlyeyed over Bruce Springsteen and my dad essentially considered himself to be Larry David.  But the moral compass of the family pointed right at Sandy and Vin. 

Sandy is one of baseballs most cherished arms. His accomplishments show pure dominance including 4 no-no’s, 1 perfect game, 3 World Series rings, 3 Cy Young’s, a National League MVP title etc etc etc. He had a lively left arm and was a dedicated player who took the mound no matter the circumstances – a black and blue arm, an inflamed elbow – he had no hesitations and he never complained.  He was a true warrior on the field, and an honorable man off of it choosing his family and religion over starting game 1 of the 1965 World Series against the Twins.  

Along side every one of Koufax’s exceptional starts was a man from Brooklyn who is now known as, “the voice of baseball.” Vin Scully spent his entire life behind the mic of the Dodgers becoming an iconic personality to baseball and sports as a whole, but more importantly becoming someone who I look up to most. 

I was once asked in a job interview to name someone I looked up to. It didn’t have to be professional, just someone who I idolized as a person. When I answered with Vin Scully – the interviewer was shocked. First they asked me how I even knew that name and shortly got around to asking me why? My answer was rather simple: He fell in love with what he did and he did it the right way. 

To me, there is no one on this earth who has more grace, poise and elegance to themselves.  There is no better story teller, no better voice and no better person to represent the game of baseball.  Starting every game with the simple yet historic words of “Hi, everybody, and a very pleasant good (afternoon or evening) to you, wherever you may be.” And ending his opening remarks with “It’s time for Dodger Baseball” (#ITDB), which is now used as a pop culture reference when taking about the Dodgers.  

Listening to a game called by Vin was like grabbing a beer with a friend who had traveled the world and gained much more life experience than you. He was informative, inspirational, and passionate.  He knew everything about every single player that came through Dodger Stadium and Ebbots Field.  He was known as the voice of baseball but he never had an interest in being the face of it. All he wanted to do was spend his evenings with the fans of the game and be able to add a little bit of knowledge and stories along the way.  

When I think about Vin Scully I think about all the reasons why I personally love baseball. He brought a sense of intimacy to such a broad spectrum sport.  He created a sense of community, togetherness, and he made you feel welcomed. It was like listening to a friend tell you stories about life with a baseball game in the background.  But when the big moments happened, Vin was known for his silence, sitting back and letting the crowd and the fans enjoy the moment. It was never about him, it was always about the players and the game  Vin Scully had this unbelievable ability to make every baseball game relatable.  I like to say that he humanized the sport.  Athletes who make bundles of money and live lavish lifestyles are now just regular guys by the stories he was able to tell you with his comforting voice. 

I want to thank Vin Scully for not only being a baseball icon, but for being an icon of life and what it means to be a good human being.  He taught us all the importance of following your dreams. From a young boy in Brooklyn with so much love for baseball, to being one of the most cherished names in all of sports – he showed us what it means to live out your dreams, but most importantly, he showed us how to do it the right way.  Sports has all types of characters and personalities, some good some bad and some so great there will never be anyone to do it better than them, and that’s Vin Scully.

So I want every Los Angeles Dodger to win this World Series for themselves first, and Vin second – because that is how he would want it to be. You before me.