Vincent Edward Scully is an American
sportscasterIn sports broadcasting, a commentator gives a running commentary of a game or event in real time, usually during a live broadcast. The comments are normally a voiceover, with the sounds of the action and spectators also heard in the background. In the case of television commentary, the commentator...
, known primarily as the play-by-play voice of the
Brooklyn and Los Angeles DodgersThe Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...
baseball team on Prime Ticket,
KCAL-TVKCAL-TV, channel 9, is an independent television station in Los Angeles, California, USA, owned by the CBS Corporation. KCAL-TV shares its studio facilities with KCBS-TV inside CBS Studio Center in the Studio City section of Los Angeles, and its transmitter is located atop Mount Wilson.-Digital...
and KABC radio. His 62 seasons with the Dodgers (1950–present) is the longest of any broadcaster with a single club in
professional sportsProfessional sports, as opposed to amateur sports, are sports in which athletes receive payment for their performance. Professional athleticism has come to the fore through a combination of developments. Mass media and increased leisure have brought larger audiences, so that sports organizations...
history, and he is second by a year to only
Tommy LasordaThomas Charles Lasorda is a former Major League baseball player and manager. marked his sixth decade in one capacity or another with the Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers organization, the longest non-continuous tenure anyone has had with the team, edging Dodger broadcaster Vin Scully...
in terms of length of years with the Dodgers organization in any capacity.
Early life
Born in
The BronxThe Bronx is the northernmost of the five boroughs of New York City. It is also known as Bronx County, the last of the 62 counties of New York State to be incorporated...
, Scully grew up in the
Washington HeightsWashington Heights is a New York City neighborhood in the northern reaches of the borough of Manhattan. It is named for Fort Washington, a fortification constructed at the highest point on Manhattan island by Continental Army troops during the American Revolutionary War, to defend the area from the...
section of
ManhattanManhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
. He made ends meet by delivering beer and mail, pushing garment racks, and cleaning silver in the basement of the Pennsylvania Hotel in
New York CityNew York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. His father was a silk salesman; his mother a Roman Catholic homemaker of Irish descent with red hair like her son. Scully attended high school at
Fordham Preparatory SchoolFordham Preparatory School is a private Jesuit all-boys high school located in the Bronx, New York City, with an enrollment of approximately 950 students. It is located on the Rose Hill campus of Fordham University....
in the Bronx. As a kid growing up in Washington Heights, he was a big
Mel OttMelvin Thomas Ott , nicknamed "Master Melvin", was a Major League Baseball right fielder. He played his entire career for the New York Giants . Ott was born in Gretna, Louisiana. He batted left-handed and threw right-handed...
fan. He knew he wanted to be a sports announcer the moment he became fascinated with
footballAmerican football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
broadcasts on his radio.
From Fordham to CBS Radio
Scully began his career as a student broadcaster and journalist at
Fordham UniversityFordham University is a private, nonprofit, coeducational research university in the United States, with three campuses in and around New York City. It was founded by the Roman Catholic Diocese of New York in 1841 as St...
. While at Fordham, he helped form its
FMIn telecommunications and signal processing, frequency modulation conveys information over a carrier wave by varying its instantaneous frequency. This contrasts with amplitude modulation, in which the amplitude of the carrier is varied while its frequency remains constant...
radio station
WFUVWFUV, 90.7 FM in New York City, is Fordham University's 50,000-watt, non-commercial radio station, with studios on campus and its antenna atop nearby Montefiore Medical Center. First broadcast in 1947, WFUV has an airstaff which includes such New York radio veterans as Pete Fornatale , Dennis...
(which now presents a Vin Scully Lifetime Achievement Award each year), was assistant sports editor for Volume 28 of
The Fordham Ram his senior year, sang in a barbershop quartet, played
center fieldA center fielder, abbreviated CF, is the outfielder in baseball who plays defense in center field – the baseball fielding position between left field and right field...
for the
Fordham Rams baseballThe Fordham Rams baseball team of Fordham University in New York City has been existence since its first game played against St. Francis Xavier College, the first collegiate baseball game played with nine-man teams...
team, called radio broadcasts for Rams baseball, football, and basketball, got a degree, and sent about 150 letters to stations along the
Eastern seaboardThe East Coast of the United States, also known as the Eastern Seaboard, refers to the easternmost coastal states in the United States, which touch the Atlantic Ocean and stretch up to Canada. The term includes the U.S...
. He got only one response, from
CBS RadioThe CBS Radio Network provides news, sports and other programming to more than 1,000 radio stations throughout the United States. The network is owned by CBS Corporation, and operated by CBS Radio ....
affiliate
WTOPWTOP is an all-news formatted broadcast radio station licensed to Washington, D.C., serving Metropolitan Washington, DC area. WTOP is owned by Hubbard Broadcasting.WTOP is one of two all-news stations in the Washington, D.C...
in
WashingtonWashington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, which made him a fill-in.
Scully was then recruited by
Red BarberWalter Lanier "Red" Barber was an American sportscaster.Barber, nicknamed "The Ol' Redhead", was primarily identified with radio broadcasts of Major League Baseball, calling play-by-play across four decades with the Cincinnati Reds , Brooklyn Dodgers , and New York Yankees...
, sports director of the CBS Radio Network, for its
college footballCollege football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
coverage. Scully impressed his boss with his coverage of a football game from frigid
Fenway ParkFenway Park is a baseball park near Kenmore Square in Boston, Massachusetts. Located at 4 Yawkey Way, it has served as the home ballpark of the Boston Red Sox baseball club since it opened in 1912, and is the oldest Major League Baseball stadium currently in use. It is one of two "classic"...
in Boston, despite having to do so from the stadium roof. Expecting an enclosed press box, Scully had left his coat and gloves at his hotel, but never mentioned his discomfort on the air. Barber mentored Scully and told him that if he wanted to be a successful sports announcer he should never be a "homer" (openly showing a rooting interest for the team that employs you), never listen to other announcers, and keep his opinions to himself.
Brooklyn Dodgers
In
1950-Major League Baseball:*World Series: New York Yankees over Philadelphia Phillies *All-Star Game, July 11 at Comiskey Park: National League, 4-3 -Other champions:*Caribbean World Series: Carta Vieja *College World Series: Texas...
, Scully joined Barber and
Cornelius (Connie) DesmondCornelius "Connie" Desmond was an American Major League Baseball radio broadcaster, primarily for the Brooklyn Dodgers.Desmond began hiscareer in 1932 as the voice of the minor league Toledo Mud Hens...
in the
Brooklyn DodgersThe Brooklyn Dodgers struggled for much of the season, but still wound up pushing the Philadelphia Phillies to the last day of the season before falling two games short. Following the season Branch Rickey was replaced as majority owner/team president by Walter O'Malley, who promptly fired manager...
'
radioRadio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...
and
televisionTelevision is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
booths. When Barber got into a salary dispute with World Series sponsor Gillette in 1953, Scully took Barber's spot for the
Fall ClassicThe 1953 World Series matched the four-time defending champion New York Yankees against the Brooklyn Dodgers in a rematch of the 1952 Series. The Yankees won in six games for their fifth straight title—a mark which has not been equalled—and their sixteenth overall...
. At the age of 25, Scully became the youngest person ever to broadcast a World Series (a record that stands to this day). Barber left the Dodgers after the
1953The 1953 Brooklyn Dodgers repeated as National League champions by posting a 105-49 record, as of 2011 the best winning percentage in team history...
season to work for the
New York YankeesThe New York Yankees season was the team's 52nd season in New York, and its 54th overall. The team finished in second place in the American League with a record of 103-51, finishing 8 games behind the Cleveland Indians, who broke the Yankees' 1927 AL record by winning 111 games. New York was...
. Scully eventually became the team's principal announcer. Scully called the Dodgers' games in Brooklyn until
1957The 1957 Brooklyn Dodgers season was overshadowed by Walter O'Malley's threat to move the Dodgers out of Brooklyn if the city did not build him a new stadium in that borough. When the best the mayor could promise was a stadium in Queens, O'Malley made good on his threats and moved the team to Los...
, after which the club moved west to Los Angeles.
Scully's view of the game was always wider than what was happening on the field in front of him. In a 1957 game in Ebbets Field, an odd series of game-related events required the Dodgers to use their third-string catcher, Joe Pignatano, in the middle of the game. Scully knew that Pignatano's wife had recently had a baby and wasn't at the game and might not be listening to the broadcast. Not wanting her to miss her husband's major league debut behind the plate, he suggested that any listeners who might know the Pignatano family should pick up the phone and alert them.
Los Angeles Dodgers
Scully accompanied the Dodgers to their new location beginning with the
1958The Los Angeles Dodgers took the field before 78,672 fans at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on April 18, 1958, to usher in the beginning of the team's new life in Los Angeles...
season, and quickly became popular in Southern California. During the Dodgers' first four seasons in Los Angeles, the fans had difficulty following the action in the cavernous
Los Angeles Memorial ColiseumThe Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum is a large outdoor sports stadium in the University Park neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, at Exposition Park, that is home to the Pacific-12 Conference's University of Southern California Trojans football team...
, and it soon became customary for them to bring
transistor radioA transistor radio is a small portable radio receiver using transistor-based circuitry. Following their development in 1954 they became the most popular electronic communication device in history, with billions manufactured during the 1960s and 1970s...
s to the games to hear Scully and partner
Jerry DoggettJerry Doggett was an American sportscaster who called games for the Brooklyn and Los Angeles Dodgers of Major League Baseball from 1956 to 1987.-Early days:...
describe the action. This practice continued even after the team's move to
Dodger StadiumDodger Stadium, also sometimes called Chavez Ravine, is a stadium in Los Angeles. Located adjacent to Downtown Los Angeles, Dodger Stadium has been the home ballpark of Major League Baseball's Los Angeles Dodgers team since 1962...
in
1962The Los Angeles Dodgers season was the fifth for the team in Southern California, and the 73rd for the franchise in the National League. After spending the previous four seasons at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, they began the season by opening Dodger Stadium, the team's new ballpark. The...
. Radio and television engineers often had difficulty compensating for the sound of Scully's play-by-play reverberating through the stands at Dodger home games.
In 1964, the
New York YankeesThe New York Yankees season was the 62nd season for the Yankees. The team finished with a record of 99-63, winning their 29th pennant, finishing 1 game ahead of the Chicago White Sox. New York was managed by Yogi Berra. The Yankees played at Yankee Stadium. In the World Series, they were defeated...
offered Scully the opportunity to succeed
Mel AllenMel Allen was an American sportscaster, best known for his long tenure as the primary play-by-play announcer for the New York Yankees. During the peak of his career in the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s, Allen was arguably the most prominent member of his profession, his voice familiar to millions...
as their lead play-by-play announcer. Scully chose to remain with the Dodgers, however, and his popularity in Los Angeles became such that in
1976The Los Angeles Dodgers finished the season in second place in the western division of the National League. The big news was when long-time manager of two decades Walter Alston resigned abruptly near the end of the season and was replaced by Tommy Lasorda who would manage the team for two decades...
the team's fans voted him the "most memorable personality" in the history of the franchise.
CBS
Like Red Barber and Mel Allen in the 1940s, Scully retained his credentials in football even as his baseball career blossomed. From
1975The 1975 NFL season was the 56th regular season of the National Football League. It was also the first time that featured an entire season with no games ending in a tie. The league made two significant changes to increase the appeal of the game:...
to
1982The 1981 NFL season was the 62nd regular season of the National Football League. The season ended with Super Bowl XVI when the San Francisco 49ers defeated the Cincinnati Bengals.-Major rule changes:...
, Scully called televised
National Football League gamesThe NFL on CBS is the brand name of the CBS television network's coverage of the National Football League's American Football Conference games, produced by CBS Sports.-Market coverage and television policies:...
for
CBS SportsCBS Sports is a division of CBS Broadcasting which airs sporting events on the American television network. Its headquarters are in the CBS Building on West 52nd Street in midtown Manhattan, New York City, with programs produced out of Studio 43 at the CBS Broadcast Center on West 57th Street.CBS...
. One of his most famous NFL calls is
Dwight ClarkDwight Edward Clark is a former American Pro Bowl wide receiver for the San Francisco 49ers from 1979 to 1987...
's touchdown
catchThe Catch refers to the winning touchdown reception by Dwight Clark off a Joe Montana pass in the January 10, 1982, NFC Championship Game between the Dallas Cowboys and the San Francisco 49ers...
in the NFC Championship Game on January 10, 1982 (which Scully called with
Hank StramHenry Louis "Hank" Stram was an American football coach. He is best known for his 15-year tenure with the American Football League's Dallas Texans/Kansas City Chiefs and the Chiefs of the NFL. Stram won three AFL Championships and Super Bowl IV with the Chiefs...
as his final NFL telecast for CBS), that put the
San Francisco 49ersThe San Francisco 49ers 1981 season was their 32nd season in the National Football League. The season was highlighted by their first Super Bowl victory. A big turning point for the franchise was the drafting of Ronnie Lott from the University of Southern California. Quarterback Joe Montana began...
into
Super Bowl XVISuper Bowl XVI was an American football game played on January 24, 1982, at the Pontiac Silverdome in Pontiac, Michigan to decide the National Football League champion following the 1981 regular season. It marked the first time that a Super Bowl was held at a cold-weather city...
.
Scully also contributed to the network's
tennisTennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
and
PGA TourPGA Tour on CBS is a television program produced by CBS Sports that broadcasts the main professional golf tours in the United States.-Coverage overview:In January 2006, the PGA Tour announced a new set of television deals covering 2007 to 2012...
golfGolf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
coverage in the late 1970s and early 1980s, usually working the golf events with
Pat SummerallGeorge Allen "Pat" Summerall is a former American football player and television sportscaster, having worked at CBS, Fox, and ESPN.Summerall is best known for his work with John Madden on NFL telecasts for CBS and Fox.-High school:...
,
Ken VenturiKenneth Venturi is an American former professional golfer and golf broadcaster.-Early years and amateur career:Venturi was born in San Francisco, California. He learned golf from an early age, and developed his game at Harding Park Golf Course and other public courses in the area...
, and Ben Wright. From 1975 to 1982, he was part of the team that covered the
MastersThe Masters Tournament, also known as The Masters , is one of the four major championships in professional golf. Scheduled for the first full week of April, it is the first of the majors to be played each year...
tournament for CBS. Scully's network commitments led to him working a reduced schedule with the Dodgers, who hired Ross Porter to help pick up the slack.
In
1977-Major League Baseball:*World Series: New York Yankees over Los Angeles Dodgers ; Reggie Jackson, MVP*American League Championship Series MVP: None*National League Championship Series MVP: Dusty Baker...
, Scully began his first of two stints calling baseball for
CBS RadioMajor League Baseball on CBS Radio was the de facto title for the CBS Radio Network's coverage of Major League Baseball. Produced by CBS Radio Sports , the program was the official national radio broadcaster for the All-Star Game and the postseason from 1976 to 1997.-Contracts:CBS first covered...
, broadcasting the
All-Star GameThe Major League Baseball All-Star Game, also known as the "Midsummer Classic", is an annual baseball game between players from the National League and the American League, currently selected by a combination of fans, players, coaches, and managers...
through
1982The 1982 Major League Baseball All-Star Game was the 53rd midseason exhibition between the all-stars of the American League and the National League , the two leagues comprising Major League Baseball. The game was played on July 13, 1982 at Olympic Stadium in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, home of the...
and the
World SeriesThe World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball, played between the American League and National League champions since 1903. The winner of the World Series championship is determined through a best-of-seven playoff and awarded the Commissioner's Trophy...
from
1979The 1979 World Series matched the National League's Pittsburgh Pirates against the American League's Baltimore Orioles , with the Pirates coming back from a three games to one deficit to win the Series in seven games...
–
1982-Game 1:Tuesday, October 12, 1982 at Busch Stadium in St. Louis, MissouriThe Brewers' left-hander Mike Caldwell pitched a complete game shutout, allowing only three hits. The Brewers' offense was led by Paul Molitor, who had a World Series-record five hits and two RBIs...
.
Departure from CBS
Scully decided to leave CBS in favor of a job calling baseball games for NBC (beginning in
1983-Major League Baseball:*World Series: Baltimore Orioles over Philadelphia Phillies ; Rick Dempsey, MVP*American League Championship Series MVP: Mike Boddicker*National League Championship Series MVP: Gary Matthews...
) following a dispute over assignment prominence (according to CBS Sports then-producer Terry O'Neil, in the book
The Game Behind the Game). CBS decided going into the
1981 NFL seasonThe 1981 NFL season was the 62nd regular season of the National Football League. The season ended with Super Bowl XVI when the San Francisco 49ers defeated the Cincinnati Bengals.-Major rule changes:...
that John Madden, whom CBS had hired in 1979 and who had called games alongside
Frank GlieberFrank John Glieber was an American sportscaster.-Early life and career:...
and
Gary BenderGary Bender is a retired American sportscaster and 2008 inductee in to the Kansas Sports Hall of Fame. He officially retired, April 13, 2011, from Fox Sports Arizona network after 18 years calling the NBA Phoenix Suns games.-Early career:...
his first two years, was going to be the star
color commentatorA color commentator is a sports commentator who assists the play-by-play announcer, often by filling in any time when play is not in progress. The color analyst and main commentator will often exchange comments freely throughout the broadcast, when the play-by-play announcer is not describing the...
of their NFL television coverage. But they had trouble figuring out who was going to be his play-by-play partner, as Scully was in a battle with CBS' lead play-by-play voice
Pat SummerallGeorge Allen "Pat" Summerall is a former American football player and television sportscaster, having worked at CBS, Fox, and ESPN.Summerall is best known for his work with John Madden on NFL telecasts for CBS and Fox.-High school:...
for the position. At the time Scully was CBS' #2 NFL voice, a position he had held since 1975, and was in his first year calling games alongside former
Kansas City ChiefsThe Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. They are a member of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Originally named the Dallas Texans, the club was founded by Lamar Hunt in 1960 as a...
coach
Hank StramHenry Louis "Hank" Stram was an American football coach. He is best known for his 15-year tenure with the American Football League's Dallas Texans/Kansas City Chiefs and the Chiefs of the NFL. Stram won three AFL Championships and Super Bowl IV with the Chiefs...
, who had been promoted from CBS' #3 broadcast team alongside
Curt GowdyCurtis Edward "Curt" Gowdy was an American sportscaster, well known as the longtime "voice" of the Boston Red Sox and for his coverage of many nationally-televised sporting events, primarily for NBC Sports in the 1960s and 1970s.-Early years:The son of a manager for the Union Pacific railroad,...
.
To resolve the situation both Scully and Summerall were paired with Madden in four week stints, which coincided with each of their respective absences due to other engagements. While Summerall was away calling the
U.S. OpenThe US Open, formally the United States Open Tennis Championships, is a hardcourt tennis tournament which is the modern iteration of one of the oldest tennis championships in the world, the U.S. National Championship, which for men's singles was first contested in 1881...
for CBS as he did every September, Scully called the first four weeks of the season alongside Madden. After that Scully went on to cover the
National League Championship Series- Game 1 :Tuesday, October 13, 1981 at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, CaliforniaThe Dodgers took the first game of the series behind the strong pitching of starter Burt Hooton. For the first seven innings the game stayed close, with the only scoring coming in the second inning when the Dodgers got...
and
World SeriesThe 1981 World Series matched the New York Yankees against the Los Angeles Dodgers, marking their third meeting in the Series in five years as well as a record eleventh Series meeting overall and last Series meeting to date...
for CBS Radio, as he had done for the past few Octobers, and Summerall returned to the broadcast booth to work with Madden.
After the eighth week of the NFL season, CBS Sports decided that Summerall meshed more with Madden than Scully did and named him to be the man who would call
Super Bowl XVISuper Bowl XVI was an American football game played on January 24, 1982, at the Pontiac Silverdome in Pontiac, Michigan to decide the National Football League champion following the 1981 regular season. It marked the first time that a Super Bowl was held at a cold-weather city...
for CBS on January 24, 1982, at the
Pontiac SilverdomeThe Silverdome is a domed stadium located in the city of Pontiac, Michigan, USA, which sits on . It was the largest stadium in the National Football League until FedEx Field in suburban Washington, D.C...
. An angry Scully, who felt his intelligence was insulted by the move, was assigned as a consolation that year's NFC Championship Game, which he called alongside Stram. Summerall took Stram's place alongside
Jack BuckJohn Francis "Jack" Buck was an American sportscaster, best known for his work announcing Major League Baseball games of the St. Louis Cardinals. Buck received the Ford C. Frick Award from the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1987, and is honored with a star on the St. Louis Walk of Fame...
to call the game over
CBS RadioThe NFL on Westwood One is the brand name given to weekly National Football League games carried on the radio over the Dial Global Radio Network...
.
NBC
Outside of
Southern CaliforniaSouthern California is a megaregion, or megapolitan area, in the southern area of the U.S. state of California. Large urban areas include Greater Los Angeles and Greater San Diego. The urban area stretches along the coast from Ventura through the Southland and Inland Empire to San Diego...
, Vin Scully is probably best remembered as
NBCNBC Sports is the sports division of the NBC television network. Formerly "a service of NBC News," it broadcasts a diverse array of programs, including the Olympic Games, the NFL, the NHL, MLS, Notre Dame football, the PGA Tour, the Triple Crown, and the French Open, among others...
television's lead baseball broadcaster from
1983-Major League Baseball:*World Series: Baltimore Orioles over Philadelphia Phillies ; Rick Dempsey, MVP*American League Championship Series MVP: Mike Boddicker*National League Championship Series MVP: Gary Matthews...
to
1989-Major League Baseball:*World Series: Oakland Athletics over San Francisco Giants ; Dave Stewart, MVP*American League Championship Series MVP: Rickey Henderson*National League Championship Series MVP: Will Clark...
. Besides calling the
Saturday Game of the WeekThe Major League Baseball Game of the Week is the de facto title for over-the-air, nationally televised coverage of regular season Major League Baseball games...
for NBC, Scully called three World Series (
1984The 1984 World Series began on October 9 and ended on October 14, 1984. The American League champion Detroit Tigers played against the National League champion San Diego Padres, with the Tigers winning the series four games to one....
,
1986The 1986 World Series pitted the New York Mets against the Boston Red Sox. It was cited in the legend of the "Curse of the Bambino" to explain the error by Bill Buckner in Game 6 that allowed the Mets to extend the series to a seventh game...
, and
1988-Game 1:Saturday, October 15, 1988 at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, CaliforniaBecause of using ace Orel Hershiser in Game 7 of the NLCS, the Dodgers had to open with rookie Tim Belcher in Game 1. Meanwhile, Oakland sent a well-rested Dave Stewart to the mound. Both pitchers, however, would have...
), four
National League Championship SeriesIn Major League Baseball, the National League Championship Series is a round in the postseason that determines who wins the National League pennant and advances to Major League Baseball's championship, the World Series, facing the winner of the American League Championship Series. The reigning...
(
1983The National League Championship Series was a best-of-five matchup between the Western Division champion Los Angeles Dodgers and the Eastern Division champion Philadelphia Phillies...
,
1985-Game 1:Wednesday, October 9, 1985 at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, CaliforniaThe opening contest in Los Angeles pitted Dodgers screwballer Fernando Valenzuela against the Cardinals' twenty-game winner, John Tudor. The pitchers matched zeroes through the first three innings, but in the bottom of...
,
1987- Game 1 :Tuesday, October 6, 1987 at Busch Stadium in St. Louis, MissouriThe Giants struck first on an RBI groundout by Candy Maldonado, but the Cardinals tied it in the third on Vince Coleman's RBI single...
, and
1989-Game 1:Wednesday, October 4, 1989 at Wrigley Field in Chicago, IllinoisThe Giants entered the series as slight favorites due to the MVP season of Kevin Mitchell, the solid play of Will Clark, and the best ERA in baseball by pitcher Scott Garrelts...
), and four
All-Star GamesThe Major League Baseball All-Star Game, also known as the "Midsummer Classic", is an annual baseball game between players from the National League and the American League, currently selected by a combination of fans, players, coaches, and managers...
(
1983The 1983 Major League Baseball All-Star Game was the 54th playing of the midsummer classic between the all-stars of the American League and National League , the two leagues comprising Major League Baseball. The game was held on July 6, 1983, at Comiskey Park in Chicago, Illinois, the home of the...
,
1985The 1985 Major League Baseball All-Star Game was the 56th playing of the game, annually played between the All-Stars of the National League and the All-Stars of the American League. The game was played on July 16, 1985, in the Hubert H...
,
1987The 1987 Major League Baseball All-Star Game was the 58th playing of the midsummer classic between the all-stars of the American League and National League , the two leagues comprising Major League Baseball. The game was held on July 14, 1987 at the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum in Oakland,...
, and
1989The 1989 Major League Baseball All-Star Game was the 60th playing of the midsummer classic between the all-stars of the American League and National League , the two leagues comprising Major League Baseball. The game was held on July 11, 1989 at Anaheim Stadium in Anaheim, California, the home of...
). Scully also reworked his Dodgers schedule during this period, broadcasting home games on the radio, and road games for the Dodgers television network, with Fridays and Saturdays off so he could work for NBC.
Teaming with Joe Garagiola for NBC telecasts (with the exception of
1989-Major League Baseball:*World Series: Oakland Athletics over San Francisco Giants ; Dave Stewart, MVP*American League Championship Series MVP: Rickey Henderson*National League Championship Series MVP: Will Clark...
, when Scully teamed with
Tom SeaverGeorge Thomas "Tom" Seaver , nicknamed "Tom Terrific" and "The Franchise", is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. He pitched from 1967-1986 for four different teams in his career, but is noted primarily for his time with the New York Mets...
), Scully was on hand for several key moments in baseball history:
Fred LynnFredric Michael "Fred" Lynn is a former center fielder in Major League Baseball who played for the Boston Red Sox , California Angels , Baltimore Orioles , Detroit Tigers and San Diego Padres .Fred Lynn was inducted into the Boston Red Sox Hall of Fame in and to the College Baseball Hall of Fame...
hitting the first
grand slamIn the sport of baseball, a grand slam is a home run hit with all three bases occupied by baserunners , thereby scoring four runs—the most possible in one play. According to The Dickson Baseball Dictionary, the term originated in the card game of contract bridge, in which a grand slam involves...
in
All-Star GameThe 1983 Major League Baseball All-Star Game was the 54th playing of the midsummer classic between the all-stars of the American League and National League , the two leagues comprising Major League Baseball. The game was held on July 6, 1983, at Comiskey Park in Chicago, Illinois, the home of the...
history (
1983-Major League Baseball:*World Series: Baltimore Orioles over Philadelphia Phillies ; Rick Dempsey, MVP*American League Championship Series MVP: Mike Boddicker*National League Championship Series MVP: Gary Matthews...
); the
1984 Detroit TigersThe Detroit Tigers won the 1984 World Series, defeating the San Diego Padres, 4 games to 1. The season was their 84th since they entered the American League in 1901 and their fourth World Series championship. Detroit relief pitcher Willie Hernandez won the Cy Young Award and was chosen as the...
winning the
World SeriesThe Commissioner's Trophy is presented each year by the Commissioner of Baseball to the Major League Baseball team that wins the World Series. Recent trophy designs contain flags representing each team in North America's top two leagues, the National League and the American League...
;
Ozzie SmithOsborne Earl "Ozzie" Smith is an American former baseball shortstop who played in Major League Baseball for the San Diego Padres and St. Louis Cardinals from 1978 to 1996...
's game-winning home run in Game 5 of the
1985 National League Championship Series-Game 1:Wednesday, October 9, 1985 at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, CaliforniaThe opening contest in Los Angeles pitted Dodgers screwballer Fernando Valenzuela against the Cardinals' twenty-game winner, John Tudor. The pitchers matched zeroes through the first three innings, but in the bottom of...
; the sixth game of the
1986 World SeriesThe 1986 World Series pitted the New York Mets against the Boston Red Sox. It was cited in the legend of the "Curse of the Bambino" to explain the error by Bill Buckner in Game 6 that allowed the Mets to extend the series to a seventh game...
; the
1987 All-Star GameThe 1987 Major League Baseball All-Star Game was the 58th playing of the midsummer classic between the all-stars of the American League and National League , the two leagues comprising Major League Baseball. The game was held on July 14, 1987 at the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum in Oakland,...
in Oakland, which was deadlocked at 0–0 before
Tim RainesTimothy Raines , nicknamed "Rock", is a former American professional baseball player. He played as a left fielder in Major League Baseball for six teams from 1979 to 2002 and was best known for his 13 seasons with the Montreal Expos...
broke up the scoreless tie with a triple in the top of the 13th inning; the first official night game in the history of Chicago's
Wrigley FieldWrigley Field is a baseball stadium in Chicago, Illinois, United States that has served as the home ballpark of the Chicago Cubs since 1916. It was built in 1914 as Weeghman Park for the Chicago Federal League baseball team, the Chicago Whales...
(August 9, 1988);
Kirk GibsonKirk Harold Gibson is a former Major League Baseball player and currently the manager of the Arizona Diamondbacks. As a player, Gibson was an outfielder who batted and threw left-handed...
's game-winning
home runKirk Gibson's 1988 World Series home run occurred in Game 1 of the 1988 World Series, on October 15, , at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles. Gibson, pinch hitting for the Los Angeles Dodgers in the bottom of the ninth inning, with injuries to both legs, hit a two-run walk-off home run off the Oakland...
in Game 1 of the
1988 World Series-Game 1:Saturday, October 15, 1988 at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, CaliforniaBecause of using ace Orel Hershiser in Game 7 of the NLCS, the Dodgers had to open with rookie Tim Belcher in Game 1. Meanwhile, Oakland sent a well-rested Dave Stewart to the mound. Both pitchers, however, would have...
; and chatting with
Ronald ReaganRonald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....
(who said to Scully, "I've been out of work for six months and maybe there's a future here.") in the booth during the
1989 All-Star GameThe 1989 Major League Baseball All-Star Game was the 60th playing of the midsummer classic between the all-stars of the American League and National League , the two leagues comprising Major League Baseball. The game was held on July 11, 1989 at Anaheim Stadium in Anaheim, California, the home of...
in
AnaheimAngel Stadium of Anaheim is a modern-style ballpark located in Anaheim, California. It is the home ballpark to Major League Baseball's Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim of the American League, and was previously home to the NFL's Los Angeles Rams...
.
On Saturday, June 3, 1989, Scully was doing the play-by-play for the NBC
Game of the Week in St. Louis, where the
CardinalsThe St. Louis Cardinals 1989 season was the team's 108th season in St. Louis, Missouri and the 98th season in the National League. The Cardinals went 86-76 during the season and finished 3rd in the National League East division....
beat the
Chicago CubsThe Chicago Cubs season marked the last time the Cubs would win their division prior to the realignment to six divisions in which moved the Cubs to the National League Central, in which they would not win until 2003. Winning the division put the Cubs in the playoffs, which they would not return...
in 10 innings. Meanwhile, the
DodgersThe 1989 team came down to earth after the success of the 1988 season, finishing further down in the standings falling to fourth place in the Western Division of the National League.-Offseason:...
were playing a series in
HoustonReliant Astrodome, also known as the Houston Astrodome or simply the Astrodome, is the world's first multi-purpose, domed sports stadium, located in Houston, Texas, USA. The stadium is part of the Reliant Park complex...
where Scully flew to be on hand to call the Sunday game of the series. However, the Saturday night game between the teams was going into extra innings when Scully arrived in town, so he went to the Astrodome instead of his hotel. He picked up the play-by-play, helping to relieve the other Dodger announcers, who were doing both television and radio, and broadcast the final 13 innings (after already calling 10 innings in St. Louis), as the game went 22 innings. He broadcast 23 innings in one day in two different cities.
LaryngitisLaryngitis is an inflammation of the larynx. It causes hoarse voice or the complete loss of the voice because of irritation to the vocal folds . Dysphonia is the medical term for a vocal disorder, of which laryngitis is one cause....
prevented Scully from calling Game 2 of the
1989 National League Championship Series-Game 1:Wednesday, October 4, 1989 at Wrigley Field in Chicago, IllinoisThe Giants entered the series as slight favorites due to the MVP season of Kevin Mitchell, the solid play of Will Clark, and the best ERA in baseball by pitcher Scott Garrelts...
between the
San Francisco GiantsThe 1989 San Francisco Giants season saw the Giants finish in first place in the National League West with a record of 92 wins and 70 losses. It was their second division title in three years. The Giants defeated the Chicago Cubs in five games in the National League Championship Series...
and
Chicago CubsThe Chicago Cubs season was the 112th season in franchise history.- Offseason :* October 15, 1982: Herman Segelke was traded by the Cubs to the San Francisco Giants for Alan Hargesheimer....
.
Bob CostasRobert Quinlan "Bob" Costas is an American sportscaster, on the air for the NBC network since the early 1980s.-Early life:...
, who was working the
American League Championship Series-Game 1:Tuesday, October 3, 1989 at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum in Oakland, CaliforniaThe A's went off as heavy favorites largely due to their status as defending American League champions. The Blue Jays had been in second place much of the year before catching and passing the Baltimore Orioles...
between
OaklandThe Oakland Athletics season saw the A's finish in first place in the American League West division, with a record of 99 wins and 63 losses, seven games in front of the Kansas City Royals. It was their second consecutive AL West title, as well as the second straight year in which they finished...
and
TorontoThe Toronto Blue Jays season was a season in American baseball. It involved the Blue Jays finishing first in the American League East with a record of 89 wins and 73 losses...
with
Tony KubekAnthony Christopher "Tony" Kubek is a retired American professional baseball player and television broadcaster....
, was flown from Toronto to Chicago to fill in that evening (an off day for the ALCS).
After the
1989-Major League Baseball:*World Series: Oakland Athletics over San Francisco Giants ; Dave Stewart, MVP*American League Championship Series MVP: Rickey Henderson*National League Championship Series MVP: Will Clark...
season, NBC lost the
television rightsThe following is a detailed description of the various television networks , rights fees, and announcers who have called Major League Baseball games throughout the years .-United States:...
to cover Major League Baseball to CBS. For the first time since
1946-Major League Baseball:*World Series: St. Louis Cardinals over Boston Red Sox *All-Star Game, July 9 at Fenway Park: American League, 12–0-Other champions:*Negro League World Series: Newark Eagles over Kansas City Monarchs...
, NBC would not televise baseball. In the aftermath, Scully said of NBC losing baseball,
Scully also served as an announcer for NBC's
PGA TourGolf Channel on NBC is the branding used for broadcasts of golf on the NBC network. The network's coverage has traditionally focused on the main professional golf tours in the United States, alongside other major tournaments...
golf coverage during his time at the network, usually teaming with
Lee TrevinoLee Buck Trevino is an American professional golfer. He is an icon for Mexican Americans, and is often referred to as "The Merry Mex" and "Supermex". He won six major championships over the course of his career.-Early life:...
.
1990–present
After leaving NBC, Scully returned to
CBS RadioMajor League Baseball on CBS Radio was the de facto title for the CBS Radio Network's coverage of Major League Baseball. Produced by CBS Radio Sports , the program was the official national radio broadcaster for the All-Star Game and the postseason from 1976 to 1997.-Contracts:CBS first covered...
baseball in
1990-Major League Baseball:*World Series: Cincinnati Reds over Oakland Athletics ; José Rijo, MVP*American League Championship Series MVP Dave Stewart*National League Championship Series co-MVPs: Rob Dibble and Randy Myers...
, calling the network's World Series broadcasts through
1997-Game 1:Saturday, October 18, 1997 at Pro Player Stadium in Miami Gardens, FloridaThe first World Series game in the state of Florida, Game 1 featured a youngster and a veteran facing each other on the mound...
. After ESPN Radio acquired Series radio rights from CBS in
1998-Headline events of the year:*Mark McGwire, Sammy Sosa, Ken Griffey, Jr., and Greg Vaughn all hit 30 home runs before the All-Star break and engage in a historic chase for Roger Maris's single-season record of 61 home runs...
, Scully was offered a continued play-by-play role but declined, saying, "It's been great, I loved it, but free time is better than sitting in Cleveland saying, 'Why am I here?'"
From 1991 to 1996, Scully broadcast the annual PGA Skins Game for
ABCPGA Tour on ABC was a television program that broadcast the main professional golf tours on the American Broadcasting Company television network. ABC initially broadcast the PGA Tour through 1978 and then from 1999–2006. From 1966 through 2009, ABC was the broadcast home of the British...
, having previously called the event for
NBCGolf Channel on NBC is the branding used for broadcasts of golf on the NBC network. The network's coverage has traditionally focused on the main professional golf tours in the United States, alongside other major tournaments...
from 1983 to 1989. He also called the
Senior Skins GameThe Wendy's Champions Skins Game is an unofficial golf tournament on the Champions Tour. It is played annually in January/February in Maui, Hawaii at Kaanapali Golf Resort...
for ABC from 1992 to 2000, as well as various golf events for
TBSTBS , stylized in the logo as tbs, is an American cable television channel owned by Time Warner that shows a variety of programming, with a focus on comedy. TBS was originally known as WTCG, a UHF terrestrial television station that broadcast from Atlanta, Georgia, during the late 1970s...
during this period. In
1999-Major League Baseball:*World Series: New York Yankees over Atlanta Braves ; Mariano Rivera, MVP*American League Championship Series MVP: Orlando Hernández**American League Division Series:*National League Championship Series MVP: Eddie Pérez...
, Scully was the master of ceremonies for
MasterCardMastercard Incorporated or MasterCard Worldwide is an American multinational financial services corporation with its headquarters in the MasterCard International Global Headquarters, Purchase, Harrison, New York, United States...
's
Major League Baseball All-Century TeamIn 1999, the Major League Baseball All-Century Team was chosen by popular vote of fans. To select the team, a panel of experts first compiled a list of the 100 greatest Major League Baseball players from the past century...
before the start of Game 2 of the
World SeriesThe 1999 World Series, the 95th edition of Major League Baseball's championship series, featured a rematch between the defending champions New York Yankees against the Atlanta Braves during the month of October, with the Yankees sweeping the Series in four games for their second title in a row,...
. Also in
1999The year 1999 in film involved several noteworthy events and has been called "The Year That Changed Movies". Several significant feature films, including Stanley Kubrick's final film Eyes Wide Shut, Pedro Almodóvar's first Oscar-winning film All About My Mother, science fiction The Matrix, Deep...
, Scully appeared in the movie
For Love of the GameFor Love of the Game is a 1999 American drama sports film based on the novel of the same title by Michael Shaara...
.
The Dodgers announced in February 2006 that they had extended Scully's contract through the
2008The 2008 Los Angeles Dodgers season features the Dodgers celebrating their Golden Anniversary in Southern California under new manager Joe Torre as they won the National League West for the first time since 2004, and returned to the postseason after missing the playoffs in 2007. They swept the...
season for about
$The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
3 million a year. In recent years, Scully has cut back his work schedule to approximately 110 games a year, the first three innings via a radio/television
simulcastSimulcast, shorthand for "simultaneous broadcast", refers to programs or events broadcast across more than one medium, or more than one service on the same medium, at the same time. For example, Absolute Radio is simulcast on both AM and on satellite radio, and the BBC's Prom concerts are often...
, and the remainder exclusively for television. Scully normally does not work non-playoff games taking place east of Denver; exceptions were the
2007The 2007 Major League Baseball season, began on April 1 with a rematch of the 2006 National League Championship Series; the St. Louis Cardinals and New York Mets played the first game of the season at Busch Stadium in St. Louis, Missouri, which was won by the Mets, 6–1...
season opening series in Milwaukee and a series against the
Chicago CubsThe Chicago Cubs' 2007 season began with the Cubs trying to rebound after a season in which they finished last in their division for the first time since .-Offseason:...
. On June 18, 2010, however, Scully called the game in which the Dodgers visited the
Red SoxThe Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
. He also isn't normally scheduled to call a Dodgers game (for either radio or television) if
ESPNESPN Major League Baseball is a promotion of Major League Baseball on ESPN and ESPN2, with simulcasts on ESPNHD or ESPN2HD. ESPN's MLB coverage debuted on April 9, 1990 with three Opening Day telecasts. ESPN Major League Baseball is guaranteed to remain on air until 2013.The title is derived from...
is televising it for
Sunday Night BaseballSunday Night Baseball is the Major League Baseball exclusive game of the week that is televised Sunday nights at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN during the regular season...
or Fox is televising it on Saturday afternoons.
Scully reportedly won't attend or watch a baseball game that he isn't announcing. It wasn't until 2004, and again in 2010, when he and Dodgers owner
Frank McCourtFrank McCourt is the owner and chairman of the Los Angeles Dodgers and Dodger Stadium in Chavez Ravine. In , he purchased a controlling interest of the Dodgers from Fox Entertainment Group, owned by Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation...
attended a game at
Fenway ParkFenway Park is a baseball park near Kenmore Square in Boston, Massachusetts. Located at 4 Yawkey Way, it has served as the home ballpark of the Boston Red Sox baseball club since it opened in 1912, and is the oldest Major League Baseball stadium currently in use. It is one of two "classic"...
, that Scully was at a baseball game only as a spectator.
On March 19, 2010, Scully was hospitalized after a fall in his home. However, he suffered only a minor blow to the head and the following week returned to his commentating duties.
Although he had talked of retiring after the 2009 season, Scully continues broadcasting in 2011, his 62nd as the voice of the Dodgers. He broadcasts Dodger home games as well as road games against National League West opponents.
On August 26, 2011 during the Dodgers game against the Colorado Rockies, Scully announced that he would return in 2012 for his 63rd season with the team.
The first biography of Scully's life,
Pull Up a Chair: The Vin Scully Story by
Curt SmithCurt Smith is an American author, media host and columnist.Smith is a 1973 graduate of SUNY at Geneseo. He worked as a Gannett Company reporter, a speechwriter to former Texas Governor John Connolly, and an editor at the Saturday Evening Post. In 1989 he joined the George H.W...
, was published in 2009.
Awards and honors
Scully received the Ford Frick Award from the Baseball Hall of Fame in
1982-Major League Baseball:*World Series Champion: St. Louis Cardinals*World Series MVP: Darrell Porter**American League Championship Series MVP: Fred Lynn**National League Championship Series MVP: Darrell Porter...
, and was honored with a Life Achievement
Emmy AwardAn Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various...
for sportscasting and induction into the National Radio Hall of Fame in 1995. The
National Sportscasters and Sportswriters AssociationThe National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association, or NSSA, is an organization of sports media members in the United States. It constitutes the American chapter of the International Sports Press Association ....
has named Scully as National Sportscaster of the Year three times (1965, 1978, 1982) and California Sportscaster of the Year 29 times, and inducted him into its Hall of Fame in 1991. He was the 1992 Hall of Fame inductee of the
American Sportscasters AssociationAmerican Sportscasters Association was founded in 1979 by broadcaster Dick London and associate attorney Harold Foner as a non profit association to represent sportscasters by promoting and supporting the needs and interests of the professional sports broadcaster.-History:In 1980, Louis O...
(ASA), and was named both Sportscaster of the Century by the ASA (2000) and top sportscaster of all-time on its Top 50 list (2009). Scully has a star on the
Hollywood Walk of FameThe Hollywood Walk of Fame consists of more than 2,400 five-pointed terrazzo and brass stars embedded in the sidewalks along fifteen blocks of Hollywood Boulevard and three blocks of Vine Street in Hollywood, California...
at 6675 Hollywood Blvd. Since 2001 the
press boxThe press box is a special section of a sports stadium or arena that is set up for the media to report about a given event. It is typically located in the section of the stadium holding the luxury box. In general, newspaper writers sit in this box and write about the on-field event as it unfolds...
at
Dodger StadiumDodger Stadium, also sometimes called Chavez Ravine, is a stadium in Los Angeles. Located adjacent to Downtown Los Angeles, Dodger Stadium has been the home ballpark of Major League Baseball's Los Angeles Dodgers team since 1962...
has been named for Scully, and a street near the team's former Dodgertown spring training facility in
Vero Beach, FloridaVero Beach is a city in Indian River County, Florida, USA. According to the U.S. Census Bureau's 2006 estimates, the city had a population of 16,939. It is the county seat of Indian River County...
was named "Vin Scully Way".
Memorable calls
Scully has been on hand for some of Baseball’s most famous moments, immortalizing many in calls that have since become part of the game's lore:
- The 1955 World Series
The 1955 World Series matched the Brooklyn Dodgers against the New York Yankees, with the Dodgers winning the Series in seven games to capture their first championship in franchise history. It would be the only Series the Dodgers won in Brooklyn . The last time the Brooklyn franchise won a World...
, the Brooklyn Dodgers’ first (and only) World Series Championship
- Don Larsen
Donald James Larsen is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. During a 15-year baseball career, he pitched from 1953-67 for seven different teams. Larsen is best known for pitching the sixth perfect game in baseball history, doing so in game 5 of the 1956 World Series...
's perfect gameA perfect game is defined by Major League Baseball as a game in which a pitcher pitches a victory that lasts a minimum of nine innings and in which no opposing player reaches base. Thus, the pitcher cannot allow any hits, walks, hit batsmen, or any opposing player to reach base safely for any...
in the 1956 World SeriesThe 1956 World Series of Major League Baseball was played between the New York Yankees and the defending champion Brooklyn Dodgers during the month of October 1956. The Series was a rematch of the 1955 World Series...
between the New York YankeesThe New York Yankees season was the 54th season for the team in New York, and its 56th season overall. The team finished with a record of 97-57, winning their 22nd pennant, finishing 9 games ahead of the Cleveland Indians. New York was managed by Casey Stengel. The Yankees played their home games...
and Brooklyn DodgersThe 1956 Brooklyn Dodgers edged out the Milwaukee Braves to win the National League title. The Dodgers again faced the New York Yankees in the World Series...
on October 8, 1956-Major League Baseball:*World Series: New York Yankees over Brooklyn Dodgers ; Don Larsen, MVP*All-Star Game, July 10 at Griffith Stadium: National League, 7-3-Other champions:*Caribbean World Series: Cienfuegos *College World Series: Minnesota...
- Sandy Koufax
Sanford "Sandy" Koufax is a former left-handed baseball pitcher who played his entire 12-year Major League Baseball career for the Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers...
’s perfect game on September 9, 1965-Major League Baseball:*World Series: Los Angeles Dodgers over Minnesota Twins ; Sandy Koufax, MVP*All-Star Game, July 13 at Metropolitan Stadium: National League, 6-5; Juan Marichal, MVP-Other champions:*College World Series: Arizona State...
- Hank Aaron’s 715th home run on April 8, 1974
-Major League Baseball:*1974 World Series: Oakland Athletics over Los Angeles Dodgers ; Rollie Fingers, MVP*All-Star Game, July 23 at Three Rivers Stadium: National League, 7-2; Steve Garvey, MVP-Other champions:...
- Rick Monday
Robert James "Rick" Monday, Jr. is a former center fielder in Major League Baseball and is currently a broadcast announcer. From 1966 through 1984, Monday, a center fielder for most of his career, played for the Kansas City/Oakland Athletics , Chicago Cubs and Los Angeles Dodgers...
's rescue of the American flag from a pair of protesters attempting to burn it on April 25, 1976-Major League Baseball:*World Series: Cincinnati Reds over New York Yankees ; Johnny Bench, MVP*All-Star Game, July 13 at Veterans Stadium: National League, 7-1; George Foster, MVP-Other champions:*Caribbean World Series: Naranjeros de Hermosillo...
- Bill Buckner
William Joseph Buckner is a former Major League Baseball first baseman. Despite winning a batting crown in , representing the Chicago Cubs at the All-Star Game the following season and accumulating over 2,700 hits in his twenty-year career, he is best remembered for a fielding error during Game 6...
’s muffed ground ball in the 1986 World SeriesThe 1986 World Series pitted the New York Mets against the Boston Red Sox. It was cited in the legend of the "Curse of the Bambino" to explain the error by Bill Buckner in Game 6 that allowed the Mets to extend the series to a seventh game...
between the New York MetsThe 1986 New York Mets season was the Mets' 25th season in the National League. They began the season looking to equal or improve upon their 98–64 record from 1985 and to try to win the National League East Division. They finished the season with a 108–54 record, cruising to the division title...
and Boston Red SoxThe 1986 Boston Red Sox season involved the Red Sox finishing 1st in the American League East with a record of 95 wins and 66 losses.-Offseason:...
on October 25, 1986-Major League Baseball:*World Series: New York Mets over Boston Red Sox ; Ray Knight, MVP*American League Championship Series MVP: Marty Barrett*National League Championship Series MVP: Mike Scott...
- Cincinnati Red
The Cincinnati Reds are a Major League Baseball team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the National League Central Division. The club was established in 1882 as a charter member of the American Association and joined the National League in 1890....
Tom BrowningThomas Leo Browning is a former Major League Baseball left-handed pitcher. During a 12-year baseball career, he pitched for the Cincinnati Reds and the Kansas City Royals...
's perfect game against the Dodgers on September 16, 1988See also: 1988 Major League Baseball season-Major League Baseball:*World Series: Los Angeles Dodgers over Oakland Athletics ; Orel Hershiser, MVP*American League Championship Series MVP: Dennis Eckersley...
- Kirk Gibson
Kirk Harold Gibson is a former Major League Baseball player and currently the manager of the Arizona Diamondbacks. As a player, Gibson was an outfielder who batted and threw left-handed...
’s dramatic home run in Game 1 of the World Series-Game 1:Saturday, October 15, 1988 at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, CaliforniaBecause of using ace Orel Hershiser in Game 7 of the NLCS, the Dodgers had to open with rookie Tim Belcher in Game 1. Meanwhile, Oakland sent a well-rested Dave Stewart to the mound. Both pitchers, however, would have...
between the DodgersThe 1988 season was a memorable one for the Dodgers as a squad that was picked to finish fourth wound up winning the World Series, beating the heavily favored New York Mets and Oakland Athletics on the way. Kirk Gibson carried the Dodger offense, winning the National League Most Valuable Player Award...
and the Oakland AthleticsThe Oakland Athletics' 1988 season involved the A's winning their first American League West title since , with a record of 104 wins and 58 losses. In 1988, the elephant was restored as the symbol of the Athletics and currently adorns the left sleeve of home and road uniforms. The elephant was...
on October 15, 1988
- Fernando Valenzuela
Fernando Valenzuela Anguamea is a Mexican former left-handed pitcher, most notably with the Los Angeles Dodgers.In 1981, the 20-year-old Valenzuela took Los Angeles by storm, winning his first 8 decisions and leading the Dodgers to the World Championship...
's no-hitter on June 29, 1990-Major League Baseball:*World Series: Cincinnati Reds over Oakland Athletics ; José Rijo, MVP*American League Championship Series MVP Dave Stewart*National League Championship Series co-MVPs: Rob Dibble and Randy Myers...
- Montreal Expo
The Montreal Expos were a Major League Baseball team located in Montreal, Quebec from 1969 through 2004, holding the first MLB franchise awarded outside the United States. After the 2004 season, MLB moved the Expos to Washington, D.C. and renamed them the Nationals.Named after the Expo 67 World's...
Dennis MartínezJosé Dennis Martínez Emilia , nicknamed "El Presidente" , is a former Major League Baseball pitcher...
's perfect game against the Dodgers on June 28, 1991-Major League Baseball:*World Series: Minnesota Twins over Atlanta Braves ; Jack Morris, MVP*American League Championship Series MVP: Kirby Puckett*National League Championship Series MVP: Steve Avery...
- The Dodgers
In 2006, the Los Angeles Dodgers looked to improve their record from 2005. The team switched General Managers from Paul DePodesta to Ned Colletti, and hired Grady Little as the new manager. The Dodgers were able to win 88 games...
' four consecutive home runs against the San Diego PadresThe 2006 San Diego Padres season captured their second consecutive National League West crown, with a record of 88-74, and for the first time in franchise history back-to-back postseason appearances, and three consecutive winning seasons...
on September 18, 2006-Headline Event of the Year:*The 2006 World Baseball Classic final 4 teams are Japan, Cuba, Korea and the Dominican Republic, with the United States at 3–3 failing to qualify for the semi-finals. Under the leadership of manager Sadaharu Oh and veterans Ichiro Suzuki and Daisuke Matsuzaka, Japan ...
Tragedy
Scully has endured a pair of personal tragedies in his life. In 1972, his 35-year-old wife, Joan Crawford (no relation to the
actressJoan Crawford , born Lucille Fay LeSueur, was an American actress in film, television and theatre....
), died of an accidental medical overdose. Scully was suddenly a widowed father of three after 15 years of marriage. In late 1973, he married Sandra Schaefer, who had two children of her own, and they soon had a child together.
In 1994, Scully's eldest son, Michael, died in a helicopter crash at the age of 33 while working for the ARCO Transportation Company. Although Michael's death still haunts him, Scully, a devout Roman Catholic, said (while appearing on HBO's
Real Sports with Bryant GumbelReal Sports with Bryant Gumbel is a monthly sports newsmagazine on HBO that debuted on April 2, 1995. The show was "spawned by the fact that sports have changed dramatically, that it's no longer just fun and games, and that what happens off the field, beyond the scores, is worthy of some serious...
in July 2005) that he credits his faith and being able to dive back into his work with helping him ease the burden and grief.
Other appearances
In 1970, ABC Sports producer
Roone ArledgeRoone Pickney Arledge, Jr. was an American sports broadcasting pioneer who was chairman of ABC News from 1977 until several years before his death, and a key part of the company's rise to competition with the two other main television networks, NBC and CBS, in the 1960s, '70s, and '80s.-Early...
tried to lure Scully to his network to call play-by-play for the then-new
Monday Night FootballMonday Night Football is a live broadcast of the National Football League on ESPN. From to it aired on ABC. Monday Night Football was, along with Hallmark Hall of Fame, and the Walt Disney anthology television series, one of the longest running prime time commercial network television series...
games, but Scully's commitment to the Dodgers forced him to reject the offer.
Besides his sportscasting work, Scully was the uncredited
narratorA narrator is, within any story , the fictional or non-fictional, personal or impersonal entity who tells the story to the audience. When the narrator is also a character within the story, he or she is sometimes known as the viewpoint character. The narrator is one of three entities responsible for...
for the short-lived NBC sitcom
Occasional WifeOccasional Wife is an American sitcom that aired on NBC on September 13, 1966, and ran until May 9, 1967 . It was originally on NBC's Tuesday night schedule; in the Eastern Time Zone it aired from 8:30-9:00 p.m...
. Scully also co-hosted the
Tournament of Roses ParadeThe Tournament of Roses Parade, better known as the Rose Parade, is "America's New Year Celebration", a festival of flower-covered floats, marching bands, equestrians and a college football game on New Year's Day , produced by the non-profit Pasadena Tournament of Roses Association.The annual...
with
Elizabeth MontgomeryElizabeth Victoria Montgomery was an American film and television actress whose career spanned five decades. She is perhaps best remembered for her roles as Samantha Stephens in Bewitched, as Ellen Harrod in A Case of Rape and as Lizzie Borden in The Legend of Lizzie Borden.-Early life:Born in Los...
for ABC in 1967, served as the host for the NBC game show
It Takes TwoIt Takes Two is a game show in which contestants gave numerical answers to questions . The original program was created and produced by Ralph Andrews and aired on NBC from March 31, 1969 to July 31, 1970 at 10:00 AM Eastern...
in 1969–70, and in 1973 hosted
The Vin Scully Show, a weekday afternoon talk-variety show on CBS. In 1977 he hosted the prime-time
Challenge of the Sexes for CBS.
Scully was the announcer in the popular Sony PlayStation-exclusive
MLB video game series by 989 Sports for a number of years. Scully has since retired from announcing for video games, with his final year involving the video game
MLB 2005. Dave Campbell and
Matt VasgersianMatt Vasgersian is an American sportscaster and television host. Vasgersian is a host for the MLB Network and has served as an announcer for NBC Sports' coverage of the Olympics, and on Fox Sports' MLB coverage...
have since taken over as the lead announcers in the video game series, which was retitled
MLB: The Show.
Scully appeared as himself in the 1999 film
For Love of the GameFor Love of the Game is a novel by Pulitzer Prize-winning author Michael Shaara, published posthumously in 1991. The book tells the story of fictional baseball great Billy Chapel, thirty-seven years old and nearing the end of his career.-Plot summary:...
, and his voice can be heard calling baseball games in the films
Bachelor in ParadiseBachelor in Paradise is a 1961 Metrocolor romantic comedy film starring Bob Hope and Lana Turner. It was directed by Jack Arnold, and written by Valentine Davies and Hal Kanter, based on story by Vera Caspary....
(1961),
Experiment in TerrorExperiment in Terror is a 1962 thriller film. It was directed by Blake Edwards and written by Mildred Gordon and Gordon Gordon based on their 1961 novel Operation Terror. The film stars Glenn Ford and Lee Remick.-Plot:...
(1962), and
The PartyThe Party is a 1968 comedy film directed by Blake Edwards, starring Peter Sellers and Claudine Longet. The film has a very loose structure, and essentially serves as a series of set pieces for Sellers's improvisational comedy talents...
(1968), as well as in episodes of the TV series
Mister EdOriginally produced in late 1960, Mister Ed is an American television situation comedy produced by Filmways that first aired in syndication from January 5 to July 2, 1961, and then on CBS from October 1, 1961, to February 6, 1966....
,
The Joey Bishop Show,
The FugitiveThe Fugitive is an American drama series produced by QM Productions and United Artists Television that aired on ABC from 1963 to 1967. David Janssen stars as Richard Kimble, a doctor from the fictional town of Stafford, Indiana, who is falsely convicted of his wife's murder and given the death...
,
Highway to HeavenHighway to Heaven is an American television drama series which ran on NBC from 1984 to 1989.- Season 1 :- Season 2 :- Season 3 :- Season 4 :- Season 5 :...
, and
Brooklyn BridgeBrooklyn Bridge is an American television program which aired on CBS between 1991 and 1993. It is about a Jewish American family living in Brooklyn in the middle 1950s...
. The surname of the "
Dana ScullyFBI Special Agent Dana Katherine Scully, M.D. is a fictional character and protagonist on the Fox television series The X-Files , played by Gillian Anderson. She also appeared in two theatrical films based on the series...
" character on the television show
The X-FilesThe X-Files is an American science fiction television series and a part of The X-Files franchise, created by screenwriter Chris Carter. The program originally aired from to . The show was a hit for the Fox network, and its characters and slogans became popular culture touchstones in the 1990s...
is an homage to Scully, as the show's creator
Chris CarterChristopher Carl Carter is an American screenwriter, film director and producer. He is the creator of The X-Files and Millennium.- Ten Thirteen Productions :...
is a Dodgers fan.
Impersonators
Harry ShearerHarry Julius Shearer is an American actor, comedian, writer, voice artist, musician, author, radio host and director. He is known for his long-running role on The Simpsons, his work on Saturday Night Live, the comedy band Spinal Tap and his radio program Le Show...
does an impersonation of Scully on
The SimpsonsThe Simpsons is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical parody of a middle class American lifestyle epitomized by its family of the same name, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie...
as the Gabbo puppet character, and also uses it when the storyline includes the fictional team of the Springfield Isotopes.
San Francisco GiantsThe San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the National League West Division....
and Hall of Fame broadcaster
Jon MillerJon Wallace Miller is an American sportscaster, known primarily for his broadcasts of Major League Baseball. He is currently employed as a play-by-play announcer for the San Francisco Giants. He was also a baseball announcer on ESPN until the network chose not to renew his contract following the...
is noted in baseball circles for his dead-on impersonation of Scully. Dan Bernstein, co-host of the
Boers and BernsteinBoers and Bernstein is an afternoon drive-time sports talk show on Chicago's WSCR hosted by former columnist Terry Boers and Dan Bernstein. The program airs weekday afternoons from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. On days when the Chicago White Sox have a 7:10 start time, the program will often be extended half...
show on Chicago's
WSCRWSCR is a sports radio station in the Chicago, Illinois radio market. The station is owned by CBS Radio and transmits on 670 kHz on the AM dial. Its transmitter is located just off Army Trail Road in Bloomingdale, which is a western suburb of Chicago. It is known as "The Score," and has been on...
radio station, does an impersonation of Scully often when the word "Dodgers" is said on the air.
Chris CoxChris Cox is a filmmaker and voice actor. He is best known, as himself, for the 2001 Small Shots TV series for Spike TV.Cox replaced George Eads in the role of Captain Atom for the popular animated series Justice League Unlimited. Eads was unwilling to reprise his voice role after an appearance in...
often appears on the podcast series
Sklarbro Country as his character "Racist Vin Scully".
External links