“Dodgers Vin Scully was one of the greatest voices in all of sports. He was a giant of a man, not only as a broadcaster, but also as a humanitarian,” Kasten said. “He loved people. He loved life. He loved baseball and the Dodgers. And he loved his family. His voice will always be heard and etched in all of our minds forever.” The beloved radio and television host, who was born Vincent Edward Scully in New York on Nov. 29, 1927, died at his home in Hidden Hills, Los Angeles County, according to the group. He is survived by his five children, 21 grandchildren and six great-grandchildren. Among his many honors, Scully received the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the Ford C. Frick Award from the National Baseball Hall of Fame, and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. A graduate of Fordham University, Scully began his career with the Dodgers in their original home of Brooklyn, New York, when he was hired by Hall of Fame broadcaster Red Barber to be the third man on the broadcast crew. At 25, he became the youngest person to broadcast a World Series game in 1953, and when, two years later, Barber left to join the New York Yankees, Scully was the voice of the Dodgers. Barber was an early influence on the young broadcaster as he told the Baseball Hall of Fame: “Red was my teacher … and my father. I don’t know — I might have been the son he never had. He wasn’t ” So much so that he taught me how to broadcast. It was a stop. Go to the park early. Do your homework. Be prepared. Be precise.” From the broadcast booth, Scully became the narrator for the history of baseball’s greatest franchises. He was there when the “Boys of Summer” won their first World Series in 1955 and called the final innings of Don Larsen’s perfect game in the 1956 World Series. He was one of more than 20 no-hitters Scully pitched in a career of, the team noted. When the franchise suddenly left Brooklyn for Los Angeles in 1958, Scully also left his hometown to extend a career that spanned 67 years with the Dodgers, the longest tenure of any broadcaster with a single team, the team said . In addition to covering the Dodgers, he was also heard on national television as an announcer for golf and football as well as baseball. His most famous calls included when the Braves’ Hank Aaron’s hit his 715th home run in Atlanta, moving ahead of Babe Ruth, and the injured Kirk Gibson in the bottom of the 9th in Game 1 of the 1988 World Series.
Friends and fans pay their respects
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts, speaking after the team beat the Giants in San Francisco on Tuesday night, said the telecast inspired him to be better. “There’s no better storyteller. I think everyone considers him family. He’s been in our living rooms for so many generations. Dodger fans consider him part of their family. He lived a fantastic life, a legacy that will live on forever.” Fellow Southern California sports icon Earvin “Magic” Johnson said Dodger Nation has lost a legend. “I will always remember his smooth broadcasting style. He had a voice and a way of telling stories that made you think he was talking only to you.” Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James described Scully as “Another great who made sports so Tennis great Billy Jean King said Scully will be missed: “He was a true sports storyteller,” the mayor said on Twitter of Los Angeles Eric Garcetti said his death marked the end of a chapter in the city’s history. “He united us, inspired us and showed us all what it means to serve. Our City Hall will be lit up for you tomorrow, Vin, our dear friend, the Voice of LA. Thank you from a grateful and loving city. Scully broadcast his last home game for the Dodgers on September 25, 2016. In a 2020 interview with CNN, Scully described how she felt: “When I was leaving Dodger Stadium, on my last day at the ballpark, I hung a big sign outside the box window door and it said, ‘I’m going to miss you. That’s how I felt about the fans.” CNN’s Jillian Martin contributed to this report.
