Baseball said goodbye to Hall of Fame broadcaster Vin Scully on Sunday after he called his last game for the Los Angeles Dodgers.
It was bittersweet for Scully as he signed off for the last time; his Dodgers fell 7-1 to his childhood favorite, the Giants, not in New York but in San Francisco. The win clinched a wild card spot for the Giants.
He ended his play call with this message to his audience. “I have said enough for a lifetime, and for the last time, I wish you a very pleasant good afternoon.” He then came back on air with a final goodbye.
Scully’s 67-year career with the Dodgers began at 23 years old. He joined Red Barber and Connie Desmond in the Brooklyn Dodgers radio and television booths and in 1953, at age 25, he became the youngest person to broadcast a World Series game.
Concession prices at Vin Scully's first game where the Brooklyn Dodgers played the Philadelphia A's at Shibe Park (4/18/1950) pic.twitter.com/cIfCLxS8k5
— Darren Rovell (@darrenrovell) October 2, 2016
Scully tells of walking in his neighborhood as a boy and seeing a World Series score written on a shop window. The New York Yankees beat the New York Giants 18-4 in Game 2.
That day he decided to be a fan not only of the game, but to always pull for the New York Giants, making it fitting that his that his last game would be Giants-Dodgers.
Scully’s career spans over 9,000 games he’s called from the booth including 20 no-hitters. He was there for five Dodgers championship seasons. He called Don Larsen’s perfect game for the Yankees in the 1956 World Series and Sandy Koufax’s perfect game in 1965.
He may be most remembered for his creative and colorful commentary of the game which was always about much more than just play-by-play.
One of the many important thing about Vin Scully: He told stories. It was never about obsessing over Xs and Os or analytics. Stories.
— Michael Wilbon (@RealMikeWilbon) October 3, 2016
Some of his famed moments range from his ability to read lips during conversation between players on the field, giving the history of beards, the future of redheads or how outfielder Johnny Gomes survived a wolf attack.
Another broadcasting great, San Diego Padres broadcaster Dick Enberg, also said goodbye this weekend. This is how he described Scully according to MLB.com.
“I would want to describe what Vin isn’t,” Enberg said. “It’s not loud. It’s not frantic. It’s not about himself grandstanding, it’s not shouting. It’s smooth and soft and well-prepared. It’s that favorite sweater that you put on during a chilly day.”
At Sunday’s game at AT&T Park as “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” was sung during the seventh-inning stretch, Giants fans and nearby announcers all turned to Scully to serenade him.
#SFGiants handed these cards to every fan today, for Vin Scully's finale. #Dodgers pic.twitter.com/Q5HpKpXenJ
— Bill Shaikin (@BillShaikin) October 2, 2016
The usual animosity of a Giants-Dodgers match up was forgotten during his last game in the booth and the greatness of Vin Scully will be one of few things the rivals can always agree on.