Farewell to the greatest broadcaster in baseball history, Vin Scully

It's very strange for me to think there is someone in the world who essentially has done their job for the entire time I have been alive, give or take a couple of months.

Queen Elizabeth

I always figured the one who came closest was Queen Elizabeth II, who became sovereign of the United Kingdom in 1952, when I was 2 years old.

She's still hanging in at age 90, and is the longest reigning monarch in British history.

I was born in December 1949, and it's not like I was aware of what was going on across the pond, even though I've got English ancestry I can trace back to the middle of the 14th century.

As it turned out, though, there is someone who started doing his job before the beginning of my life who is still showing up for work for another week.

Vin then

Vincent Edward Scully was born later in the same year my mother was born, and they graduated from different colleges the same year as well. He had only one job offer out of college, and he started working as a fill-in announcer for WTOP radio in Washington in 1949.

Legendary announcer Red Barber hired him to do some college football coverage on Saturdays, and Scully impressed him enough for his work at a cold November game at Boston's Fenway Park that he hired him as the No. 3 man on his team broadcasting Brooklyn Dodgers games.

Barber gave Scully three pieces of advice -- don't be a homer, don't listen to other announcers and keep your opinions to yourself.


His first game that counted was Opening Day in 1950, when I was four months old.

His last will be later this week from San Francisco.

Vin now

He will be 89 years old in November, and I would have to say he was probably the most beloved sportscaster in the world for at least half of those years.

Scully is finishing his 67th season announcing Dodgers games. For years he has worked alone in the booth, and he is never loud or annoying, sarcastic or condescending.

One thing he truly seems to understand is that no matter how bad a player is, just the fact that he made it to the major leagues makes him worth of respect.

I watched most of the broadcast of his final home game Sunday. It has been six years since my last game at Dodger Stadium with my friend Wayne Shinsato, and I'm finding I miss my friend, I miss Vin and I miss Dodger Stadium.

They call it Blue Heaven, and while I have seen baseball in 20 different major league ballparks, there are none that can match its combination of beauty, comfort and tradition. I live more than 2,200 miles away from Los Angeles now, and it makes me sad to think I may never see another game there.

And nearly as sad to think that even if I do, Scully won't be part of it.

Godspeed, Vin. We miss you, but no one ever earned their retirement more.