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Vin Scully, the greatest

Episode Summary

We remember the life and legacy of Los Angeles Dodgers broadcaster Vin Scully, who passed away this week at age 94.

Episode Notes

Vin Scully was the broadcaster for the Dodgers baseball franchise for 67 years, from its time in Brooklyn through its move to Los Angeles. In the process, he not only became a sports legend; he became a summer soundtrack for generations of fans in Southern California and beyond.

Today, we remember the life and legacy of Vin Scully. Read the full transcript here.

Host: Former fellow for The Times, Angel Carreras

Guests: L.A. Times sports columnist Bill Plaschke, Los Angeles Dodgers broadcaster Jaime Jarrín, sportscaster Bob Costas

More reading:

Complete coverage: Remembering the life of Dodgers announcer Vin Scully (1927-2022)

Column: Vin Scully’s voice, a serenade of rebirth, will live on forever in Los Angeles

Column: Vaya con Dios, Vin Scully — a beacon of possibility for generations in L.A.

Episode Transcription

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Gustavo: Vin Scully, the legendary, longtime broadcaster for the Los Angeles Dodgers…has left us.

He died Tuesday at age 94. The sports world is in mourning, but the grief is especially acute in Southern California. 

He was the summer soundtrack for millions of people, over a career in LA that spanned seven decades.

His voice: melodious and soothing. His stories: masterful. His talents — immeasurable. His humanity: wonderful.

And now…our Vinny is gone.

Tape: Well, I miss the games. Well, yeah, but I can turn on the radio or the TV. I could catch the games, the people, that's what I will miss. The people who have just made me feel so much at home. And I think I carry that right out onto the air.

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I’m Gustavo Arellano. You’re listening to THE TIMES, essential news from the LA Times. 

It’s Thursday, August 4, 2022.  

Today, the life and legacy of Vin Scully. 

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Gustavo: Earlier this summer, former Times fellow Angel Carerras talked to Bill Plaschke, an LA Times sports columnist for over 25 years. One of his favorite subjects, of course: Vin Scully. We’ll hear from Bill and also Hall of Fame broadcaster Jaime Jarrín and, Bob Costas. The common thread Angel pulled from Plaschke, Jarrín and Costas — Vin Scully was the greatest of them all…and an even better human being.

Angel: Now Bill, for uninitiated listeners-- who is Vin Scully? To you, to LA, to Major League Baseball?

Bill: Vince Scully for 67 years was a soundtrack of a city, was the music of a baseball team. He was. The most trusted figure in Los Angeles, his voice resonated throughout the city, throughout the country, as a play by play announcer for the Dodgers. He was your favorite uncle. He was your favorite storyteller. 

Bill: He was the guy who puts you to sleep at night. The guy who entertains you at lunch, the guy who you shared your dinners with the way he spoke, the way he reached away, he touched our lives. The best way to describe it as if for 67 years, when people would fly back home to Los Angeles, they land in lax, get in their cars, take off on their freeways, busy freeways they'd turn on the car radio. And if they heard Vince Scully's voice, they knew they were home. He spoke for a city, he represented baseball. He touched the world, his voice touched the world.

Angel: And how did Vince Scully get into baseball into broadcasting? I mean, he's a, he's a New Yorker turned Angelino. Right. Can you talk about that for us?

Yea he grew  up in the Bronx and his love for the game? He realized when he was nine years old, he was at a long time. In 1936, the New York giants had just lost a big world series game. And he felt the pain in the laundromat from people who were mourning a baseball game. And he thought, my gosh, baseball must really be something. If it can touch people like this and make them feel like this, I want to be part of it. So he went on to Fordham university where he became the announcer for all the Fordham sports. And  you know, people were in the east coast were very impressed with him.  Then he got his big break. When he was asked to do a college football game, the University of Maryland against Boston university.  This is //   right out of college.

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Bill:  It was a game was at Fenway park, which is a famous baseball stadium in Boston. It went to the game. They expected it to be in a press box. The announced the announcements moved to be enclosed. It was a cold winter day. Turns out he was broadcasting from the roof. The setup was on the roof, outside in the elements. He didn't bring a coat. He didn't bring gloves yet. He called the whole gang. Didn't mention the cold once. They mentioned the cold ones called the beautiful game, Maryland against Boston university. And his superiors were so impressed with him that in 1950, at age 23, ///  he'd  joined at the Brooklyn Dodger radio team. 1950. 

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Bill: And ever since then, he's been doing the Dodgers. He was the longest tenure Dodger of any Dodger in history from Brooklyn. And he came to LA in 1958 with a team. He was the one constant, always there always, you know, hello, everybody. And a very good evening to you 

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Bill: All it says to you is the Dodger model, the Dodger theme they say before every Dodger. They bring people on the field to say it. Some it's a big ceremony. Every game is it's time for Dodger baseball. 

Tape of Vin: We've had all the introductions. We've had all the pump and circumstance. We've had all the fuss and feathers, but it's time. It's time for Dodger baseball. 

Bill: And that was Vin. And that was Vin for 67 years. It's time for Dodger baseball.

Angel: Bill could you begin by sharing when you first heard the voice, the name Vince Scully. Do something for me, close your eyes. And, and remember: what are those first feelings…those words that… that come to mind when you first hear him, his voice? 

Bill: So it was when I first came to Los Angeles, I'd heard them on some national broadcast //but you don't really hear, you don't really hear Vin till you hear him do the Dodgers. And I // first moved to Los Angeles in 1987. And I remember getting them on the radio in the car and. I was overwhelmed. I came from Seattle. I was overwhelmed by the traffic, 

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Bill: overwhelmed by the noise, and I heard this voice and it was like, it felt like I was sitting at Dodger stadium 

Clip I don't know how you feel about it at the other end of these microphones, whether you're sitting at home or driving a car or on the beach or anywhere…

Bill: And I felt Palm trees and I felt breeze and I saw mountains and I felt grass and I felt baseball. 

Clip: I know, sitting here watching the Giants and Dodges are friendly playing for the last time of the polar ground. You want him to take their time…

Bill: Then just the lyrical way that he spun a game, the journey he took us on every game, just through his voice and the lilt in his voice, the exclamations, the punctuations the pauses,

Clip: Two old inches low, ball three. You just feel like saying I don't run off the field so fast fell. Let's uh, take it easy. We want one good, long lingering look at both of you.

Bill: You feel like it's spring again. You feel like it's always spring when Vin talked. I heard a voice and it felt like spring. I said, I got to get to Dodger stadium. ‘Cause I feel like I'm there already.  

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Angel: Now Bill. you aren’t the only one that has a similar love story to hearing Vin Scully. Bob Costas former MSNBC sportscaster, uh worked alongside in the industry with Vin Scully, uh remembers Vin from his childhood:

Bob Costas Tape:“although I grew up. Around New York, virtually my entire childhood and adolescence for a year and a half in 1960 and 61. My family lived in Southern California and as a huge baseball fan, I was always listening to Vince Scully. The Dodgers were always on the car radio or on the radio at home. And at that time only a tiny number of games. We're on television. So radio was the way that baseball fans received the games and Vin Scully was, uh, quite possibly the greatest radio baseball announcer of all time. And you could tell even then how special he was.”

[AP TAPE - SANDY KOUFAX]
Two and two to Harvey keen, one strike away Sandy into his wind up. Here's the pitch. Swung and a miss…the perfect game…. 

BOB: His voice is very distinctive. But it's also very pleasing. There are people who have excellent broadcasting, voices, uh, voices, that project voices that have some authority, but Vins is so distinctive and his style and pacing was so well suited to the pace of baseball. It was almost as if he gave a broadcast a melody. 

Angel: So Bill, Bob calls it kind of like a melody. In your words, how would you describe Vince's voice; his, his play calling? What was so unique?

Bill: Well, because he didn't call just the game. He called the sport. He called, he called our lives. So he would tell stories during games he would spin into yarns about… there'd be a pitcher on the mound who would remind him of something 30 years ago or something in world war two or something in the Greek tragedies. And he'd start telling a story and his stories would spin. He said, okay, now the Hershiser with the wind and the PHQ is two balls and two strikes.

Anyway, back in the 13th century, you know, Promius did this and, and he tells these wonderful stories that relate to the game. So it was really interesting when Vin Scully would tell the story and there'd be two outs in the inning. So, you know, when the inning  ends at three  outs  they go to commercial break. So Vince is the only announcer in baseball history where people would listen to his games and hope for… cheer for foul balls. Cheer for long at bats, cheer for the play to be stretched out so he could finish the story. So he’d say…strike one and strike one. And back in world war two, the general patent once did this..

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Bill: and once played baseball with the troops and he's telling these stories, or Jackie Robinson wants to stole home and he's telling these stories, ball three, foul ball ball four, strike three.

And what's the ending ended. The story would end. So you'd want Vinnie to keep talking forever. His ability to mix life and baseball. //  It was such a connection. He had such a connection with the people because he talked about life. You talked about us. It was about the Dodgers, but no, no, no. It was really about us. 

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Gustavo: More on Vin Scully after the break.

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Angel: So you mentioned that connection. What else set Vin apart from people? The storytelling… connection…what else? 

Bill: For one thing, Vin was never a homer. And today's announcers are all homers because they're paid by the team. So the fans understand it. It's just understanding. They say we. They cheer for home runs. Their voice goes noticeably down when the other team scores. Vin was not like that. Vin never supposed who was watching the game. // He did the game for the retired mechanic in Florida, as well as the young nutso fan –  25 year old fan in Van Nuys. He would do the games for everyone. So he would be right down the middle. He would just tell you what happened in a beautiful voice, in a beautiful words, beautiful description, but never cheer.

New AP tape here padres vs dodgers: Quentin walks and breaks into a run. Frankie collides with him. AJ Ellis grabs, Quentin income sellers, and down the oil. After that, every man for himself.

Bill: He thought his job was a conduit. He was the most humble man I've ever met. He didn't like the attention. Didn't want the attention, have you heard about the  Vins? Great autobiography? No, you haven't. //  Cause he won't write one.  He never wrote one. Wouldn't write one. Didn't think people want to care about himself.  Wanting to deflect the attention.It was all about  the players. 

Angel: Now…we’ve heard a lot about Vin Scully the broadcaster, the Dodgers guy, almost deified by some, but what was Vin the family man like?

Bill: One of my favorite stories about him is he was a really devoted, devoted family man. I wrote a big story on him one time for the LA times magazine. And he said, please don't don't bother my children. ///  Through two marriages, he had six children, and don't bother them. They don't want to care about their, their old man, just I'll just talk to you. And he gave me great stuff. So I'm writing this story and the phone rings, it's one of his daughters. She goes, how dare you not call us? I said, your dad said, don't call you. He's the greatest dad ever. We have to talk about him. You have to let us in this story. So of course I said, talk on, I'll write whatever you say. And they told the story of how, when they were younger in the swimming pool, in the backyard,  he would come out and do play-by-play of them in the swimming pool. There's , little, little, uh, Betty.  There's little, little Joey…. Jumping off the diving board into the water. He goes swimming to the end. He would do. And those weren't, I apologize. I don't have their exact names. He would call their swimming feats from a lawn chair in the backyard. Like he was calling a game. 

Angel: And Bill, I'm curious, you've known him for years. What is, what is your most memorable moment with Vin?

Bill: I would write a story about him. I'd call him. We do a story about something, him talking about a memory and talking about something, him telling stories about it. He would tell great stories about he went ice skating with Jackie Robinson. I mean, he told great stories about Jackie told great stories about all the Dodger greats. And after, I would write the story and…like clockwork the next day, about four o'clock in the afternoon, my phone would ring. It would be Vin: Bill…Vin  Scully, but by the way, he had his answering machine was hi, this is Vin Scully can come in the fall right now. Please leave a message. It was such a distinctive voice answering machine. I would call it three or four times during the winter. And even when I knew he wasn't home, just to hear his voice, just to get the comfort of sound for that.

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Bill:  So anyway, he would call me after writing a story, he would say, bill Vince go. And of course you knew the minute he said, bill, you knew it was Vince Scully. He didn't, he never had identified himself. And yet he always identified himself.He would say, this is an off the record, not for print I what? Great story today. Thank you very much that my, I thank you. My family. Thanks you. I don't didn't deserve it. It was just a regular, simple story about him talking bout something. Okay, thank you for noticing me. That's all I want to say. Not for print. Thank you very much. And it would happen every time. 

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Bill: So those are my little Sculley moments.  

Angel: Gotta carry those Scully moments with you forever, you know, but let's go, let's go small and big. What was the most memorable game? Vince Scully covered most memorable moment of his career for you?

Bill: His most memorable call was Kirk Gibson's home run in 1988 game one of the world series that  beat the A's two out 9th. Two run home run, beat the A's stunned, the mighty A's or the Oakland Athletics, and went on to lead a Dodger. So that world series championship that is still hear the call now: Gibson's coming to the plate. Hobbled

Clip: sacks waiting on deck, but the game right now is at the plate…

Bill: Swings a bat… 

Clip: High fly ball into right field. She is gone!  

Bill: In a year that has been so improbable, the impossible has happened and that's all he said, then he was silent. Why you can still go there. I could still go to the roar of the crowd as Gibson hobbled around the basis. That was his greatest call. His greatest moment though, I think, was his last home game when he retired. And I believe it was 2016. 

AP Tape of last game: Leave it to the Dodgers. Charlie called us in for a game-winning home run. What, a moment to have it. And would you believe his first home run of the year. 

Bill: It's a walk-off home run to give the Dodgers the victory in Vin's last game. The place goes crazy. It was Vins  last home game. 

New ap tape of last home game: So now they don't care about the Padres and the Giants. Care, not at all. And boy, did it work out perfectly for the final home game of the regular season? They have a lot of work to do for sure. Still ahead of them.

Bill: The place goes crazy. The players celebrate a home plate. Then they all turned and pointed up to van and shout together. This one's for you. This one's for you. This one's for you pointing to Vin, everybody's crying and you think you've seen it all. It's been unbelievable. It came top this, well, it did top this, so Vin takes the microphone and he says, I want to say something.

I want to thank you; the fan. If it wasn't for you, I wouldn't be. This is all about these last 67 years, have all been about you and been about my wife, Sandy and his wife, Sandy was standing next to him. So he said, if you'll allow me one more interruption into your life, I will tell you how I feel.

Clip: I wanna tell you how I. I wanted to try and express my appreciation to all the players. God bless ‘em. And to all you folks here in the ball park. It's a very, very modest thing. I sang this for my wife. It was a loving gesture. You know, the song, “The Wind Beneath My Wings.” And that's what you are. You're the wind beneath the team's wing. You are the team beneath my wing. So I know it's modest. I know it's an amateur. Do you mind listening? 

Bill: And on the scoreboard, they played a recording of Vin singing wind beneath my wings.

Clip: Music

Bill: Did you ever you know, you know, did I tell you, you were my hero that day. He sang it. It was a recording of him saying it to Sandy. He sang it on the scoreboard. The fans are the wind beneath his wings. His wife, Sandy was the wind beneath his wings. And he sang that in 50,000 people cried. It was an unbelievable scene. It was chow, never, ever forget that it was a greatest goodbye in Dodger history. 

Angel: And Bill, last question here for you. Uh, how will Vince Scully be remembered? What will his legacy be in the announcer's booth and out?  

Bill: Vin Scully's legacy will be as an example of how kindness, generosity and honesty can turn a simple play-by-play broadcaster, a simple man covering a simple game, talking to a simple microphone, to be the most trusted man in a very complicated city. To be the most trusted voice in a very complicated world. 

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Bill: Vin Scully showed…he showed that you could do that with kindness and grace and dignity with a lyrical look on life instead of a hard look on life. That you can take the simple act of describing a baseball game and have it describe our lives 67 years of our lives. That's his legacy. 

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Angel: : Bill, thank you for this interview. 

Bill: Thanks! !

Gustavo: After the break we’ll hear from Vin Scully’s longtime friend and Spanish language broadcaster Jaime Jarrín. 

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Angel: And now, we speak to someone that learned from Scully, who became great friends with him and his family-- Jaime Jarrin, the now-retired Spanish-language Dodgers broadcaster. He worked with the team for 64 years, right alongside Scully. Jaime, thanks for being here. 

Jaime: Hi, thank you.

Angel: You get to LA, I believe in 1955. And you're a young man. You're learning about the Dodgers, still new to baseball still new to this country. Vin Scully, kind of taught you the ropes of baseball.  But tell me what it was like when you first met him.

Jaime: When I read about Vin Scully as much as possible. So I knew who he was. He came from from  Brooklyn he stayed in Los Angeles, and at the beginning, of course, when I was 22 years old. And, uh, so right away a, uh, he, he, he, he was a giant to me. He was a giant to me. And he inspired me lots of respect as a person, as a, as a broadcaster also/ But as a person, mainly because he was extremely nice with me. He tried to be nice with me. //  He would speak to me a little bit slower because he knew that my English was very limited. It still is, but, uh, but, uh, he, he, I noticed that he. Uh, he was aware of who I was and the things that I needed to improve, uh, uh, in, in, on the job and on as a person. So from the beginning, the respect that I, that I, that I had for Vin is unbelievable. 

Angel: VIN was unbelievable as you say to many. And he kept his Zion rising stars such as yourself. So Jaimie, you learned from Vin, did you ever try to ape his style or, did you ever hear his style kinda of come out of others? What have you  picked from his brain?

Jamie: Vin is is totally, totally different  than most of them. I probably, there are some, some announces who have tried to copy his style. Uh, but it's, it's unique. It's very tough to, to copy him. I have tried not to copy him, but I have tried to observe his way of overall casting. I have the same school of him as I. Keep my pace down. Get excited when you are supposed to get excited, don't be an screamer. Don't be partial to this or that player to this or that team. Those things I have copied from him, but, uh, trying to be him. It's practically impossible.

Angel: You and Vince spent years together. What are some things you'll never forget in conversation with VIN after all those years together //  is there a moment that defines Vince Scully for you? You look back and. I know there's a culmination of something. There's a moment of true beauty between you. Is there a moment you can share like that for us?

Jamie: Well, Probably the things when he lost his first wife, uh, he was extremely sad, and I helped stay with him, uh, one hour, two hours after the game in the press box and the dining room of the press box. And he was having a couple of drinks and we were going home and, uh, and, uh, that's a, that's a precious time that I had with him because I noticed that he was extremely sad. Of course, you know, he had lost his wife. And, uh, it was a very unique time, very unique time for myself, um, being with him in those instances, when he was feeling a little bit low. When I lost my wife, uh, almost three years ago, uh, he gave me a phone call. He spent about 30 minutes on the phone with me. And that's the most beautiful, the most fantastic, uh, telephone call that I have ever received. He talked to me because of his experience, losing his, his wife, um, uh, it was before losing his second wife. So he, he, he talked to me so beautiful that, uh, you know, the way that he delivered. The way that he commands the language, uh, the way that he grasped for the, the, the circumstances around it was unbelievable. it was about 30 minutes of the most beautiful, beautiful talk that I ever ever heard, and i will ever receive, I think, so. 

Angel: Oh, man, I'm glad you guys had each other. It's… it's really wonderful to hear. Uh, Jamie… I just have, uh, I just have one more question. Um, why is Vin Scully important to you? Why is it important to us?

Jamie: Well, he's so important to me because of the way that he helped me there with the way he conducted himself in front of me in front of everybody. Uh, uh, he's very important because he is the best of the best. And you know, you, you always try to be near the best. And I was very, very fortunate to be near him all these years. For 60 years practically.

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Jamie:  Well… I don't have to tell you why the people follow him so much. Because he's the best broadcaster. There is nobody, nobody near him, close to him. the way that he masters his profession. That's what he's recognized for. From anybody else the best of the best. Uh, so that's, that's I think a very unique with Vin. 

tape : As I am saying goodbye, seven runs, 16 hit for the winning giants. One for one for the Dodgers, the winner, Matt Moore, the loser Kenza. I have said enough for a lifetime. And for the last time, I wish you all a very pleasant afternoon.

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Angel: Jamie…thank you so much. 

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Gustavo: And that's it for this episode of THE TIMES, daily news from the LA Times. Angel Carreras and Ashlea Brown were the jefes on this episode and Mike Heflin mixed and mastered it. 

Our show is produced by Shannon Lin, Denise Guerra, Kasia Broussalian, David Toledo and Ashlea Brown. Our editorial assistant is Madalyn Amato.

Our intern is Surya Hendry. Our engineers are Mario Diaz, Mark Nieto and Mike Heflin. Our editor is Kinsee Morlan. Our executive producers are Jazmin Aguilera,  Shani Hilton and Heba Elorbany. And our theme music is by Andrew Eapen. 

Like what you're listening to? Then make sure to follow THE TIMES on whatever platform you use. 

I'm Gustavo Arellano. We'll be back tomorrow, with all the news and desmadre. Gracias!

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