Dodgers icon Vin Scully dies at 94
LOS ANGELES - The baseball world mourns the loss of a beloved broadcaster as Vin Scully has died at 94.
The hall-of-fame voice of the Los Angeles Dodgers died Tuesday.
"We have lost an icon," said Dodgers president and CEO Stan Kasten in an online statement. "The 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 as a humanitarian. 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. I know he was looking forward to joining the love of his life, Sandi. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family during this very difficult time. Vin will be truly missed."
Dodgers fans and baseball fans across the world remember Scully's storytelling during his 67-year run as the voice of Los Angeles baseball.
The New York native’s journey with the Dodgers began in 1950 when the team played their home games in Brooklyn. Scully followed the Dodgers in the team’s move to Los Angeles in 1958. Over the course of his decades-long career, Scully crossed paths with many of the sport's all-time greats, including 3-time NL Cy Young winner Clayton Kershaw.
"He was the best there ever was," Kershaw told reporters after Tuesday's game. "Just when you think about the Dodgers – there's a lot of history here and lot of people that have come through, it's just a storied franchise all the way around. But it almost starts with Vin, honestly."
Former Cy Young winner and 1988 World Series MVP Orel Hershiser paid tribute to Scully during the Dodgers' postgame show on Spectrum SportsNet following Tuesday night's game. Hershiser called Scully a "role model."
"People are saying he was a soundtrack, but I would say it's the voice from our highlight film of life," Hershiser said during the team's postgame show.
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Many Angelenos remember Scully for his iconic call of Game 1 of the 1988 World Series. Scully provided a memorable play-by-play call of injured Dodgers outfielder Kirk Gibson limping way to the batters box before delivering a two-run walkoff home run to give Los Angeles a 5-4 win over the heavily-favored Oakland Athletics.
"In a year that has been so improbable, the impossible has happened," Scully said on-air seconds after Gibson’s home run.
Speaking of Gibson, the former World Series took to social media shortly after Scully's death to call the longtime broadcaster "the best."
In addition to calling Dodgers games, Scully occasionally called NFL games PGA Tour golf. He also called nationally-televised sporting events for both CBS and NBC on top of calling every Dodgers game through 2016.
Scully’s illustrious career in the broadcast booth landed him in the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1982 and in 2016, he received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2016.
The news of Scully’s death comes a little over a year after his wife Sandra died from her battle with ALS. Back on February 2021, Scully had also mourned the death of his longtime friend and fellow Dodger legend Tommy Lasorda.
"I want to express my gratitude for all your kind messages about my beloved Sandi. And with the loss of my dear friend Tommy, it's been quite a lot to bear," Scully said on social media in 2021.
As of Tuesday night, the Dodgers have not yet announced a date for when there will be a public celebration of Scully's life.