Still getting goose bumps from Scully

The Press-Enterprise (Riverside, CA) ^ | July 18, 2009 | Jim Alexander

[EveningStar]

I'm sure Vin Scully hears the question constantly, and I'm equally sure he always handles it with his characteristic grace.

It's a question without a definite answer. How long will the fans of Southern California, spoiled beyond recognition by his elegant play-by-play descriptions, continue to enjoy his presence in the Dodgers TV booth?

[EveningStar]

SoCal

[Longhair_and_Leather]

"He's the last of a breed in another sense, too, continuing to work solo. To those who have grown up accustomed to multiple voices in the booth and might consider this an anachronism, I respond: Why would you rather have two guys gabbing with each other instead of one talking directly to you, the listener?

This guy never heard Harry Kalas and Richie Ashburn!

Harry Kalas, Harry Caray, Jack Buck, Vin Scully. All of them were great, and at a time baseball was great--before the 1994 strike.

[newfreep]

Scully gives you bumps, too?

[LeavingNewYork]

Mel Allen w/Red Barber.....

and..one of the most enjoyable, yet unlikely broadcasting teams was Phil Rizzuto, Bill White and Frank Messer.

[ZGuy]

Sorry. Vin Scully is a terrible announcer, at least if you want to know what is going on at the ballgame. I don't know how many times I've been sitting at a game and watched a foul ball go WAY back into the seats behind the third base dugout only to hear Vin on the radio say something like, "Oh My! He hit that one! Oh! It's going . . . foul."

Here's another Vin classic: Man on second, one out, Vin announces the next hit, "It's up the middle, and he will have to stop af first. [long pause] And here's the next batter..." Hey Vin, maybe some of us would like to know if the man on second scored or if he stopped at third. Unfortunately we won't know that until the end of the inning when the score is giving and we can figure it out ourselves.

But on top of these are Vin's admission that he intentionally does not tell the radio audience what he sees. He was interviewed by Lon Simmons once during a pregame show and Lon asked him how he would announce a situation in which a runner was called out at second, but it was clear that the second baseman dropped the ball and that the umpire missed it. Vin said that he would only tell the audience that the runner was called out and that he would never mewntion the dropped ball.

Sorry, Vin may have a folksy and memorable delivery, but when it comes to imparting the information the audience wants to hear, accurately, he's the worst.

[CaptRon]

Holy Cow! I gotta get home to dinner!

[CaptRon]

You think that’s bad? Listen to John Sterling and Suzyn Waldman, the Yankees announcers. Sterling has announced more home runs caught on the warning track than any man alive.

[ZGuy]

LOL

[B-Chan]

And how will the Farmer John sausage folks survive when he’s gone?

[Mr. Mojo]

Vin is rated #1 in ASA's Top 50 Sportscasters of All Time , and for good reason.

(I'd have put Chick Hearn 2nd).

[Palladin]

He’s still alive?

[corkoman]

Scully is hands-down the easiest announcer to listen to ever - and perfect for SoCal laid-back audience. For those who sit foam-mouthed next to the radio needing GPS coordinates of every foul ball maybe not but Scully can put you in Dodger Stadium smelling the popcorn and sage.

He doesnt travel past the rockies anymore so the road team TRIES to do his shtick and it just is not the same. Its a miracle he still does games.

[Palladin]

No...really. I always liked him. I didn’t know he was still around. Is his hair still red?

[Colonel_Flagg]

Scully is a legend. But the worst broadcasters in baseball are unquestionably the radio guys for my beloved Minnesota Twins.

John Gordon, a former Yankee announcer, is absolutely Godawful. Jerry Coleman has nothing on him when it comes to nonsensical proclamations (Gordon once said an injured player “wasn’t hurt, but he does appear to be in a great deal of pain”.) His ‘touch ‘em all’ home run call was ripped off from Dick Enberg and if you’ve ever heard Roy Firestone’s comedy routine featuring announcer Biff Barnes, you’ve just heard John Gordon.

Dan Gladden is a hero of the 1997 and 2001 World Series champions, but had no broadcasting experience when he was hired and it shows. He’s bland and unemotional but at least he gives us three innings away from Gordon.

It’s bad enough that Gladden has been given a nickname by Gordon that he never had when he played (”The Dazzle Man”), but the two of them together are nine innings of fingernails down a blackboard.

We miss the late, great Herb Carneal more than we can say.

[Palladin]

I just went back and refreshed my memory. Indeed, Vin is a legend and an inspiration to all baseball announcers.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vin_Scully

God Bless Vin Scully!

[Colonel_Flagg]

Let’s try 1987 and 1991 champions. The memory is the first thing to go ... :D

[Palladin]

I watch all baseball games with the sound muted nowadays. Who needs an announcer to tell them what they just saw with their own eyes?

[grey_whiskers]

We miss the late, great Herb Carneal more than we can say.

Amen.

[CaptRon]

Yeah, but Jerry Coleman plays the harmoica (at least I think thats him).