Athletes - Vin Scully

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	Athletes - Vin Scully

Vincent Edward "Vin" Scully (born November 29, 1927 in The Bronx, New York) is an American sportscaster, known primarily as the play-by-play voice of Brooklyn and Los Angeles Dodgers baseball games.

In 47 seasons in Los Angeles, Vin Scully has become a beloved figure. His 55-year tenure with the Dodgers is the longest of any broadcaster with a single club in professional sports history. Scully has called six World Series victories and 14 National League pennants for the club.

Scully has received numerous honors: In 1982, he received the Ford Frick Award, inducting him into the broadcaster's wing of the Baseball Hall of Fame. Twenty-one times, he has been named California Sportscaster of the Year. He received the Life Achievement Emmy Award for sportscasting in 1995, and was inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame the same year. The American Sportscasters Association named him Broadcaster of the Century in 2000.

In 1976, Scully was selected by Dodgers' fans as the Most Memorable Personality (on the field or off) in the team's history. In 1998, an L.A. Times Magazine feature article called him "The Most Trusted Man in Los Angeles."

Early life

Growing up in the Washington Heights section of New York, Scully made ends meet by delivering milk and mail, pushing garment racks, and cleaning silver in the basement of the in New York City. His father was a silk salesman; his mother a homemaker of Irish descent with red hair like her son.

Vin knew he wanted to be a sports announcer the moment he became fascinated with football broadcasts on his radio. This is despite the fact that at the time, Vin didn't know any sports announcers, had never seen a sports announcer work before, and had never even seen a sporting event in person.

Career in Brooklyn

Scully began his career as a student broadcaster at Fordham University. While at Fordham, he helped form its FM radio station, sang in a barbershop quartet, played center field, got a degree, and sent about 150 letters to stations along the Eastern seaboard. Scully ultimately got only one response, from CBS Radio affiliate WTOP in Washington, which made him a fill-in.

He was eventually recruited by Red Barber, sports director of the CBS Radio Network, for its college football coverage. Scully impressed his boss with his coverage of a gridiron match from frigid Fenway Park in Boston, despite having to do so from the stadium roof (expecting an enclosed press box, Scully had left his coat and gloves at his hotel, but never mentioned his discomfort on the air). Barber mentored Scully and told him that if he wanted to be a successful sports announcer he should never be a "homer" (openly showing a rooting interest for the team that employs you), never listen to other announcers, and keep his opinions to himself.

In 1950, Scully joined Barber and Cornelius (Connie) Desmond in the Brooklyn Dodgers' radio and television booths. When Barber got into a salary dispute with World Series sponsor Gillette in 1953, Scully took Barber's spot for the Fall Classic. At the age of 25, Scully became the youngest person to ever broadcast a World Series. Barber left the Dodgers after the 1953 season (to work for the New York Yankees). With Desmond often sidelined due to problems with alcoholism, Scully eventually became the team's principal announcer.

Scully called the Dodgers' games in Brooklyn until 1957, after which the club moved west, along with the Giants — becoming the first two Major League baseball teams west of St. Louis.

CBS

From 1979 to 1982, and again from 1990 to 1997, Scully was also the lead announcer for CBS Radio Sports' World Series coverage. Between television and radio, he has called all or part of 28 World Series — more than any other announcer.

Like Barber and Mel Allen in the 1940s, Scully retained his credentials in football even as his baseball career blossomed. Scully called National Football League games from 1975 to 1982 for CBS television. One of his most famous calls is Dwight Clark's touchdown catch in the January 10, 1982, NFC Championship Game (which Scully called with Hank Stram), which put the San Francisco 49ers into Super Bowl XVI.

Scully also anchored the network's tennis and PGA Tour golf coverage in the late 1970s and early 1980s, usually working the golf events with Pat Summerall, Ken Venturi, and Ben Wright. From 1979 to 1982, he was part of the team that covered the Masters for CBS. He has also done golf coverage for NBC and ABC television.

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Athletes - Vin Scully

Early life

Career in Brooklyn

CBS

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