Renowned broadcaster Vin Scully passed away on Aug. 2, 2022, at the age of 94. Scully has a long list of honors but is best known for the 67 years he spent as the play-by-play announcer of the Brooklyn and Los Angeles Dodgers. 

Scully fell in love with baseball as a child. After taking pity on the New York Giants for losing miserably to the New York Yankees in Game 2 of the 1936 World Series, he became a devout fan. He would frequently sit in center field at the Polo Grounds, nearly 500 feet from home plate, to cheer on the Giants and soak up the atmosphere of the stadium. It did not take long for Scully to shift his fandom to the Giants’ crosstown rivals. 

Before joining the Dodgers, Scully created extensive ties to Fordham. In 1941, he attended Fordham Preparatory School before ending up at Fordham University. While at Fordham, Scully called games for the baseball, football and basketball teams. He also wrote for The Fordham Ram and helped found the WFUV radio station in 1947. Scully graduated from Fordham in 1949 with a degree in English. 

Scully frequently gave back to the Fordham community. In addition to being an inspiration for many WFUV sports broadcasters, Scully often spoke with the heads of Fordham athletics. He even went so far as to lecture members of the WFUV team and meet with players on the Fordham baseball team. 

In 1950, Scully began his illustrious tenure with the Dodgers. As if destined for greatness, Scully became the youngest person to commentate a World Series when the Dodgers faced the Yankees in the 1953 championship. He stayed with the organization when the Dodgers relocated to Los Angeles in 1958 and remained as the voice of the team until his retirement in 2016. 

Although Scully spent the majority of his time calling games for the Dodgers, he also gained fame for his national sports coverage. Scully served as a broadcaster for the National Football League for CBS Sports from 1975 to 1982, as well as the lead baseball broadcaster for NBC from 1983 to 1989. After leaving NBC, he also spent eight years as the national radio announcer for the World Series.

“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.” Stan Kasten, Dodgers CEO and President

Known for his descriptive imagery and remarkable poise, Scully is regarded as one of the greatest sports broadcasters in history. In his career, Scully called 28 World Series and was behind the microphone for historic moments such as Don Larsen’s perfect game in Game 5 of the 1956 World Series, Sandy Koufax’s perfect game in 1965, Hank Aaron’s record-breaking 715th home run in 1974, Mookie Wilson’s roller up along first that got through Buckner in Game 6 of the 1986 World Series and Kirk Gibson’s improbable walk-off in Game 1 of the 1988 World Series. 

Throughout his career, Scully earned a number of achievements for his work. In 1982, the National Baseball Hall of Fame awarded him the Ford C. Frick Award, given to baseball commentators for their “commitment to excellence, quality of broadcasting abilities, reverence within the game, popularity with fans, and recognition by peers.” Additionally, Scully was inducted into the National Radio Hall of Fame in 1995 for his “mastery of the English language and his enviable demeanor,” throughout his distinguished career. Former U.S. President Barack Obama also awarded him the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian honor that can be bestowed by the President of the United States, in 2016. 

“We have lost an icon,” Dodgers CEO and President Stan Kasten said in a 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.”  

There are few people in history who can solidify themselves as legends in their field. Scully managed to do just that. In doing so, his voice reached millions of people with authenticity and composure that set him apart. From his humble beginnings covering baseball games at Fordham for a newly minted WFUV radio station to any of the various World Series that he commentated to his final game in the booth, Scully left his mark on the game of baseball and the world at large.