ONE DAY, VIN WILL BE GONE!
As those of us living in Los Angeles know, the great Vin Scully is heard on the radio doing Dodger games for only 3 innings and that isn't for ALL the games. Baseball is a game that was MADE for radio and Vin Scully was made (born) for baseball. Once upon a time, Vin was heard on radio a LOT, but progress intervened (television) and now we can hear him for the whole game while watching the game on television. That's PROGRESS?!? Whole other commentary. And as Vin's gotten older, his workload has been reduced so he's not involved in ALL the games. Nothing we can do about that. We all get older. But I bring this up because while driving to an acting class last night, I was listening to Vin do his three innings on KFWB and (as only Vin can do) in between pitches, he began a story about something that took place in Milwaukee in 1945. 62 YEARS ago?!? How relevant can THAT be?!? Stay with me, kids.
Again...the ballgame is going on...it's radio...I know...he was on tv at the same time...but we're talkin' about radio now...While still describing pitches and the action on the field, the 1945 story that took place in Milwaukee had something to do with a bridge being built...and something else to do with a pregnant duck ON the bridge that the locals named "Gertie" and how progress on the bridge was being held up because no one wanted to interfere with new life. New DUCK life! When the ducklings were born, building on the bridge was resumed. Again...this was 1945...World War II was going on...The building of the bridge was about hope and the birth of the ducklings was about life. "Life and Hope" were on everybody's minds in 1945 and the reason Vin was telling this story was that in 2007 the city of Milwaukee is experiencing the same feelings about their baseball team this year. "Life and Hope".
O.K. I'm not Vin Scully and I didn't tell that story anywhere NEAR as well as VIN did, but I know a little something about storytelling and radio and that was CLASSIC storytelling and it was done by a MASTER.
Here's a reality check. One day....sooner, rather than later....we're not going to hear him anymore. Listen to him while you can, because one day, Vin will be gone and if I've ruined your day, I'm sorry.
Again...the ballgame is going on...it's radio...I know...he was on tv at the same time...but we're talkin' about radio now...While still describing pitches and the action on the field, the 1945 story that took place in Milwaukee had something to do with a bridge being built...and something else to do with a pregnant duck ON the bridge that the locals named "Gertie" and how progress on the bridge was being held up because no one wanted to interfere with new life. New DUCK life! When the ducklings were born, building on the bridge was resumed. Again...this was 1945...World War II was going on...The building of the bridge was about hope and the birth of the ducklings was about life. "Life and Hope" were on everybody's minds in 1945 and the reason Vin was telling this story was that in 2007 the city of Milwaukee is experiencing the same feelings about their baseball team this year. "Life and Hope".
O.K. I'm not Vin Scully and I didn't tell that story anywhere NEAR as well as VIN did, but I know a little something about storytelling and radio and that was CLASSIC storytelling and it was done by a MASTER.
Here's a reality check. One day....sooner, rather than later....we're not going to hear him anymore. Listen to him while you can, because one day, Vin will be gone and if I've ruined your day, I'm sorry.
posted by Scott St. James at 8:57 AM
1 Comments:
Vin Scully is a one-of-a-kind treat. I was a kid in my single digits when the Dodgers moved from New York to Los Angeles. I don't remember much about that time other than they originally played in the Coliseum.
I became aware of the Dodger broadcasts (and Vin Scully) when I was about nine. They were on KFI at the time and I could easily hear them in San Bernardino where I was growing up. I used to listen to Scully with a small transistor radio held up to my ear and repeat everything into a toy microphone. I figured that would help me be a better DJ. (It didn't, I was the world's worst!)
He had (and still has) a knack of weaving a story through several innings. After a commercial break, he always summarized the story so far, the he continued, never missing, "There's strike two." I have never heard a better story-teller.
But to me, he was something else. My dad passed away when I was 12. Although there were a lot of male role models in my life, my favorite was Scully. I could tell by the way he spoke that he was an honest and sincere man with a wonderful sense of humor. In more ways than not, "Vinnie" became the person I wanted to emulate.
When I was 19, I moved to Los Angeles and rarely missed a broadcast. I heard some of his classic games. The Dodger's could be 10 games out of first place without a prayer of winning the division and I still listened.
Scully is entertainment.
In the early 90s I moved to Seattle. The only thing I missed about LA or Southern California was listening to him. So I know what you mean when you say that Scully won't be around forever. I lost the ability to listen to him a dozen years ago. For me, baseball is just not the same without him.
-Jon Badeaux
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