Kyle Smedley is a journalism and telecommunications major and writes for The Daily News. His views do not necessarily reflect those of the newspaper.
Vin Scully was the voice of a generation.
And the generation before that.
And the generation before that.
Commentating for the Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers for 67 years ensured Scully made his mark on countless baseball fans throughout the late 20th and early 21st century. The Hall of Fame announcer is the greatest of all time, simply put.
In professional athletics, there are and have been many great commentators. From John Madden calling National Football League (NFL) games to Mike Breen calling National Basketball Association (NBA) games, no one has even come close to Scully.
A man with a voice as smooth as silk and who I can’t recall ever making a mistake. What set Scully apart was his grace and class in which he called baseball games.
It’s been well documented how great Scully’s love for the game was, and it was evident in his commentating. He carried great respect for the sport and true adoration for the players, managers, crew and the game itself.
My grandpa is a Dodger fan, so naturally, I watched many Los Angeles games growing up. During my childhood, Scully called each and every one. I had the privilege of being the last generation of baseball fans to grow up listening to Scully, before his retirement at the conclusion of the 2016 regular season.
Scully is a man so adored, he has a plaque with his face on it in the Dodgers’ biggest rivals, the San Francisco Giants, press box. He is a man so adored, whenever anyone asks who the greatest sports announcer of all time is, there’s only one answer.
In most conversations, when asking about the greatest of all time, those who discuss it normally engage in a debate between one candidate or another. With broadcasting, everyone just asks who the second-best is.
What more can be said about this legendary announcer that hasn’t been said? Many times when I sit down to write a column or a story, I have to cut myself off so as not to make a piece too long, but as I write this, I’m running out of things to say.
Whenever I played video games as a kid, I sat in front of the TV, turned the volume down and commentated each game myself. As someone who loves sports, is involved in sports media and has always been fascinated with commentating, Scully’s passing hit me hard.
I teared up as I watched a video package play before August 3’s Giants V. Dodgers game.
Since his passing was reported August 2, 2022, those around Major League Baseball (MLB) have only spoken positively and elegantly about the greatest to ever do it. Not one person has had a negative thing to say about Scully, to no surprise from me.
What I’ve found most interesting is the number of Scully’s peers and those who looked up to him speaking about his humility.
“I think I need these fans far more than they need me,” Scully said in 2016.
In the days since his passing, I’ve heard this quote many times and it has left an impact on me, as it surely has for others in the baseball world as well. How can a man with so many accomplishments and with the career he has had remain so humble?
My entire life, Scully has been an icon and has been talked about as such. Even so, he sees himself no higher than anyone else.
I can assure you, Vin, we needed you.
Contact Kyle Smedley with comments via email at kyle.smedley@bsu.edu or on Twitter @smedley1932.
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