Vin Scully, the legendary Los Angeles Dodgers broadcaster, died Tuesday, at the age of 94. He was considered to be the king of his profession by many and LA Dodgers confirmed the news of his demise through their social media account. 

The organization said “He was the voice of the Dodgers, and so much more,” adding, “He was their conscience, their poet laureate, capturing their beauty and chronicling their glory from Jackie Robinson to Sandy Koufax, Kirk Gibson to Clayton Kershaw. Vin Scully was the heartbeat of the Dodgers — and in so many ways, the heartbeat of all of Los Angeles.”

Over 67 years, Scully became a fan-favourite for his play-by-play announcements. He’s also been the national announcer of baseball for NBC, football and golf for CBS and baseball for CBS Radio.

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In 2010, the American sportscasters association announced Scully as the greatest sports announcer of all time. Known for his ability to include references from great works of literature into his play-by-play announcements, and a firm refusal to support the Dodgers on air, Scully’s commentary has been marked by a degree of elegance with a hint of drama. 

Born in New York, Vincent Edward Scully studied journalism at Fordham University, where he was a student broadcaster. Then, he joined the Brooklyn Dodgers as the No. 3 announcer to start the 1950 season. The team would move to Los Angeles eight years later, and be known by its current name. 

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Scully was trained by Red Barber, a dominant commentator during his time. He quickly became prominent in the New York market which included notable names like Barber, Mel Allen with the Yankees, as well as Russ Hodges and former Dodger announcer Ernie Harwell with the New York Giants.

In 1953, a 25-year-old Scully became the youngest to broadcast a world series. He holds the record to date. When the team moved to Los Angeles, Scully played a part in helping the bond between the franchise and the new city. 

Scully was voted into the broadcaster wing of the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1982. 

Although Scully was averse to discussing his personal life, the sports commentator suffered tragedies. His first wife, Joan, died in 1972 at the age of 35. His son Michael, died in 1994, in a helicopter crash. He was 33 at the time. Scully’s second wife, Sandra, died in 2021. 

He’s survived by four children and two stepchildren, along with grandchildren as well as great-grandchildren. 

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Scully wasn’t just a commentator but had his moments in the world of entertainment as well. He hosted the game show It Takes Two from 1969-70 and was the play-by-play announcer in For Love of the Game, starring Kevin Costner. 

Over the years, Scully gradually reduced his workload but couldn’t find it in him to say goodbye to his beloved profession. When he finally retired in 2016, at the age of 88, Scully signed off with the emotional message, “Don’t be sad that it’s over, smile because it happened”.