So I just got in from Bullet Train and was about to write a whole thing about that. Instead, life took over and took the voice of our collective childhood away. Vin Scully sadly left us at the age of 94 tonight, so for this quickie post, let's look back at some of his most memorable calls.
"The impossible has happened!"
This is one of my earliest memories as a sports fan, hearing Vin call the great Kirk Gibson walk-off in Game 1 of the 1988 World Series. His call helped make an incredible moment into one that nobody will ever forget and one that will be replayed for generations to come.
Hank Aaron makes history
Vin will always be associated with the Dodgers, but he's been around for some historical moments from the giants of the game, too. Here he is calling Hank Aaron's 715th home run.
Fernando-mania
I distinctly remember Fernando-mania running wild in Los Angeles for many years, which is why Fernando's 1990 no-hitter felt like such a big deal. It was made all the more momentous by Vin's call.
Making fighting fun
Vin even knew how to make baseball skirmishes entertaining. His calm demeanor, his reading of the players, and just how casually he reels off censored player expletives was an artform in itself.
"No sense calling out names. They're all there."
Terrific.
Vin as a historian
Vin was also a historian of the game, one unlike any other. Dude had seen it all and remembered the tales like nobody's business. Here's just one example, as he recalled the time when Jackie Robinson was receiving death threats and ties it all into Jackie Robinson Day.
Signing off
From just before Vin's final game, as the all-time great signs off for good.
This is just scratching the surface of Vin's many great calls. You can look through MLB on YouTube or just YouTube, in general. So many of them are there, but if you've heard Vin call a game live, you were one of the lucky ones. There will never be another like him.
