Vin Scully thanks Dodgers fans with touching letter
Vin Scully has always been known as a wordsmith in the broadcast booth. That’s why he’s universally recognized as one of the great broadcasters in sports history.
As we learned on Friday, he also has a way with the written word as well.
To you, from #VIN.???? pic.twitter.com/DNlwUKUmMc
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) September 23, 2016
Scully is in the midst of broadcasting his final home series for the Dodgers. As part of that bittersweet reality, the Dodgers will be celebrating Scully’s legacy throughout the entire weekend. That continued with Vin Scully Appreciation Day on Friday. But it wasn’t just the fans and the Dodgers taking time to appreciate Scully. As we see in the tweet above, it was Scully who also took time to appreciate the fans, penning a touching letter that was to be handed out on Friday night.
The letter reads:
Dear Friends:
Many years ago, a little red-headed boy was walking home from school, passing a Chinese laundry and stopped to see the score of a World Series game posted in the window. The Yankees beat the Giants, 18-4, on October 2, 1936. The boy’s reaction was pity for the Giants and he became a rabid Giants’ fan from that day forward, until the joyous moment when he was hired to broadcast Brooklyn Dodgers games in 1950. Ironically, October 2, 2016 will mark my final broadcast of a Giants-Dodgers game. It will also be exactly 80 years to the day since that little boy fell in love with baseball.
God has been very generous to that little boy, allowing him to fulfill a dream of becoming a broadcaster and to live it for 67 years. Since 1958, you and I have grown up together through the good times and the bad. The transistor radio is what bound us together. Were you at the Coliseum when we sang “Happy Birthday” to an umpire? Were you among the crowd that groaned at one of my puns? Did you kindly laugh at one of my little jokes? Did I put you to sleep with the transistor radio tucked under your pillow?
You were simply always there for me. I have always felt that I needed you more than you needed me and that holds true to this very day. I have been privileged to share in your passion and love for this great game.
My family means everything to me and I will now be able to share life’s experiences with them. My wife, Sandi, our children, Kevin, Todd, Erin, Kelly, and Catherine, along with our entire family will join me in sharing God’s blessings of that precious gift of time.
You folks have truly been “The Wind Beneath My Wings” and I thank you from the bottom of my heart for joining me on this incredible journey of 67 years of broadcasting Dodger baseball.
Heartfelt Thanks,
Vin Scully
This is vintage Vin Scully.
It’s a beautifully crafted message that takes the spotlight off the always humble legend, while shining it brightly on those who mean the most to him. Scully also emphasizes his love for the game, his job, and the service it allowed him to provide.
Right down to his final days in the booth, Scully had found a way to connect on a personal level with everyone who listens to him. This letter ensures that connection will remain long after he’s gone.
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Mark Townsend is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at bigleaguestew@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!
