On Opening Day 1950 the Brooklyn Dodgers welcomed a new member to their broadcasting crew. They welcomed 22 year old Vin Scully who stayed there for 67 years and did not retire until the age of 89. Scully did his schooling at Fordham in the Bronx. Afterwards he joined the United States Navy, which lasted two years.

After his time with the Navy, he realized his childhood dream of becoming a broadcaster. After some experience in broadcasting at Fordham, he applied to about every radio station on the east coast.

In November 1949 he was given an opportunity for the CBS radio network by Red Barber. He delivered a very passionate performance and was able to impress his employer on his first go. Barber was very impressed and he ended up inviting Scully to join him and Cornelius Desmond as one of the announcers for the Brooklyn Dodgers radio and television booths.

After a few successful seasons, Scully landed the opportunity to broadcast his first World Series in 1953. At just 25 years of age, it made him the youngest broadcaster to ever call a World Series game.

Barber ended up leaving the Dodgers’ broadcast booth and Scully became the principal announcer. Following the 1957 season the Dodgers relocated to Los Angeles from Brooklyn, and they took Vin Scully with them.

It didn’t take long for Scully to become popular in southern California. Dodgers fans quickly fell in love with his voice and would often even bring hand held radios into the stadium so the can listen to Scully as they watched the game in person.

The Dodgers had an untraditional broadcast booth. Normally crews were made up of two people, a play by play announcer, and a color commentator. The Dodgers however, allowed Vin Scully to call the entire game by himself.

Although his baseball career took off Vin continued to call football games for CBS from 1975-1982. Vin’s last football broadcast game in the NFC championship on January 10, 1982. On this night Vin made on of the most historic calls in all of sports broadcasting history when Dwight Clark caught the game winning touchdown pass from Joe Montana. To this day that one play is simply referred to as, “The Catch.”

After that Vin walked away from football but continued to have success being the Dodgers’ broadcaster and he continued to call some big games in baseball history. Scully’s name is attached to some of the biggest moments of sports history.

Perhaps one of his most iconic calls came on April 8, 1974 at Atlanta Stadium. That night the Braves were playing their home opener against the Dodgers. Hank Aaron was sitting at 714 career home runs, tied for the all time lead with baseball legend, Babe Ruth.

In the 4th inning that night Aaron put his name in the record books forever by surpassing Ruth’s record and Vin was on the microphone and said, “What a marvelous moment for baseball, what a marvelous moment for Atlanta and the state of Georgia, what a marvelous moment for the country and the world! A black man is getting a standing ovation in the deep south for breaking the record of an all time baseball idol, and it is a great moment for all of us, and particularly for Henry Aaron.¨

Scully has been there for so many great moments in sports history and yet he still remains one of the most humble people in sports. In an interview on The Rich Eisen show Vin said, “My achievements have really been the achievements of others. I’ve just been fortunate I’ve been there, assigned to broadcast what turns out to be a perfect game, a World Series clincher or whatever, so that part I’ve had nothing to do with besides having the good fortune to be there.”

Vin Scully for the past 67 years has been the voice of the Dodgers. He has done everything a broadcaster could ever wish for in a career and then some. Michael Kay, the Yankee’s broadcaster, once told Vin Scully, “All [broadcasters] do is want to be you.”

Without a doubt Scully will go down as one of the best sports announcers ever. His soothing voice and his amazing play by play skills will surely be missed. Scully is one of those people who simply can’t be replaced, his absence will certainly be tough to overcome.

Kurt Stampfle, a long time baseball fan, said. “Baseball will live without him just has it has without Babe Ruth and Willie Mays and many others, but he has made his mark in history and he will never be forgotten.”

Scully’s last game was October 2 in San Francisco which closed the book on his historic 67 year career. When saying goodbye on that final broadcast Vin said, “I know in my heart I’ve always needed you more than you needed me and I’ll miss our time together, more than I can say.”