By Cary Osborne
Back in November, Jon Weisman found this gem in Variety — likely one of the earliest mentions of rising broadcasting star Vin Scully in a publication.
Now here’s one announcing his hire by the Dodgers on January 4, 1950.
The short story from the Brooklyn Daily Eagle intertwines four iconic broadcasters in the story — legendary broadcaster Red Barber, who Scully would be joining, Ernie Harwell, who Scully would be replacing, and Russ Hodges (who called Bobby Thomson’s “Shot heard ’round the world” off Ralph Branca), whom Harwell would be joining.
All four were Baseball Hall of Fame Ford C. Frick Award winners — Barber (1978), Hodges (1980), Harwell (1981) and Scully (1982).
The story also has the wonderful line, almost Scully-like: “Scully is even more tawny-haired than Red Barber himself.”
Originally published January 4, 2016
oldbrooklynfan
Ironically, my favorite announcer, at that time, was the unmentioned Connie Desmond.
The forgotten man.