Dodger Thoughts

Vin Scully in the booth at Dodger Stadium, earlier this month. (Jon SooHoo/Los Angeles Dodgers)

By Jon Weisman

Vin Scully is the king of calling no-hitters, after all. So, nearing the climax of his farewell season, maybe the baseball gods felt it was time for one more for the road.

At the end of a head-spinning day at Dodger Stadium, the Dodgers were nealry no-hit for the third time in the past two seasons and the second time at Dodger Stadium in the past 362 days, with Matt Moore coming one out shy of completing the feat in a 4-0 San Francisco Giants victory.

Below, you’ll find some of the words Scully shared with us, in the twilight of his magical career.

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Jack Riley (right), who was best known — and beloved — as Mr. Carlin on “The Bob Newhart Show,” passed away today. I mention that here because Riley got his start in television as a guest on the 1966-67 NBC series “Occasional Wife,” which had (along with a lot of subtext) a narrator by the name of Vin Scully.

Scully has several credits in Hollywood, but “Occasional Wife” was the scripted show he participated in the most, even if it was all off screen.

“There are 8 million stories in the Naked City,” Scully begins in the pilot (below). “Some are violent. Some happy. Some sad. But one of them is just plain cuckoo.”

— Jon Weisman

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-7TpXORfK78

Originally published August 19, 2016

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— Jon Weisman

Originally published August 10, 2016

https://www.instagram.com/p/BIbqZZ-Dpy7/

By Jon Weisman

Stevie Nicks said she was backstage Thursday during the Los Angeles Dodger Foundation’s Blue Diamond Gala when she began to think about time. Nicks started performing with Mick Fleetwood nearly 50 years ago, and the years were something to contemplate.

And then her thoughts turned to Vin Scully, the night’s honoree whom the members of Fleetwood Mac met before their performance began, and his 67 seasons of service to the Dodgers, and she was blown away.

Nicks then dedicated the ballad “Landslide” to the Dodgers’ Hall of Fame announcer.

Well, I’ve been afraid of changin’
‘Cause I built my life around you
But time makes you bolder
Children get older
I’m getting older too

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From 2015 …

— Jon Weisman

Originally published July 4, 2016

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Vin Scully and a montage of baseball history meet the memorable James Earl Jones monologue from “Field of Dreams” in the above video.

— Jon Weisman

Originally published May 26, 2016

Vin Scully is the subject of an eloquent cover story by Tom Verducci for Sports Illustrated that you can see here.

— Jon Weisman

Originally published May 10, 2016

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By Jon Weisman

Baseball legend Willie Mays turns 85 today. Mays was always a favorite of Vin Scully, and Scully taped a birthday greeting that is more than just platitudes — it’s a celebration of greatness.

Scully’s praise for Mays is for good reason, and not just for his legendary catches. If you haven’t looked at Mays’ stats recently, or recollected anything beyond his 660 home runs, take a moment to refresh.

Originally published May 6, 2016

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During the top of the second inning Saturday, Vin Scully announced he had researched all things beards. Well, pull up a chair indeed …

— Jon Weisman

Originally published May 1, 2016

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This clip includes the fantastic experience of Vin Scully reading a grocery list, and it’s like a melody (as if you expected otherwise). His pronunciation of “bologna” will surprise no one who grew up on his Farmer John commercials.

– Jon Weisman

Originally published April 17, 2016

By Cary Osborne

Minutes before he took the field on Tuesday at Dodger Stadium for the Dodgers’ Vin Scully tribute, Dodger legend Maury Wills reflected on a gift given to him from the Hall of Fame announcer. It’s a gift that has stayed with the 1962 National League MVP for more than 50 years.

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By Jon Weisman

In a breathtaking experience that traversed Dodger history from Don Newcombe to Clayton Kershaw, Vin Scully received an emotional tribute before the first pitch of his final Opening Day at Dodger Stadium as the team’s broadcaster.

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