Sandi and Vin Scully, 2012 (Jon SooHoo/Los Angeles Dodgers)
By Jon Weisman
So why did Vin Scully choose to come back to the Dodgers in 2015 for his record-setting 66th season?
“I wanted to wear Yasiel Puig’s jersey,” Scully joked to SportsNet LA’s Alanna Rizzo.
“No, the big reason I think is that I’ve had such a long, enduring love affair with the game, but more than that, I just could not say goodbye. I talked to so many people, most of whom — the majority — have said, ‘Whatever you do, don’t retire.’
“And so … I talked to (my wife) Sandi, being the sweetheart that she is. She said, ‘If that’s what you want, go to it. And so as I said at the outset, ‘I’m gonna be back, please God, and we’ll see about the fun and joy of next year.’
Scully added that he didn’t want to overemphasize the role that his wife played in the decision. It’s a partnership.
“The one thing I know Sandi is very sensitive about, if I talk about it, is that she doesn’t want to let people think that she’s making a decision as to whether (I come back). But we try to do everything together that we possibly can. And I’ve been enriched by the fact that she’s been coming to more games — sitting in the booth — and I’ve loved that.
“We sat and we thought, ‘OK, let’s try it one more time at least,’ and so, here we go again.
Scully said the Dodgers’ winning or losing did not affect his decision, making clear that “it’s the people” who mean the most to him.
“It’s really my home away from home,” he said. “And that’s one of the things I’ve tried to do — is to have Sandi come and share some of the experiences, meet some of the really nice people.
“I don’t get involved with the players anymore, like I used to. One big reason is that they insist on calling me ‘Mr.’ When they do that, it’s like putting a wall up,” he joked. “It’s just such a lovely, wonderful place for me to be, and we’ll try it again, God willing.”
As for his listeners, Scully noted that he never uses the word “fans,” deliberately choosing to say “friends.”
“They’ve been so good to me,” he said. “They’ve been so generous with their understanding. I have had some pain in my life, and they have stood right by me. Everything about them, absolutely idyllic — they have made this a marvelous, marvelous place to be.”
