You didn't have to be a huge baseball fan to appreciate Vin Scully. Some time ago, I wrote this here…
I am not a fan of the Dodgers. I am not even much of a fan of baseball. Once upon a time, I had some interest in both largely because my father did. This was back when the Dodgers were Maury Wills, Frank Howard, Willie Davis, Tommy Davis, Jim Gilliam, Johnny Roseboro, Don Drysdale, and Duke Snider.
And — oh, yeah — Sandy Koufax.
Only one member of the team is still at it today: Vin Scully. No, he didn't put on the uniform but he was the single most indispensable person in the stadium when the Dodgers played. And I always suspected he was secretly managing the team. Walter Alston was officially the manager then but it was easy to imagine Alston, just sitting in the dugout during the game, listening to Vin Scully like everyone else in the place. I'd hear Scully say, "This is the time when Walt Alston is probably deciding to take out the pitcher and bring in Ron Perranoski to throw to the next batter" and I was sure Alston would listen to that, then turn to someone and say, "Bring in Ron Perranoski to throw to the next batter."
At least, it sure felt like that.
As I've written about certain dancers and jugglers and gymnasts, there's a real beauty to seeing anyone do anything difficult and do it as well as a human being could possibly do it. Mr. Scully absolutely fell into that category. I should probably thank him just for the many hours of enjoyment he gave to my father…and anyone else who followed Dodger Baseball. Even, now and then, me.