Dodgers Hall of Fame broadcaster Vin Scully is celebrating his 65th anniversary in the booth tonight. His first game was at Philadelphia’s Shibe Park featuring Robin Roberts against Don Newcombe. Incidentally, Roberts is also in the Hall of Fame while Newcombe is often discussed as a snub. Here’s more from around the league.
- The Blue Jays did little to address an obvious bullpen problem over the offseason, writes Mike Wilner of Sportsnet.ca. However, the club might have lucked into a valuable solution in the form of Liam Hendriks. The 26-year-old is averaging 93 mph with his fastball – up about two mph from his career norm. Through six innings, he’s allowed two hits and one walk while recording nine strikeouts. Before anybody anoints Hendriks the closer, it’s worth noting that he has a low 5.3% swinging strike rate. At some point, that rate will either increase, or his strikeout rate will decrease.
- The Nationals must learn to thrive under walk year pressure, writes Thomas Boswell of the Washington Post. When Jayson Werth entered his walk year with the Phillies, then-manager Charlie Manuel advised him to test free agency (in more colorful language). Now the Nationals have four key players on the road to free agency. Ian Desmond, Jordan Zimmermann, Doug Fister, and Denard Span could all leave after the season, which gives 2015 a make-or-break feel for Washington. Werth and Max Scherzer have advice for their new teammates – acknowledge all the sources of pressure.
Vin Scully is so good I tune into him despite not liking the Dodgers.
Yes, Vinnie is a linguist, and extremely well read. He’s an old school announcer as opposed to a “personality”, speaking to the viewer/listener with respect instead of talking to them as if they’re 8 years-old and never saw a baseball game before. He shares baseball stories going back 65 years, making the audience feel a part of the history of the national pastime. He perfectly captures the rhythm of the game, placing the game on the field as the star that everyone tuned into see, as opposed to treating it as a sideshow while the announcers and their pals yuk it up while joking with one another to let the audience know how well they get along. He’s the last of the breed, and it will be a pity when he retires.
Vinnie is the Dodgers, Has been since shortly after then moved to LA. Ask anyone that lives there.
Gary Cohen and Ron Darling are the same way. Keith Hernandez is more the comedic sidekick though. The three together are amazing.
Quite right, one of Vin’s distinctions is how he talks directly to the fans. Why the current generations of sportscasters haven’t picked up on this simple “trick” is difficult to comprehend. Everyone professes to admire Vin, but nobody really tries to learn anything from him.
We are so privileged to have Vin Scully still ready willing and able to call games. Not a game goes by when he doesn’t make us laugh, and amaze with his encyclopedic (and often personal) knowledge of the game and the people who have played it, over more years than most of us have even been alive.
Well, the Nats better start playing better soon. They are giving the Mets false hope they are a good enough team to win this year. They sure are a boring team.