Legendary Dodgers Announcer Vin Scully ‘Uncomfortable’ With Attention As 67-Year Career Nears End

Vin Scully is now in his final week calling games at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, and after a 67-year career as the MLB team’s announcer, it is more than normal for him to be filled with all types of emotions.

Vin Scully ‘Uncomfortable’ With Attention As 67-Year Career Nears End

Friday is “Vin Scully Appreciation Night” at the stadium, and will call the Dodgers-Colorado Rockies game on “Fan Appreciation” day Sunday afternoon, thus marking the end of the Dodgers’ homestand and his final trip to the Vin Scully Press Box as a Hall of Fame broadcaster.

The 88-year-old legendary announcer said he may need some fans to come to his emotional rescue.

“I think I’ve got them in check, but you never really know,” Scully joked on Monday.

Scully also added, however, that it’s “uncomfortable” and “embarrassing” to have so much attention paid to the end of his broadcasting career.

“I attribute it to one thing and one thing only: God’s grace to allow me to be doing this for 67 years,” Scully said in a conference call with reporters on Monday. “To me, that’s really the story, not really me. I’m just a vessel that was passed hand to hand down through all through those years. I don’t take it to heart as some great compliment. I just realize since I’ve been doing this for 67 years, that’s really why everybody wants to talk about it.

He then continued: “I think I kept it in proper perspective, even thought it is a little embarrassing, to be honest. I’m uncomfortable with it. I never wanted to get out in front of the game. I mean, gee whiz, it’s the Dodgers and Giants tonight. I don’t want people to think, ‘This is Vin’s last whatever.’ I just want them to enjoy the Giants and Dodgers.”

The announcer that although the Dodgers seem ready for a playoff berth, that won’t change his plans to call his last game as L.A. faces the San Francisco Giants at AT&T Park on Oct. 2.

“I didn’t want to say goodbye like they do in grand opera,” Scully said. “They say goodbye 25 times in 15 minutes. . . . We will tie the ribbon on the package in San Francisco, and that will be that.”

Scully called all six Dodgers World Series titles, the latter five coming when the franchised moved to Los Angeles before the 1958 season. He said the move from New York was frightening for both himself and then-broadcast partner Jerry Doggett.

Scully’s career went beyond simply calling Dodgers games, nonetheless. Besides broadcasting MLB postseason games nationally for the networks, he also called the Masters and had a stint as an NFL play-by-play voice for CBS.

His final NFL game was the 1981 NFC title game between the Dallas Cowboys and the San Francisco 49ers. Pat Summerall had been tapped to call games along former Oakland Raiders coach John Madden by CBS, a job Scully was also finalist for at the time.

“I remember doing that game known for ‘The Catch’ by Dwight Clark in the end zone,” Scully said. “That game emotionally wore on me and I remember getting on the plane thinking, ‘I hope I didn’t make any mistakes.’ I was done. That was it. That was a great game to call for the final football game of my career. It had served its purpose. It reinvigorated me.”

LOS ANGELES – APRIL 13: Dodgers broadcaster Vin Scully gives the call of ‘It’s time for Dodger baseball!’ during pregame ceremonies for the Los Angeles Dodgers home opener against the San Francisco Giants on April 13, 2009 at Dodger Stadiium in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Stephen Dunn/Getty Images)

Article by Pablo Mena