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Dodgers' Vin Scully Says Next Year Almost Certainly Will Be His Last On TV

Longtime Dodgers announcer Vin Scully "expects next year will be his last" in the role, according to Steve Dilbeck of the L.A. TIMES. Scully: "Next year would be the last one. How much longer can you go fooling people? I would be saying, `Dear God, if you give me next year, I’ll hang it up.'" Scully, who will reach 67 consecutive years broadcasting the Dodgers inn '16 and turns 88 in November, "seems ageless to all those who listen to him with a daily appreciation" but "is aware of time." The more Scully "talked about next year, the more definite it sounded like it would be his last." Scully: "I do feel in my bones that will be enough, for sure. I’m sure the people say that will be enough too." Scully already "has cut back all travel" for road games, "and he may cut back even a bit more next season" (L.A. TIMES, 8/30). VARIETY's Dave McNary noted Jimmy Kimmel on Friday "used cue cards to make the announcement" on the Dodger Stadium videoboard (VARIETY.com, 8/28). The AP's Beth Harris reported Scully "has yet to discuss with the team how much he will work next season" (AP, 8/28).

VOICE OF MANY GENERATIONS: In L.A., Helene Elliott wrote Scully's "lyrical calls and vibrant anecdotes will never be old." For most listeners of Dodgers games, he "has always been there, the soundtrack to millions of childhoods, a link to a time and to places few remember." Elliott: "He has survived and thrived, outlasting most of his contemporaries but never wearing out his welcome." No broadcast will be "poetic after he says goodbye." Elliott: "The best we can wish is that he can make his final decision with a clear mind and strong heart and not because illness gives him no choice. ... Shouldn't the imminent end to Scully's glorious career give the Dodgers and SportsNet LA incentive to make games more widely available on TV?" (L.A. TIMES, 8/30). In California, Jeff Miller wrote, “I don’t know baseball, much less Dodgers baseball, without Scully describing it. And, frankly, I haven’t tired one bit of hearing him.” If there “ever was a negotiating point to finally settle the silly dispute that has robbed so many local television viewers of Scully these past couple summers, this has to be it.” Some things “simply transcend business” (ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER, 8/30). Also in California, Todd Harmonson wrote “despite all attempts by satellite and cable providers, no one could take Scully away until he was ready.” Scully’s voice is one of “comfort and reassurance, a reminder that some things do not have to change.” But things will change at the end of next season, a campaign that “could include the most significant increase in Dodger fans since their move to L.A. with a red-headed poet laureate at the microphone” (OCREGISTER.com, 8/30).

VIN DIAGRAM: In L.A., Tom Hoffarth writes it would be natural to "think the Dodgers would have some kind of insurance policy in place" in case Scully decided to retire after this season, and "to an extent, they do." Experienced announcers like Matt Vasgerian, Dan Shulman, Brian Anderson, Don Orsillo or Rich Waltz "could be ready for the dance if called upon." Newcomers fans may not be familiar with now, "someone in their 20s or 30s who grew up in Southern California knowing the lay of the land, are ready to be drafted." But the framework "is already erect, thanks to those who’ve built the current SportsNet LA roster." Giving Charley Steiner the role of play-by-play/set-up man for Orel Hershiser and Nomar Garciaparra (and maybe someday even Eric Karros) "will take some getting used to, but it’s not a mess." The lesson here is "you need someone who knows the franchise history, can refer to it when necessary and convey to the viewers they’re all on the same page." Otherwise, "there’s a huge disconnect" (L.A. DAILY NEWS, 8/31).

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