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When asked for Scully’s memorable calls, announcers don’t always pick memorable plays

Vin Scully has been the voice for some of baseball’s biggest moments — from Don Larsen’s perfect game to Hank Aaron’s 715th home run to Bill Buckner’s World Series error. But today’s top MLB announcers remember him better for some of his more mundane calls. When asked to pick Scully’s most memorable call, ESPN’s Dan Shulman cited an infield groundout, the Giants’ Jon Miller referenced a single pitch that was called a ball and Fox’s Joe Buck talked of driving around L.A. with Scully on the radio.

Shulman
Dan Shulman
National play-by-play announcer
ESPN

The Kirk Gibson home run (“High fly ball to right field. She is gone.”) is certainly one of the sport’s iconic home run calls and one of the ones that Vin is most famous for. But the one I always think about — and I don’t even know who the player was — happened years ago. Somebody hit a little infield chopper right out in front of the plate. The catcher came out and made the play on it. It was one of those plays that you knew it was going to be close. But you knew the guy was going to be out. Vin described the runner getting down to first base — he said, “He scampered like a scared rabbit.” In a million years, I would never come up with that. But that’s exactly what he looked like.

Thorne
Gary Thorne
Orioles play-by-play announcer
MASN

There’s not one call. That’s not Vinny. That’s not what has made him who he is. It’s the consistency of game in, game out, decade after decade of storytelling and descriptions that make him what he is. That’s unique. Announcers always are labeled by one call, one moment, one big game. That’s not him. That’s why he got voted as the No. 1 Dodger of all time by the fans. There’s an essence of him that lives for Dodger fans, and has since the days of Brooklyn, and that hasn’t changed.

Buck
Joe Buck
National play-by-play announcer
Fox

Personally, I think of the Buckner call. And I think of the Gibson home run call even though my dad is well-known for that radio call — “I don’t believe what I just saw.” I was in college and watched it on a television in the Sigma Nu house. I remember that call. Then it gets replayed and you relive the moment. Those are the two big calls that stand out to me.

Mostly, I remember driving around L.A. and having him on the radio for years, and it’s just pleasant. That’s a pretty weak word, but it’s so appropriate for Vin. In a world now where there’s so much noise and people are yelling at each other and hot takes, you’ve got this outpost in the wilderness of Vin guiding you through a game and educating and telling a story.

Brennaman
Marty Brennaman
Reds play-by-play announcer
Cincinnati Reds Radio Network

He’s just the greatest storyteller. You could listen to Vin Scully do a game today and he will verbally tell you about a play that just unfolded. Then, without missing a beat, he will liken it to something that occurred in a game between the Dodgers and the Cincinnati Reds at Ebbets Field in 1955. I don’t even remember what happened yesterday.

Costas
Bob Costas
National play-by-play announcer
MLB Network

His broadcasts are simultaneously past and present. They are simultaneously about tonight’s game and every game that you ever watched, listened to, heard about. They are nostalgic and current simultaneously. I’m sure that was true of Ernie Harwell and Jack Buck, too. But now he’s the last man standing. He’s been standing the longest.

Miller
Jon Miller
Giants play-by-play announcer
KNBR Radio
CSN Bay Area

For me, the most famous Vin Scully broadcast was when Sandy Koufax pitched his perfect game in 1966. The background is that Vinny called the radio station and told them to record the ninth inning because if Sandy pitched the no-hitter, he wanted to be able to give him the tape. Vinny said he was mindful of the fact that Sandy may be listening to the tape 25 years later, so he added some touches about what time it was and what the weather was like and where they were and the size of the crowd. He built the drama and the tension so brilliantly.

For me, there’s no one call. But that is the one that stands out. There’s a moment where Koufax throws a pitch and it’s called a ball. The fans — it’s not just that they boo. They’re almost disappointed that the umpire called it a ball. And Vinny said, “The fans did not like that call. But the fans are so caught up in the moment, I think they are seeing it with their hearts even more than their eyes.” It’s just so brilliant to capture what just happened with the fans themselves. Vinny was elegant.

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