Legendary broadcaster Vin Scully, who called Dodgers games on the radio and television for 67 years, died Tuesday, the team announced. He was 94 years old.
Scully began his career with the Dodgers in 1950, when the team was still in Brooklyn. He remained in his role when the franchise moved to California in 1958, quickly endearing himself to a new region of the country and becoming one of the most indelible sports figures in Los Angeles.
“He was the voice of the Dodgers, and so much more. He was their conscience, their poet laureate, capturing their beauty and chronicling their glory from Jackie Robinson to Sandy Koufax, Kirk Gibson to Clayton Kershaw,” the Dodgers said in a statement. “Vin Scully was the heartbeat of the Dodgers—and in so many ways, the heartbeat of all Los Angeles.”
Scully’s final season with the team was in 2016, when he was 89 years old. His distinctive voice and story-telling style—he conducted his calls solo, without an analyst as a partner—made for a unique viewing and listening experience, cementing his legacy as perhaps the most singular broadcaster in modern sports history.
“We have lost an icon,” Dodgers president and CEO Stan Kasten said. “The Dodgers’ Vin Scully was one of the greatest voices in all of sports. He was a giant of a man, not only as a broadcaster, but as a humanitarian. He loved people. He loved life. He loved baseball and the Dodgers. And he loved his family. His voice will always be heard and etched in all of our minds forever. I know he was looking forward to joining the love of his life, Sandi. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family during this very difficult time. Vin will be truly missed.”
