Baseball is the oldest, major professional sport in the United States, and has been called "America's Pastime." It has been in existence since the late 19th Century, and one of its most legendary teams is the Los Angeles Dodgers. The franchise goes back to the mid-1880s when it was known by several names until it became the Dodgers. The Dodgers played much of its history in Brooklyn, New York before moving to Los Angeles in 1957. Since 1958, baseball fans in Los Angeles have had the pleasure of hearing the games as broadcast by the great Vin Scully.
Scully began his career broadcasting Dodgers games while still in New York alongside another legendary broadcaster Red Barber. Scully has been the voice of the team since 1950, and holds the record of 65 years broadcasting for a single team in professional sports history.
He was born in the Bronx, New York on November 29, 1927, and wanted to become a radio broadcaster after listening to football games in his hometown. He served two years in the United States Navy before enrolling into Fordham University majoring in journalism and broadcasting. He was hired by Barber, who served as mentor for the new broadcaster. Barber gave Scully some advice that he has followed throughout his career. Barber said to become a successful broadcaster, you cannot be a homer, which is an announcer who roots for the team he works for. He also told him to keep his opinions out of his broadcasts, and to always be objective. Scully is all that.
The qualities he learned from Barber have served Scully well. He has a narrative style that puts his audience at ease. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1982, and continues to broadcast all Dodgers home games. He is a true Los Angeles icon.
