If there’s been anything wrong with the Dodgers’ otherwise near-flawless season so far, it’s only that Vin Scully hasn’t been in the booth to call it. While the legendary announcer is hopefully enjoying his long-deserved retirement, the crowd at Dodger Stadium was understandably thrilled to see him back for a pre-game first-pitch ceremony.
Scully, a month away from his 90th birthday, didn’t quite throw out the first pitch, instead handing off those duties to Fernando Valenzuela, with Steve Yeager catching. Even with all his fame, Scully is still fantastically modest:
“You know what I’m thinking right now?” he told the crowd. “Somewhere up in heaven, Duke Snider, Jackie Robinson, Roy Campanella, and Gil Hodges are laughing their heads off. ‘Look who’s throwing out the first ball at the World Series.’”
Then, as he gave the ball to Valenzuela, Scully remarked, “I feel like I’m almost defiling the mound.”
Despite popular demand, Scully has said that he wouldn’t want to come out of retirement to call any part of this year’s World Series. Tonight’s ceremony, however, was a pretty cool second-best thing.