Baseball is such an intricate and rewarding game that it can be enjoyed in any format. And there is particular joy in listening on the radio. The slower pace of baseball, compared to other sports, allows for more scene-setting and conversational meandering.
Too much meandering can become dull in the wrong hands. But if you know what you're doing meander away.
These were my thoughts when listening to Vin Scully's final broadcast, which was of the LA Dodgers-SF Giants game yesterday. The SF crowd was extremely warm to the Dodgers long-time announcer, even singing "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" in his honor. After 67 years of doing something, which is how long Scully has called Dodgers games, most people would have long since retired. Scully finally made that decision yesterday, but to the end he was as sharp as ever.
Scully talked about when he became a baseball fan (80 years ago to the day of yesterday's broadcast). He described great Giants-Dodgers games of yore. He felt bad about Hunter Pence's inexplicable slump. He openly cheered for the Giants to make the wildcard play-in game (they did), because his beloved Dodgers were already safely in the playoffs. I loved that, not just because I was cheering for the Giants but because it shows that Scully knows this is only a game.
That's the kind of thing that might get a person 60 years younger fired, but Scully can do whatever he wants. He's earned it.
Recent Comments