By Carlos Alvarez
Sports Editor
With the Los Angeles Dodgers hoping to capture their first World Series championship since 1988, the voice of the team stepped away from the game.
With thoughts of next spring approaching, Vin Scully will no longer capture the emotions of Dodger fans.
From Brooklyn to L.A., he perfected his craft. He walked away the same way he called a baseball game to the end: smooth and calm.
In a game where players are remembered for their on-field accolades, Scully’s voice cemented his legendary status. Scully served as Dodgers play-by-play announcer for 67 years, but most importantly, he became a part of my childhood.
I first heard Scully’s voice at the age of 8, sitting in the living room while my dad watched the Dodgers vs. Rockies game on KTLA-5.
His phrase, “It’s time for Dodgers baseball” symbolized my growing love for the game.
He took me back to the glory days of Jackie Robinson, Hank Aaron, Willie Mays, Roberto Clemente, Fernando Valenzuela and many others.
His broadcast was his platform to romanticize baseball. His stories went outside the white lines. He made fantasy a reality. He called baseball, but he was really talking about life.
In my hardest moments, he was the voice of reason. He will forever be connected to the passing of my childhood friend Edder Hernandez.
At the age of 25, Edder Hernandez was diagnosed with cancer. Baseball had brought us together, and it was Scully’s broadcast that had kept his memory alive. Throughout his battle, our conversations turned to the Dodgers and the hope that we would see a repeat of the 1988 season.
At that moment, a replay of Scully’s iconic Kirk Gibson home run echoed through his room.
With Scully’s retirement, I’m reminded of my friend laying in a dark, lifeless room, watching the Dodgers clinch the 2013 Western Division title. His joy in his face will never be forgotten, the same way Scully’s voice will never be replaced.
Baseball introduced me to Scully and America’s pastime, which will always keep his memory and legend alive.
