The Morning Briefing: The Sports World Weeps—Dodgers Hall of Fame Broadcaster Vin Scully Passes Away at Age 94

Top O’ the Briefing

Happy Wednesday, dear Kruiser Morning Briefing friends. Frasier always felt that he should get more respect for his occasional flirtations with key lime pie mastery.

Just as I was sitting down to begin working on the Briefing last night, I learned of the death of Los Angeles Dodgers broadcasting legend Vin Scully. My friend and fellow Dodgers fanatic Jennifer Van Laar wrote a nice post about it at our sister site RedState.

When I was a kid here in Arizona, we could pick up radio broadcasts from Los Angeles at night. I probably listened to more L.A. radio in high school than any local fare. I got to listen to Vin Scully’s brilliance when I was a boy, and I’ve been a Dodgers fan for as long as I can remember.

What I’ve missed most since Scully retired after sixty-seven years as the Dodgers broadcaster are his stories. He worked alone, filling three or four hours of air time with a seemingly endless supply of tales. He was, as many have noted, a verbal poet. His delivery was effortless as he would weave them in with the call of the game. He was, in essence, his own color commentator.

Here’s a good example:

Vin Scully’s story about Madison Bumgarner and the rattlesnake will never be topped.pic.twitter.com/wOElYbXH4K

— KNBR (@KNBR) August 3, 2022

In a world filled with relentless negativity, Vin Scully was perpetually positive. Everyone who ever met him raves about what a good and decent man he was. Everyone respected the man. The Dodgers were playing their archrivals, the Giants, in San Francisco last night. When Scully’s death was announced on the big screen after the game, Giants fans were seen tipping their caps and being just as emotional as the Dodger fans.

Because Vin Scully was great, we mourn his passing. Because he was good, we celebrate his amazing life.

Everything Isn’t Awful

Kitten chasing a bunny.. 😅 pic.twitter.com/FPFfWv5Svf

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Smells Like Onion

Parents Formally Announce Transfer Of Expectations To Second Child https://t.co/RqIZdrsR7F pic.twitter.com/B4g0rV4roe

— The Onion (@TheOnion) August 3, 2022

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Autumn Leaves, 2004 #tetyanayablonska #yablonska https://t.co/VR2xGR1iUX pic.twitter.com/Af6g1unaS1

— Tetyana Yablonska (@ArtistYablonska) August 1, 2022

Kabana Sports

My favorite call from the greatest to ever do it: I was on stage somewhere in Ohio when this happened. When I finished the set and the bartender told me that the Dodgers won on a Gibson walk-off, I thought he was lying to me. What’s most amazing about Vin’s call here is how long he stays quiet to let the moment sink in.