Vin Scully

Vin Scully, whose status as one of the top sportscasters in history was reaffirmed recently when he was named as "baseball's all-time best broadcaster," enters his 59th season as the "Voice of the Dodgers." The Hall of Famer's 59 years of consecutive service with the Dodgers is the longest of any current sports broadcaster with one team and he recently signed an extension that will keep him with the team through this 2008 season. In the 2005 book "Voices of Summer" by Curt Smith, Scully was named as baseball's all-time best broadcaster based on "longevity, continuity, network coverage, kudos, language, popularity, persona, voice knowledge and miscellany." Each criterion was rated from 1-10, with the perfect score being 100. Scully was the only broadcaster to reach that number.

Scully, whose vivid yet simplistic description of a baseball game has thrilled fans for years, joined Hall of Fame announcer Red Barber and Connie Desmond as part of the Brooklyn Dodgers' broadcast team in 1950, just a year after graduating from Fordham University. Scully, who played outfield for two seasons on Fordham's baseball team, called baseball, basketball and football games for the University's radio station. In 1982, 32 years after he first became a Dodger broadcaster, Scully reached the pinnacle of his sparkling career in baseball when he was inducted into the Broadcaster's wing of the National Baseball Hall of Fame as the Ford C. Frick Award recipient. In 2005, USA Today ranked the Dodgers' radio broadcast team as Major League Baseball's best, based on a technical rating, a fan rating and an entertainment rating. Scully and his colleagues, Rick Monday and Charley Steiner, earned 28.5 points out of a possible 30.

In July 2000, Scully was elected as the top sportscaster of the 20th century by more than 500 national members of the American Sportscasters Association. He topped such broadcasting icons as Howard Cosell, Mel Allen and others in balloting by the ASA, a non-profit organization that recognizes achievements in sports broadcasting. Also in 2000, Scully was honored by Fordham University in the Bronx, NY as he received a Doctorate of Humane Letters honorary degree and delivered the commencement speech for Fordham's 2000 graduating class of 3,765. On April 21, 2001, the press box at Dodger Stadium was named in Scully's honor.

In addition to his Dodger broadcasts, the multi-talented broadcaster called play-by-play for National Football League games and PGA Tour events on CBS-TV from 1975-82 and play-by-play for Major League Baseball's Game of the Week, three World Series and four All-Star Games on NBC-TV from 1983-89. Scully also called play-by-play for the World Series on CBS Radio from 1990-97. In all, he has called 25 World Series and 12 All-Star Games. Scully portrayed himself in "For Love of the Game," the 1999 Universal Pictures release starring Kevin Costner. During the 1999 World Series, Scully served as master of ceremonies at Major League Baseball's All-Century Team unveiling at Atlanta's Turner Field. He was also named best of the century in Los Angeles Sports broadcasting by the Long Beach Press-Telegram and the poet laureate of baseball by USA Today. He has also lent his voice to Sony Playstation's MLB video game. He and his wife, Sandra, reside in Los Angeles.

BROADCASTING HIGHLIGHTS INCLUDE:

Three perfect games (Don Larsen in 1956, Sandy Koufax in 1965 and Dennis Martinez in 1991) and18 no-hitters.Johnny Podres' shutout of the Yankees in Game 7 of the 1955 World Series, which gave the Dodgers their first World Championship. The Dodgers' first game in Los Angeles at the Coliseum on April 18, 1958. The Dodgers-Yankees exhibition game on May 7, 1959 that honored Roy Campanella before a Major League record 93,103 fans at the Los Angeles Coliseum. The Dodgers' playoff win over the Milwaukee Braves and World Series victory over the Chicago White Sox in 1959, which gave them their second World Championship; and other World Championship seasons in Los Angeles in 1963, 1965, 1981 and 1988. Don Drysdale's 58.2 scoreless innings streak in 1968 and Orel Hershiser's 59.0 scoreless innings streak in 1988. Hank Aaron's 715th career home run that broke Babe Ruth's Major League record at Atlanta's Fulton County Stadium on April 8, 1974. Barry Bonds' record-breaking 71st, 72nd and 73rd home runs. The rookie seasons of international superstars Fernando Valenzuela in 1981 and Hideo Nomo in 1995. The four consecutive homers hit by Los Angeles on Sept. 18, 2006, the only time in franchise history that has happened

OTHER AWARDS INCLUDE:

Named the Most Memorable Personality in L.A. Dodger history by Dodger fans in 1976 Named the country's Outstanding Sportscaster four times and California Sportscaster of the Year 28 times by the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association, including being honored as the 2005 California Sportscaster of the Year Recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Sports Emmy Award from the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences in 1996 for his "distinguished and outstanding" work Recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Radio/Television News Association of Southern California in 2007 Recipient of the Ronald Reagan Distinguished American Award from the Jonathan Club of Los Angeles in 2007. Inducted into the American Sportscasters Association's Hall of Fame in 1992. Inducted into the Southern California Sports Broadcasters Hall of Fame in 1997. Won the Los Angeles area Governors Emmy Award from the Academy of the Television Arts and Sciences' Board of Governors in 1992 for his special contribution to television in Los Angeles. Named the Southern California Sports Broadcaster Association's Sportscaster of the Year, Broadcaster of the Year, Radio Play-by-Play award and Baseball Play-by-Play award numerous times. Named American Sportscasters Association's Sportscaster of the Year in 1985. Won the Voice of Vision award in 1992 for his "incredible gift of painting vivid word pictures so those without sight can also see Dodger baseball" Recipient of the United States Sports Academy's Ronald Reagan Media Award in 1987. Had his star placed on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1982. In 1995, had a baseball field named after him in Bogota, NJ, where he resided while working with the Brooklyn Dodgers. Received the inaugural Arthur Daley Memorial Award in 1995, which is presented to a Fordham alumnus who has distinguished himself in the field of athletic journalism. Had a tribute in his honor from the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences in November 1997.