Vin Scully Hits It Out if the Park

LOS ANGELES, CA - Vin Scully broke format today in San Francisco during the fourth inning of his last broadcast, when former Giants great Willie Mays and team president Laurence Baer gave the famed Dodgers announcer an honorary brass plaque that will hang in the Giants' visitor's broadcast booth.

Scully also was given a ticket stub from the game in which his childhood hero, Hall of Famer Mel Ott, hit his 500th home run.

"And I can root for (the Giants) now, when they go to New York to play the Mets," Scully said. "Darn right.

"And now," he said to himself, "stop jabbering Scully, and get back to the ballgame."

It was vintage Scully today, as he largely ignored his pending retirement and called a simple baseball game on radio and television, in the Los Angeles and San Francisco markets, as the final innings of his 67-year broadcast career neared.

Baseball fans in San Francisco were handed signs that said "Thank You Vin" -- in Giants orange and black -- as they streamed into AT&T Park today.

Giants fans serenaded Scully during the seventh inning stretch that stretched long and stopped the game. The ballpark by the Bay was awash with the historic sight of Giants fans cheering a Los Angeles sports icon.

On the back of the placards, however, was a portrait of the Dodgers broadcasting legend, wearing an orange suit.

Today, however, Scully was attired in a dark blue suit, light blue shirt and blue striped tie as he took the air at noon, with his trademark "it's time for Dodgers baseball" welcome. And like he did last week, his opening announcement was 100 percent baseball and zero percent last game.

"The big thing is the game, and it's a good one, and we'll be getting to that after this," Scully concluded, before tossing to the first commercial break of his last broadcast.

The Hall of Fame announcer was to broadcast his last game today, after 67 years with the Brooklyn and Los Angeles teams. In a pre-taped piece, Scully opened the first inning wistfully.

"Someone asked me the other day, 'what will I miss the most?' " he said on the broadcast. "And I thought for a minute, and I said, 'the roar of the crowds.' "

But as the live broadcast resumed, Scully was all baseball, painting a word picture of an angry sky, pockets of blue appearing, and a 62 degree stadium.

The Dodgers had already clinched a playoff spot, but a defeat of the Giants today would eliminate them from the wild card post season slot, Scully reminded the audience.

"The sun has broken through the clouds, and it is shining on the Giants," Scully announced, as the home team went ahead 2-0 in the first inning.

Scully revealed some inside baseball to the audience, revealing that Dodger outfielder Yasiel Puig has gotten under the skin of Giants pitcher Madison Bumgarner.

"If their eyes lock, Madison Bumgarner starts hollering: 'Don't look at me, don't look at me.' " Scully related.

"Puig, with a good sense of humor ... had some T-shirts made up that said: 'Don't Look At Me.'

"So Yasiel took it as a big joke, and I think Bumgarner was a little embarrassed that he got a little bit over the top with that great competitive spirit of his."

Scully described veteran Dodgers first baseman Adrian Gonzalez, who has hit well for Los Angeles for a decade, as a "butter and egg man, he's been delivering for years."

But Gonzalez hit a pop fly, which Scully called a "room service fly ball right into the glove" of the left fielder. "It's always an outfielder's dream when the ball comes to you and you don't have to run after it," Scully said.

As the Giants radio and television networks -- and the national MLB Network -- picked up the Dodgers' broadcast, Scully said "I really enjoy the opportunity to use the radio up here in San Francisco. An opportunity to say hello to all the Giants fans and other baseball fans, all over the Bay Area."

"I could just imagine two guys, and one says to the other, 'Did you hear Scully?' And the other says, 'Yeah, big deal.' "

"Well it is a big deal to me, I really appreciate the opportunity," Scully said on the MLB, Giants and Dodger networks.

Scully took the air following the end of game commercials, read a poem, and reminded the audience of his final words in Los Angeles:

"You and I have been friends for a long time, but I've always known, I've needed you far more than you have ever needed me...

"And so, this is Vin Scully, wishing you a very pleasant afternoon, wherever you may be."

By HANS LAETZ, City News Service