Legendary old broadcaster Finn Scully passed away on Tuesday Dodgers announced. He was 94 years old.
“He was the voice of the Dodgers, and so much more. Their conscience, award-winning poet, has been capturing their beauty and chronicling their glory from Jackie Robinson to Sandy Kovacs, Kirk Gibson to Clayton Kershaw. Finn Scully was the heartbeat of the Dodgers — and in many ways, the heartbeat of all Los Angeles,” the team said in a statement.
“Fin Scully was the heart of the Dodgers–and in many ways, he was the beating heart of all of Los Angeles.”
Scully, who invited several nationally televised football and golf competitions for CBS Sports from 1975 to 1982, began his radio career in 1949 after attending Fordham University, where he studied journalism and was a student broadcaster. He joined the radio and TV booths of the Dodgers in the 1950 season, when they were still in Brooklyn. Scully came with the Dodgers to Los Angeles in 1958 and remained with the club until his retirement in 2016.
He also worked on national broadcasts for Major League Baseball, the NFL, and the PGA Tour, and also worked for NBC Sports from 1983 to 1989.
“Today we are encouraging the loss of a legend in our game,” MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred said in a statement. “Vin was an extraordinary man whose talent has brought delight to generations of Dodger fans. In addition, his voice has played an unforgettable role in some of the greatest moments in the history of our sport. I am proud that Vin has been synonymous with baseball because he has embodied the best of our national pastime. He was a broadcaster, he was great as a person.
“On behalf of Major League Baseball, my deepest condolences go to Finn’s family, friends, Dodger fans, and fans everywhere.”
Scully’s most famous NFL call came with CBS in 1982, playing in play for Joe Montana’s pass to Dwight Clark in the NFC Championship Game. Or, as it has come to be called, simply put, The Catch:
Also while working with CBS, Scully was part of the broadcast team tasked with calling The Masters from 1975 to 1982.
Perhaps Scully’s most famous baseball call came in the 1988 World Series, when a limp Kirk Gibson came home with a home run in Game 1:
Scully was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame as the winner of the Ford C. Frick Award in 1982 and received the Commissioner’s Historic Achievement Award from Bud Selig in 2014. He also has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2016.
Scully and his second wife, Sandra, were married for 48 years before her death on January 3, 2021. Scully had four children, two stepchildren, 16 grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren.
“We’ve lost an icon,” Dodgers president and CEO Stan Kasten said in a statement. “Finn Scully of the Dodgers was one of the greatest voices in all of sports. He was a giant of a man, not just as an announcer, but as a human. He loved people. He loved life. He loved baseball and the Dodgers. He loved his family. His voice will be heard and etched in our minds forever.” I know he was looking forward to joining the love of his life, Sandy. Our thoughts and prayers are to his family during this very difficult time. We will truly miss Finn.”
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