Little League® International joins the baseball community in mourning the loss of legendary broadcaster, Vin Scully, who passed away on August 2, 2022, at 94 years old.
“On behalf of baseball fans everywhere, and all of us at Little League International, we are heartbroken to hear about the loss of our dear friend, Vin Scully,” said Stephen D. Keener, Little League President and CEO. “Vin’s legacy is one that will be remembered by generations, and we hope the incredible influence he has had on the sport and the broadcast community continues to help more fans, players, and families fall in love with this game.”
Most revered for his work as the play-by-play announcer with the Los Angeles Dodgers dating back to the 1950s in Brooklyn, Mr. Scully was a key influencer in the growth of baseball during his 67-year career with the team, before his retirement from the team at the age of 88 in 2016, ending his run of the longest tenure by any broadcaster with a single team in professional sports history.
In 2014, Mr. Scully served as the narrating voice for the documentary Little League: A History, created and produced by VIA Studios Global, a division of WVIA Public Media. With one of the most iconic voices in all of sports, Mr. Scully’s narration of this documentary was one of the highlights as Little League celebrated its 75 Year Anniversary as a program.
“Vin understood and appreciated what Little League was all about,” said Peter O’Malley, President of the Los Angeles Dodgers from 1970-1998 and longtime Little League Foundation President. “He admired the commitment of so many volunteers who gave young boys and girls an opportunity to have fun on the baseball field. He was a great friend of Little League.”
Located just two hours outside of Los Angeles, Westside Little League (Taft, Calif.) also named their own local field in honor of Mr. Scully. A replica of storied Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, Scully Field has served as a Tee Ball field for members of Westside Little League since 2015. In May of 2016, Mr. Scully made the journey to visit the small town field to speak with the members of the community and officially open the field for play.
During his broadcast career, Mr. Scully served as a radio commentator for the MLB World Series from 1979-1982, and again from 1990-1997, and has become a household voice that baseball families for generations will remember. Outside of his baseball experience, his legendary voice was also featured in various nationally televised football and golf broadcasts throughout his career.
While the entire baseball, broadcast, and sports community will forever miss his voice, we will always remember the moments spent and forever wish a “very pleasant good evening to you, wherever you may be.”