Scully and me

ENGULFED in the Saturday smell of fresh-cut grass, I paused my rake to hear him describe the fast single to left field. The soft night air eddied about my father and I as we sat in Dodger Stadium, eyes glued on the field, ears plugged into his transistor voice for the play-by-play. Cruising south on Pacific Coast Highway with the windows down, I actually shushed her, my date, and turned up the car radio. Infielder Steve Garvey had just hit another home run, the sprightly voice announced. (My date was not impressed.) Those are just a few sweet memories of Dodgers announcer Vin Scully and me. It's a LA thing. Like my mom's peach cobbler, his voice is comfort food for Angelenos. "You know why Scully is so great?" a buddy of mine recently asked rhetorically. "He always gives you the score. You never have to wait long." True enough. And Scully, I've just learned, is coming back for one last Dodger season. "It came out of nowhere, but that doesn’t make it any less sweet," the Los Angeles Times reported. "Vin Scully announced in the middle of the Dodgers-Rockies game Friday that he is coming back next season for his 63rd year as the voice of the Dodgers. The greatest sports broadcaster ever, back for at least one more season." One way or another, I'll get back to LA next summer to hear that voice. I've got a few more memories to add to my collection.