The dulcet tones of Vin Scully will be around for at least another year after the veteran play-by-play announcer confirmed that he would be staying in the broadcast booth through the end of the MLB 2010 season.
The Hall Of Famer, one of the first announcers I ever heard after getting interested in baseball, is just about unique when it comes to his knowledge of the game, and although sometimes he sounds like he is doing his best to send you to sleep, he remains a legend in my eyes.
Amazingly Scully turns 82 on the 29th of this month (an early many happy returns from me!) and his 59 years (wow) with the Dodgers is a record among current sports broadcasters working with the same team.
Back in the summer Vin started to worry fans when he said beyond doubt that he would retire at the end of 2010, but he has now gone back on that and says it will only be when both he and his wife of 36 years Sandy decide the time is right that he will put his microphone down and finally retire.
Sadly for the Dodgers, MLB Predictions suggest that there is no chance of finding anyone to fill his boots in the future – it’s just not possible given the quicker, snappier way that many commentaries are done nowadays – so it’s best to savour every commentary Vin makes next season just in case it is his last.
Last season was a good one for a long way at Dodger Stadium, although there were times when Vin had to dig deep into his soul to stick to baseball (as always) and not start getting rapt in some of the soap opera-style episodes to put a darker shade on 2009.
But thankfully for all fans, come Spring Training it will be Vin Scully describing everything you would expect him to as he closes on 60 years telling us all about the Dodgers.
As he told the Associated Press recently: "I'm trying to figure out if I can walk away. I'm the horse pulling the wagon with a lot of people on the wagon, so I'm really not sure. God willing, I'll do next year and then we'll just have to wait and see.
"When the team takes the field and the crowd roars, it still triggers something in me. Forget about where they are in the standings, I think that's the secret. You just do the game and enjoy it."
