Fans of Dodgers broadcasting legend Vin Scully will be glad to hear that he plans to work a few road games this season, writes Ken Gurnick of MLB.com. Scully hopes to cover the end-of-season series in San Francisco as well as games in San Diego and Anaheim. The 87-year-old will retire after the season. As the only remaining solo broadcaster in the majors, Scully is entering his 67th season in booth. He was recently in the news after Los Angeles legislators decided to name a street after him.
Here’s more from the Dodgers:
- Newly installed manager Dave Roberts says Howie Kendrick is willing to play some third base, tweets Andy McCullough of the LA Times. Kendrick re-signed with the Dodgers yesterday on a two-year, $20MM contract. His addition creates something of a logjam in the infield with Kendrick, Chase Utley, Enrique Hernandez, and others in the mix for reps at second base. While all three players might get a shot at the hot corner, Justin Turner is currently penciled in as the starter there (more on him in moment). The depth should be highly useful to the club, but they’ll have to work hard to find time for everybody.
- For his part, Utley still expects to split his time between second, third, and first base, writes Gurnick. When the Dodgers signed Utley, there was no expectation they might re-sign Kendrick. The recent move has likely cut into the opportunities for Utley.
- However, third baseman Turner had offseason microfracture surgery for his left knee. Apparently, his recovery will force the club to move slowly with him at the start of the year. That should open an early season opportunity for Utley. Per Bill Plunkett of the OC Register (via Twitter), Turner is optimistic about an Opening Day return. Even so, he probably won’t be ready for an everyday role.
We need to win the series this year for Vinnie. Signing Kendrick just got closer to that goal
I thought Bob Uecker was solo in the booth as well. Must have been mistaken.
Uek was simply great and hilariously funny in the booth. Think it was the Brewers he called games for earlier in his career before hitting the big time? Long time back, had the dish back then. Forget.
Scully always bored me, tried to listen, but always put me to sleep. Monologue man. Like reading out of the press guide all the time.
As far as I knew, he still did Brewer games. The mlb atbat app is one of my few app subscriptions, and I remember hearing him do the Brewer games very recently. I coulda swore he was solo too.
Ueker’s partner, Joe Block, just got hired by the Bucs to replace Tim Neverett earlier today.
Absolutely flabbergasted by your comments on Scully.
I understand am in the minority with views on Scully, it’s just his never changing monotone voice of just rambling on and on that irks me.
Not like some of the other greats, that also heard.. Tom Prince, Ernie Harwell who all could call great games and maintain interest. Sculley just calls a game by rambling on and reading from the press guide and never changing his voice cue 1 bit and not from age difference either, I hear him call games many decades back and it wasn’t 1 bit different then.
So glad you got that off your chest. There is a pretty clear reason why you are in the minority. Vin Scully is a master of painting the story of a game with the brush of his voice. You must be ear blind!
WOW
Sully is a legend. The best broadcaster in any sport ever! He doesn’t just call the game he has a story for everything and keeps it interesting. It’s nice to learn stuff about what he’s been through or a story about the player who’s coming up I haven’t heard before or a story about a player I never got to watch. He is a very wise man and absolutely amazing to listen to. I’m just sad my kids won’t have the same opportunity I have gotten. The other great think about Vin is that he he isn’t bias with the Dodgers, he just love baseball and all players. He talks about other teams and other players like they are the just as much of the player or team he calling the game for as he does the Dodgers. I’ve never saw or heard anyone like him! When I listen to a Angels broadcaster I get mad cause they are clearly just pulling for Angels player and the Angels in general and they call the game as if every game is going to be a Home Run. I can’t believe anyone could or would ever say Scully isn’t good at what he does. He is phenomenal!
Can you see my jaw on the floor, all the way through the inter webs? That isn’t a minority view, it’s just wrong, so wrong It’s impossible to know where to begin.
I agree with you. I can’t watch Dodgers home games because all Scully does is ramble on in that boring, monotone voice about god-knows what.
At least when Harry was getting old, he was entertaining.
The minority? You and the other guy who commented negatively are probably in a club of two. Scully is the greatest announcer of any sport-ever. Geez! Controversy is fun but “Scully bores you?” You may be way too sophisticated to be a baseball fan. I say that with all kindness and respect for you as a person.
Yeah the problem is Vin talks about baseball, instead of analyzing every move the manager makes and every pitch that’s thrown, and questioning umpiring calls. He also actually pays attention to what’s happening in the game instead of blabbering to somebody else in the booth about god knows what with the game as background noise. Maybe what fans want in an announcer has changed, but if that’s true, it sure isn’t for the better. Vin has forgotten more about baseball than those clowns will ever know.
I don’t care about the Dodgers but I’ll listen to games to listen to Vin Scully. I guess he might seem slow paced for those out there that have been conditioned to expect broadcasters to prattle on literally the entire game… who work in pairs so their partner can keep talking while they re-load their respiratory system with hot air… As for me, I think I’d listen to Vin Scully do play by play of a mechanic replacing a water pump before I’d listen to Harold Reynolds call a ballgame.
Especially paired with his new partner Joe Buck, the man whose flat and detached tone of voice and pacing never changes no matter what is going on.. Makes baseball about as exciting as golf. My wife is a baseball convert and even she comments on the crushing dullness of these guys when we are forced to listen to them. Actually we aren’t forced, we mute the sound and just watch the games, which explain themselves better than a lot of announcers do. No we really don’t need you to tell us which pitch should be thrown next.
Really? Vince Scully always bored you. Wow. You may be way too sophisticated to be a baseball fan.
67 years doing anything is amazing. Retirement well deserved.
Utley is a huge offensive liability and I’m going say he won’t be a solid glove at 3b at his advanced age. I was completely dumb founded when the reacquired him even as “depth”
This might sound crazy but for the Dodgers he’s a buy low guy. He’s over the hill yes everyone can agree. He’s a veteran presence who plays the game right. So in all Johnson gets more time at AAA to get acclimated with the outfield and defense at 2b. What’s the problem he spots a couple games at 3rd and 1st. If he doesn’t work out and everyone is healthy and producing he a bat off the bench not taking abs away. He’s a pro. I would rather have him playing then them trying to hold out hope that Guerrero is worth anything(as a one dimensional hitter who squares fastballs up but nothing else and can’t make adjustments).
Breaking a guy’s leg is “play[ing] the game right”?
Wow, didn’t realize Vin Scully was retiring. End of a major era in sports. I know there haven’t been broadcasters in the HOF, but I wonder if there would be some consideration for him.
He’s said that he can’t imagine going another year, which leaves the door open just a bit. Dodger fans are gradually reconciling themselves to the end of the Scully era with sadness but also a bit of anger over the continued broadcasting blackout still in place over much of Dodgerland.
There are broadcasters in the Hall of Fame. I know my favorite all time baseball broadcaster Jack Buck is in it.
There are broadcasters in the Baseball Hall of Fame. My all time favorite Jack Buck is in. I’m sure Scully will be there also.
Vin Scully is the only thing I like about the Dodgers. In fact, I don’t have much use for alot of broadcasters (he gone!) but I never get tired of hearing him.
Sully is a class act but the Dodgers are a joke, they are the new yankees except a dumb version
Yupp totally they scooped up lets see here umm Grienke no, Price no, oh I know Cespedes nope. Their biggest transaction this offseason was Kendrick really figuring Kazmir is optioning out next year. I’ll take the joke with the influx of talent. From 300 mill in 2015 to 200 in 2016 and around say 150 in 2017. Those darn over spenders signing 500 plus this offseason. Please continue with opinion and not fact though. But I’ll keep watching when DeLeon/Urias enter the rotation. Cotton, Montas, and Rhame become solid bullpen pieces. I’ll just sit back and watch the Dodgers finally build and keep young talent the way it’s supposed to be done. That darn front office that keeps the Dodgers in contention.
No doubt you’re replying to a brick wall here. We know that of the dozen or so $100M contracts handed out over the past two years, the Dodgers have inked exactly none of them. The ghost of that $300M year will stick in the heads of fans who can’t be bothered with minor details. That said I am not rooting for smaller payrolls in the name of bigger Dodgers Inc. profits. I root only for winning. If they continue to pass on top free agents who could help in that cause in the name of massive retained earnings, and don’t give us parades, then they should be held answerable to the customers.
I think that’s true but the difference is the foundation. The Dodgers need to get younger at this point. There is no doubt that Grienke was really the only impact free agent the Dodgers should have splurged on that being said I understand why they weren’t able to. I don’t blame the Dodgers for Zimmerman and price because they focused on Grienke. What killed the Dodgers last year was injuries and ineffectiveness of Joc trying to figure his swing out, and nobody really ready to call on to stick in a critical situation except Seager. I think incrementally decreasing salary means that the Dodgers are doing a good job of introducing home grown talent. Let’s be honest everyone knows that the 2018-2019 free agent class is the one teams are gearing up for. In terms of needs they are positioning themselves well if the do have a need in the outfield and bullpen mid season. They didn’t match well with the Rays but just take a look across the division to see they do match well with the Rockies who want and need pitching. Up and down after Urias and DeLeon they still have pitching that the Rockies would be intrigued by.
The Dodgers entered the postseason with very close to the roster they had when they opened the regular season. What hurt them in October was the failure to address the team’s midseason needs. But no need to rake over those coals again.
Nothing wrong with getting younger, but teams can rarely meet all of their needs internally if they hope to win. They were able to ante up for Grienke, and he would not have impeded the progress of any of the interesting talent in the pipeline, they just decided to draw a line and not cross it. Whether that was wise only time will tell.
Can a new hitting coach get through to Pederson? We’ better hope so. Plan B isn’t pretty. On the bright side Roberts finally met with Puig over the weekend and everyone is making nice noises about clean slates etc. If Roberts can pull this one off his next job might be Secretary of State.
Just when we talk about postseason I think it naive to just say it’s because of tdl non trade acquisitions. The most glaring issue was non hitting with runners in scoring positions and pitching depth, but we will forget about that for right now. It’s true that you can’t fill all your issues internally. We know that the Dodgers did not have a chance to counter the Dbacks once they made that offer to Grienke. I think it’s interesting to understand why the Dodgers wouldn’t originally go to 6. Was there a major fear that cortisone shots in elbow each spring deteriorated it enough that 4-5 years were scary?
I’m glad Joc went through that second half, because it forces him to address his swing. The problem was lack of confidence and too many moving parts. Personally a Dunn projection is just lazy especially considering the overall potential. The needs entering the season are the same as last year a lead off guy and a bullpen piece.
Montas, Cotton, and Rhame could make a case that they are potentially ready to fill that needed pen spot. Overall, they are in a better position prospect wise to make a move than last year. It’ll be interesting to see what they chose to do with Johnson. He can hit and can be that leadoff guy. Do they now transition him to the Of or do they flip him as part of a package for the aforementioned needs? It’s going to be interesting this year because we get to see if Thompson is really a late bloomer just like Kike’. Can Kike’ really be that productive major leaguer?
I like the team and understand the plan. Dodger fans understand how good Grienke was. Seeing the depth everywhere especially the rotation is not to be laughed at. Puig at this point is what he is. He no longer needs to be that superstar although would be nice. Ethier gives them protection if he can’t produce. Internally enough options to let guys earn jobs. There are also enough pitching prospects to entice a team for let says a McGee/Melancon/ Givens.
Agree slogar1
Kendrick and Utley just signed this off season. Seager is not going anywhere. Of the rest, who is most likely to be traded and for what? I’m thinking Cleveland could use a bat at 3B. Would they be interested in Guerrero?