On This Day in Dodgers History: January 5th

This day in Los Angeles Dodgers history includes one of the best in the business of sports broadcasting, Vin Scully. He was and forever will be the “Voice of the Dodgers.”

On January 5, 1982, the Baseball Writers’ Association of America selects Vin Scully as the sixth recipient of the Ford Frick Award. This awards honors the recipients for excellence in broadcasting the national pastime.

The Ford C. Frick Award is presented annually to a broadcaster for “major contributions to baseball.” The award, named after the late broadcaster, National League President, Commissioner, and Hall of Famer, has been presented annually since 1978. Frick was a driving force behind the creation of the Hall of Fame in Cooperstown and he helped foster the relationship between radio and the game of baseball. 

Scully’s mentors Red Barber and Mel Allen were the first two recipients of this prestigious award in 1978.

The long-time Dodgers broadcaster illustrated America’s pastime for 67 seasons and began telling stories that Dodger fans still talk about today. He joined the Brooklyn Dodgers radio broadcast team in 1950 alongside Barber.

“Red was my teacher…and my father. I don’t know – I might have been the son he never had. It wasn’t so much that he taught me how to broadcast. It was an attitude. Get to the park early. Do your homework. Be prepared. Be accurate. He was a stickler for that. He cared. He was very much a taskmaster, or I might have developed bad habit,” said Scully.

*I’m pretty sure I’m wasn’t the only one trying to read that quote in Vin’s voice*

Another Dodgers great, Jaime Jarrin was a recipient of the Frick Award in 1998. Jarrin is known as the “The Spanish Voice of the Dodgers.”

As mentioned by the National Baseball Hall of Fame, Vin Scully’s style was labeled by:

• Entertaining
• Precise
• Proficient
• Charming
• Friendly
• Outgoing
• Smooth
• Relaxed

We also can’t forget that he was warm, knowledgable, intelligent, literate, concise, well-prepared, and colorful.

Let me ask you one question Vin, why did you have to retire? We will all miss your sweet voice in the Dodgers broadcast booth in  2017.