It's always the right time to listen to ten of Vin Scully's most enthralling stories
Vin Scully has always been less broadcaster than bard. Sure, he can narrate the action with the best of them, but that's not what makes a Scully call so special. It's all the stuff in between: his ability to fill in the gaps with bits and pieces that breathe new life into the game, all in that iconic voice. The man can turn a grocery list into poetry, is what we're saying.
Since today is National Tell a Story Day, let's celebrate baseball's premier storyteller. He's seen a lot of life over his 67 years in the booth -- perfect games to historic home runs to a move to L.A., and he's got tall tales to prove it.
Here are 10 of the very best.
The time Jonny Gomes was almost eaten by a wolf
When he was 12, Jonny Gomes was doing some work on his grandmother's house, when a hired hand showed up to help ... with a pet wolf on a leash. Gomes, having always wanted a dog (and also being Jonny Gomes), decided to walk up and pet it. The wolf, as you might imagine, did not react well. How does this tale end? You'll just have to listen to Vin tell it:
The time Madison Bumgarner chopped up a snake and saved a rabbit
Madison Bumgarner: Giants ace, World Series MVP, real-life Paul Bunyan. He's the perfect match for Scully: a man whose life might as well be myth, as told by a man who can turn even the most mundane details into legend. Case in point: During the Giants-Dodgers game on April 16, Vin regaled us with one of MadBum's tallest tales -- the time he hacked up a snake to save a rabbit. No, seriously:
Vin Scully's Fun Flag Facts
If baseball is America's national pastime, Vin Scully is America's narrator. And so, last July 4, Scully took the opportunity to give us a valuable history lesson about the stars and stripes. Did you know that the current version of the flag was designed in part by a 17-year-old student? No? Then watch on, and be amazed:
Yogi Berra made sure he protected himself during a brawl
Yogi Berra was a veritable fount of wisdom: It ain't over til it's over. You can observe a lot by watching. No one goes there anymore, it's too crowded. So it's no surprise that, when a brawl broke out during a Royals-Yankees game, Berra came prepared ... with a catcher's mask.
The plight of the endangered redheads
On the day noted Dodgers redhead Justin Turner selected a redheaded young fan to throw out the first pitch, Scully took the opportunity to tackle a serious issue: The survival of red hair. Vin was deeply troubled to learn that there were a finite number in the world, and they could be extinct by 2030.
But wait -- as he announced two nights later, it was all a false alarm. No, redheads will not be extinct by 2030, though Scully was a bit surprised at the "fire storm on the Internet." Stand down, everyone.
The little-known tale of J.D. Salinger, D-Day hero
On the 71st anniversary of D-Day last season, Scully spent some time between innings honoring some of the brave veterans who stormed the beaches that day. One, in particular, caught his eye: He was a young author, slated to land on Utah Beach that morning -- until the current moved his boat farther down the coast to an area less-heavily defended by the Germans, helping him survive the day. His name? J.D. Salinger.
A Dodgers fan and a Giants fan become a moral parable
The average viewer probably looked at the two young fans below and saw a couple of cute kids, enjoying their night out at Dodger Stadium. Poet laureate Vin Scully, however, saw a study in contrasts that reflected life's infinite complexity:
Vin gives us all a G.O.A.T. education
A philosophical conundrum: If the unquestioned G.O.A.T. has no idea what G.O.A.T. actually means, does he remain the G.O.A.T.? When the G.O.A.T. is Vin Scully, the answer is "absolutely."
The proliferation of beards in Major League Baseball
One of the most remarkable things about Scully is his timelessness, his ability to fit in with any age. His career has spanned 11 different presidencies, yet he's still out here marveling at selfie technology. So when he found himself calling a start by Andrew Cashner and his marvelous facial hair, he didn't tell the beards to get off of his lawn -- he crafted an ode in their honor.
Mike Matheny owes his college career to bird poop
A testament to the fact that, yes, Scully can make quite literally anything sound fascinating. When Matheny's Cardinals visited Dodger Stadium back in 2014, it gave Scully the chance to trot out one of his greatest anecdotes: The story of how a defecating pigeon helped determine whether Matheny would enroll at the University of Michigan or go pro after being drafted.