The Giants honored Vin Scully with a special plaque, a Willie Mays visit and Kruk & Kuip toast
Well, the day finally came. Sunday marked the very last game of Vin Scully's 67-year career in the booth for the Dodgers, and as fate would have it the game took place against the Giants at AT&T Park.
Since this was the 80th anniversary to the day(!) of the moment Scully said he first fell in love with the game, the Giants (whom 8-year-old Vin became enamored with at the time) rolled out several fantastic tributes during the afternoon. Scully even retold that story during the broadcast:
When fans entered the ballpark on Sunday, they were given these cheer cards with "Thank You Vin" printed across the front (in orange and black, of course):
#ThankYouVin pic.twitter.com/oDVpeOd7ks
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) October 2, 2016
Then, during a break between innings, the Giants presented Scully with a special commemorative plaque that will take up permanent residence in the AT&T Park broadcast booth:
Forever enshrined in the visiting TV broadcast booth. #ThankYouVin pic.twitter.com/vaXZkeuLfJ
— SFGiants (@SFGiants) October 2, 2016
As seen atop this post, the segment also included a surprise visit from Scully's old friend Willie Mays and, using the cheer cards, another toast from the fans in the stands:
Thank you, @SFGiants. #ThankYouVin pic.twitter.com/uQqUk5p5hC
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) October 2, 2016
The Giants' television broadcasters, Mike Krukow and Duane Kuiper, then saluted Vin during the seventh-inning stretch, dedicating a rendition of "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" to him:
Take Me Out to the Ballgame 🎶 #ThankYouVin 🎙 #SFGiants pic.twitter.com/wjYrOJE5q7
— SFGiants (@SFGiants) October 2, 2016
Naturally, Scully took part in the special moment:
All in all, it was all just a perfect send-off for Scully, a man whose spirit for the game has always been bigger than most.
At the end of the day, the Giants won, 7-1 (clinching a Wild Card matchup with
His final send-off? An appropriately self-deprecating "I have said enough for a lifetime, and for the last time, I wish you a very pleasant good afternoon.''
Farewell, Vin, we all already miss you.
Dear friends... pic.twitter.com/akgzIU1UdW
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) October 2, 2016