Two Fans

Vincent Edward Scully is the 83 year old voice of the Los Angeles Dodgers. He's been broadcasting Dodger games since 1950 when their home was Ebbets Field in Brooklyn. He and the 1955 Brooklyn Dodgers are my earliest baseball memory. In 1956 when the Dodgers lost the World Series to the team from the Bronx even Vinny couldn't make me feel better. I was eight years old and inconsolable. It's the only time he's failed.



The other night one of my local broadcasters visited with him before a game with the Dodgers and even though the piece was just a few minutes long, Vin's charm was still there. First there's the voice itself, a smooth, lilting tenor with a hint of Ireland. Then there's the modesty and self-deprecating humor when Vin explains that his early success was really a product of something he had nothing to do with -- the transistor radio. How long has it been since we've heard that phrase? But finally, it's his love of the game that comes shining through. After all the years and despite the mess that the Dodgers have become, he is, most of all, a fan.



While this interview was taking place, I was at a local minor league game with another, much younger, fan. This fan knows nothing about Vin Scully and the Brooklyn Dodgers; this fan is too young to stay up late to watch games but he does catch all the major league highlights every morning before school or camp. This fan likes to play ball more than he likes to watch it and is privately convinced that he is going to the major leagues. He is nine years old.



The two fans share an enthusiasm for the experience of being at the game. The youngster cheered for the home team even though he didn’t know a single player and had never been to the little ball field before. He kept a scorecard and didn’t miss a play and he enjoyed every minute of it. I’d like to think the two fans would enjoy seeing a game together.