I saw in today’s morning paper that Vin Scully has died at 94. Like many people my age, Vin Scully has been a persistent presence in my sports life. Here’s one little story.

When I was a kid, I was a New York Giants fan. It was a really big deal for New York to lose their two beloved National League teams. The only thing the fans of the two great rivals ever agreed on was their hatred for Walter O’Malley, the owner who took the Dodgers to Los Angeles, and later expedited the Giants move to San Francisco.

My aunt and uncle took me to the final Dodgers/Giants game at the Polo Grounds on September 8, 1957, when I was 8.  At the time I didn’t know what a historic event it was. I got to see Wille Mays and Duke Snyder and all the rest of those iconic players. Vin Scully was in the booth. He was always a class act, and perhaps the best announcer of all time. Here is what he said that day:

“I don’t know how you feel about it at the other end of these microphones, whether you are sitting at home, or driving a car, on the beach or anywhere, but I know sitting here watching the Giants and Dodgers apparently playing for the last time at the Polo Grounds, you want them to take their time … 2-0 pitch is low, ball three … you just feel like saying: ‘Now don’t run off the field so fast fellas, let’s take it easy, we just want to take one last lingering look at both of you.”

 (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong, File)