The thrill and excitement during Opening Day brought about a lively and entertaining crowd at Dodger Stadium on Monday. The Los Angeles Dodgers went on to win their seventh straight season opener, behind a 14-3 rout of the San Diego Padres. But one influential piece was missing during what many players compare to the first day of school.
When fans took a look at the broadcasting booth, they weren’t greeted by that familiar face that went with Dodgers baseball for decades. Instead, a pre-taped message from Vin Scully was played on the video board, and he so graciously handed duties over to Joe Davis.
After 67 seasons of broadcasting, a career spanning from Brooklyn to Los Angeles, Scully sailed off into the sunset last fall. He expected to use the newfound free time with his wife and family.
Leading up to Opening Day, Scully revealed he would not attend, nor likely watch much of the game. That amounted to him getting a car wash and paying bills, according to Bill Plaschke of the L.A. Times:
“Today I was engaged in that other national pastime, paying bills,” Scully said with a laugh. “Then I went to the post office to mail them, and now I’m just leaving the carwash.”
While Scully was not on hand Monday, he did attend Game 5 of the 2016 National League Championship Series, and recently paid a visit to Chavez Ravine and his former broadcast booth. The Dodgers will add Scully to the Ring of Honor at Dodger Stadium on May 3, fittingly prior to a game against the San Francisco Giants.
The Hall-of-Famer has previously been honored during his retirement by President Barack Obama, and Scully’s call of the final game at the Polo Grounds was added to the National Recording Registry in the Library of Congress.
