Hall of Fame broadcaster Vin Scully called many memorable moments throughout his career, from his first career broadcast with the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1950 all the way to the Los Angeles Dodgers clinching the National League West title during his final home game in 2016.
Scully also won many awards for his 67-year career as a broadcaster, including the National Baseball Hall of Fame’s Ford C. Frick Award in 1982, recipient of the Commissioner’s Historic Achievement Award in 2014 and Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2016 and most recently Baseball Digest’s Lifetime Achievement Award.
Part of what made Scully’s legacy is he was on the microphone for many of the greatest moments in MLB history, from Sandy Koufax’s perfect game and Clayton Kershaw’s no-hitter, to the first night game at Wrigley Field along with dozens of World Series and All-Star games.
But some of the most exciting moments in baseball come from the home run, and he ranked the most important, theatrical and emotional home runs he called in his career.
Scully started by ranking Hank Aaron breaking Babe Ruth’s home run record as the most important he called, and added that Kirk Gibson’s home run in the 1988 World Series as the most theatrical:
I'm often asked about home runs I called throughout my career. I want to tell you about the most important and most theatrical. Those stories have familiar names. A little later I'll tell you about the most deeply personal, about an old pal named Larry Miggins. pic.twitter.com/nOO7Kz5AxZ
— Vin Scully (@TheVinScully) April 23, 2022
Scully said Aaron being saluted in the south after breaking Ruth’s home run record as a moment that touched his heart. Aaron broke the record in 1974, just 10 years after President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act, which legally ended segregation.
But of course the most Hollywood moment came from Gibson, who Scully described as using his bat as a cane as he limped to home plate before hitting a home run that later ended with the Dodgers winning a championship.
However, the most emotional and personal one for him came off the bat of Larry Miggins, who played just 43 games for the St. Louis Cardinals in 1948 and 1952. Miggins only hit two career home runs, but one of those came with Scully calling the game.
You've probably never heard of Larry Miggins. We became dear friends in high school. Years later, he'd hit a home run against the Dodgers that remains the most personal I ever called. Pull up a chair. This is the story. pic.twitter.com/x1pADQrIuQ
— Vin Scully (@TheVinScully) April 23, 2022
What made the moment so personal for Scully was he and Miggins were high school friends. They discussed their future plans, with Scully said he wanted to become a broadcaster and Miggins saying he wanted to become a Major League player.
Although the odds were unlikely of that happening, but it came to be in 1952 when the Cardinals went to Ebbets field with Miggins in the lineup and Scully calling the game. Miggins ended up hitting a home run off Preacher Roe, and Scully couldn’t believe it.
“A billion-to-one shot has occurred directly in my lap,” Scully said about the homer that he’ll never forget.
Scully’s call of Gibson home run wins MLB Network Radio award
Scully won MLB Network Radio’s “Greatest Home run Call of All-Time” Award for his famous call of Gibson’s walk-off home run against the Oakland Athletics in Game 1 of the 1988 World Series.
Other finalists for the poll were Jack Buck, who was nominated twice, Milo Hamilton, Tom Cheek, Micahel Kay, and Russ Hodges for his “The Giants win the pennant!” call in 1951.
Scully edged Hodges for the top spot with help from the fans, and Gibson’s heroics, too. While Scully is revered for proclaiming, “In a year that has been so improbable, the impossible has happened!” allowing the Dodger Stadium crowd to first fill the air was savvy.
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