Author Topic: Scully receives lifetime Wooden Award  (Read 173 times)

rik

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Scully receives lifetime Wooden Award
« on: February 25, 2007, 01:29:38 PM »
LOS ANGELES -- It's hard to believe that Harry S. Truman was President of the United States when young Vincent Edward Scully got his start in 1950 as the club announcer for the Brooklyn Dodgers.
On Saturday night, Scully, along with fellow baseball Hall of Famer Dave Winfield, was honored at the 16th annual Sports Legends Awards at The Omni Hotel in Los Angeles. The longtime Dodgers broadcaster was presented with the John R. Wooden Lifetime Achievement Award.

"When I was asked to accept this award there wasn't a moment of hesitation, because any time I can have my name linked with John Wooden, I'm way ahead of the game," said Scully.

The awards ceremony was hosted by the Paralysis Project of America to benefit spinal-cord research. Other honorees at the ceremony included soccer star Cobi Jones, former long-distance swimmer turned television reporter Diana Nyad and jockey Ron Turcotte.

In accepting his award, Scully spoke about two dear friends, the late Hall of Fame catcher Roy Campanella and the late Don Klosterman, the former general manager of the Los Angeles Rams, who both had to deal with paralysis.

"Roy was the first person ever to receive the Wooden Award," said Scully. "Don was a close personal friend to our family and was godfather to one of our children."

"Having Vin here means a lot to us," said Catherine Lepone, executive director of the Paralysis Project of America. "When he called and told us he was able to be here, that was tremendous. The Dodger legacy is very strong with our organization, and it helps us raise needed funds for spinal-cord injury research."

The honorees are selected annually for their contributions to sports by the Paralysis Project of America's Business and Sports Councils. Headed by chairman and former Olympic gold medalist Bob Seagren, the Sports Council includes former Sports Legends Award winners Pepper Davis, Jim Hill, Rafer Johnson, Jim Knaub, Jack Kramer, Ann Meyers-Drysdale, Joe Morgan, Don Newcombe, Bill Sharman, Gary Stevens, Al Unser, Rogie Vachon, Jamaal Wilkes and Wooden.

Sharman, an NBA legend as a player, coach and basketball executive, actually played for the Dodgers in 1951 and has been friends with Scully for well over 50 years.

"He's the No.1 baseball announcer of all time and a very good friend," said the 80-year old Sharman. "Vin and I go way back to the early years in Vero Beach, [Fla.], for Spring Training. "He's the greatest, like [the late Lakers announcer] Chick Hearn was to basketball, Vin was and still is to baseball. Outside of announcing, he's just a wonderful person and a good friend."

"Vin goes back to New York and Brooklyn, and he was friends with Jackie Robinson," said Winfield about his fellow honoree. "He was already an icon when I was starting my playing career [in San Diego] in the 1970s, playing against the Dodgers all the time. It's always good to see him, and I find it remarkable that he still broadcasts game solo. Most teams have two or three announcers. There's only one Vin Scully and I'm proud to be here with him tonight."

Scully, whose 58 years of consecutive service with the Dodgers is the longest tenure of any current sports broadcaster with one team, said he still loves doing his job and is committed to completing the two-year contract extension that was given to him by Dodger owners Frank and Jamie McCourt last spring.

"When the season starts and when the team runs out on the field and the crowd roars, I still get goosebumps," said Scully. "I still get goosebumps when there's a wonderful play on offense and defense. As long as I still get the goosebumps, I still know I want to do it."

Scully is also looking forward to seeing the 2007 version of the Dodgers when he heads out to Vero Beach in mid-March to broadcast Spring Training games on TV.

"I think this team is going to remind some people of our Dodger teams of the 1960s," said Scully. "Not that they have [Sandy] Koufax and [Don] Drysdale, but this will be a team -- like some of those teams in the 60s -- with very good pitching, good defense and a lot of speed."

The Dodgers seem to be heading into a period where their teams should be in postseason contention for the next few years. Baseball fans can only hope that the legendary voice of summer keeps getting goosebumps for a few more seasons.
 

rik

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Re: Scully receives lifetime Wooden Award
« Reply #1 on: February 25, 2007, 01:30:23 PM »
One of the greatest if not the greatest sports broadcaster of all time.
 

ecrazy

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Re: Scully receives lifetime Wooden Award
« Reply #2 on: February 25, 2007, 03:55:12 PM »
Im an Angel fan, but I love vin, i swear, i know he smokes weed before each broadcast, i want to smoke with him and talk to him during a broadcast, he has a bazillion stories to tell
 

"THE" MoSav

Re: Scully receives lifetime Wooden Award
« Reply #3 on: February 27, 2007, 11:51:50 PM »
everything about the Dodgers makes me wanna throw up

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