Los Angeles Dodgers: The Impact of Vin Scully

Retiring Los Angeles Dodgers announcer Vin Scully touched a great many lives, a lot of which he likely never knew of. Those tributes from people he never met may be the greatest testimonies of what he meant to the game of baseball.

In most cases, reading the comment section of a newspaper or a website is to take a trip down a rabbit hole where the worst that humanity has to offer is gathered. Comments tend to range from spam to insults and general stupidity, where finding those intelligent, and topical, comments are like finding a gold nugget. That is part of what makes the comments on this site so special, as the typical comment section is displaced by thoughtful discussion.

Yet, it is in the comment section that we found a story that may perfectly illustrate the impact that Los Angeles Dodgers announcer Vin Scully had on people’s lives. Scully is certainly a baseball institution, but his impact can be felt even outside the game. In fact, Scully helped a lot more people, in many different ways, than he would ever know. That is the case with this one fan, who recounted what Scully meant in his life.

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There are all kinds of stories about how people have learned English through different means. People have learned the language through television shows, or movies, finding a way to expand their knowledge. Perhaps it is not a surprise to know that baseball games have helped others learn another language as well.

Chances are, there are plenty more stories like this one shared in the comment section. When the mania surrounding Fernando Valenzuela was at its peak, and Fernando-Mania was running rampant, the Dodgers were the top team in Mexico. Scully’s voice may have helped others there to learn English as well.

It is likely that Vin Scully will never know how many lives he impacted over the years. Likewise, he may never hear the stories, such as the one above, about those regular people whose lives he made a difference in. But, in the end, that is the true testament of how much of an impact someone had – how many lives that they changed for the better.

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Vin Scully is an institution for the Los Angeles Dodgers, and he will be sorely missed on their broadcasts. But even more than that, he will be missed for the impact he had on the lives of so many.