Vin Scully, legendary Dodgers broadcaster, dies at 94

Aug. 3 (UPI) -- Iconic broadcaster Vin Scully, who serenaded baseball fans with his voice for nearly seven decades as the radio soundtrack for Los Dodgers Dodgers games, has died, the team said. He was 94.

The Dodgers said Scully died Tuesday night at his home in Hidden Hills, Calif., in the San Fernando Valley region of Los Angeles County. No cause of death was disclosed.

"We have lost an icon," Dodgers president and CEO Stan Kasten said in a news release. "The Dodgers' Vin Scully was one of the greatest voices in all of sports. He was a giant of a man, not only as a broadcaster, but as a humanitarian.

"He loved people. He loved life. He loved baseball and the Dodgers. And he loved his family. His voice will always be heard and etched in all of our minds forever.

"I know he was looking forward to joining the love of his life, Sandi. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family during this very difficult time. Vin will be truly missed."

Scully, who held his role with the Dodgers for 67 years, was the longest-tenured broadcaster for a single team in professional sports history.

He started his broadcast career at 22 in 1949, calling college football games for a CBS radio affiliate in Washington, D.C., where he met broadcast legend Red Barber.

He followed Barber into the Dodgers radio booth in 1950. Five years later, "Scully" became the youngest broadcaster, at age 25, to call a World Series.

Scully followed the Dodgers in 1957 for their move from Brooklyn to Los Angeles. In 1974, he called Hank Aaron's iconic 715th home run, which moved the former Atlanta Braves star past Babe Ruth for the most in MLB history, at the time.

He also was in the booth for Dodger great Kirk Gibson's legendary walk-off homer against the Oakland Athletics in Game 1 of the 1988 World Series. He called 25 World Series in total, in addition to a dozen All-Star Games, 18 no-hitters and three perfect games.

He was known for his iconic opening line: "It's time for Dodger baseball." Scully was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1982.

"He was the best there ever was," Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw told MLB.com. "Just when you think about the Dodgers -- there's a lot of history here and lot of people that have come through, it's just a storied franchise all the way around. But it almost starts with Vin, honestly.

"He's just such a special man. I'm grateful and thankful I got to know him as well as I did."

Scully retired in 2016.

His first wife, Joan, died in 1972 from an accidental overdose of cold and bronchitis medicine. She was 35. His second wife, Sandra, died in 2021 from complications of ALS in 2021. She was 76.

Scully is survived by daughters Catherine, Kelly and Erin, and sons Todd and Kevin.