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Dodger Stadium's Street Will Be Rightfully Named 'Vin Scully Avenue'
Vin Scully speaks a Dodgers event on January 6, 1982. "I'm really here because of others. I've been blessed, fortunate to be there to tell you about what others have done." (Photo by Paul Chinn/Herald-Examiner Collection via the Los Angeles Public Library Photo Collection)
The L.A. City Council voted unanimously to rename Elysian Park Avenue—the street that leads up to Dodger Stadium—after iconic Dodger announcer Vin Scully.
Scully said in a statement:
I was raised in the streets of New York and to have a street named after me in Los Angeles is almost too much to comprehend. I am eternally grateful to the City Council and especially Councilman Gil Cedillo. A path to Dodger Stadium is a pathway to my heart. For 55 years it has been an honor to walk that road to one of the greatest entertainment centers in the world, a place that has brought so much joy to all of us. I thank God for this great honor.
Councilman Paul Koretz said he would be happy if "we named the whole damn city after him." The crazy thing is, I don't think most people would object to that, either.
Several current and former Dodgers showed up to the meeting to support the motion, including Eric Karros, Ron Cey, Maury Wills, and new manager (and former Dodger himself) Dave Roberts:
City Hall hosted the @Dodgers &some legends to pay tribute to Vin as we rename Elysian Park Ave as Vin Scully Avenue pic.twitter.com/eA7HA3FIzG
— MayorOfLA (@MayorOfLA) January 29, 2016
Next stop on the #DodgersLoveLA Tour...City Hall. pic.twitter.com/bNRvCNuCsa
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) January 29, 2016
Metro's pumped, too:
Can't wait for the Dodger Stadium Express to make a right turn off Sunset and head up Vin Scully Avenue! pic.twitter.com/s5nrZTzQOo
— LA Metro (@metrolosangeles) January 29, 2016
According to the L.A. Times, there's a 30-day wait period before the street can be officially renamed. The city must first notify the U.S. Post Office and other government agencies, and allow for potential public objection before voting again to make the renaming process official. Though we can't imagine why anyone—even scoundrel Giants fans—would object.
Scully has been the Dodgers' announcer since 1950, when the team was still in Brooklyn. As Dodger Blue notes, Mayor Eric Garcetti proposed a street be named after Scully in 2013, but the ever-so-humble Scully declined. Guess now, he's like, "Whatever! I've earned it." The upcoming 2016-2017 season is likely to be his last. Let's hope we'll all be able to listen.