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American hero and former longtime Dodgers announcer Vin Scully was presented with a lifetime achievement award Wednesday night at the ESPYs—and the world was given the joy of three more minutes of listening to him talk.
Scully, who is now 89, retired last fall after calling Dodger baseball for 65 seasons. He was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in November. Scully was presented with the ESPY Icon Award by Bryan Cranston last night at the sports-related awards show, and delivered one of his most signature lines immediately after taking the stage.
"Hi everybody, and a very pleasant and good evening to you," Scully said, before cracking a giant grin. "You know, I said that for about 65 years but I last said it in October when I retired. And I hope you don't mind, but I wanted to hear it one more time." There are no words for how much we do NOT mind. Vin, I would fall asleep every night to a tape of you wishing me a very pleasant and good evening on repeat, if that was a socially acceptable and non-creepy thing to do.
Scully also told a beautiful story about how he first fell in love with baseball as an eight-year-old boy, eighty years to the day that he broadcast his last game. Here's the full text of his speech:
Hi everybody, and a very pleasant and good evening to you. You know, I said that for about 65 years but I last said it in October, when I retired. And I hope you don't mind, but I wanted to hear it one more time. I really would like to take Bryan home with me. He is such a wonderful human being. Flew from New York just to get here for this award and now is flying back to New York. I don't have a relative in the world who would make that kind of a trip. [Vin, I would make that trip for you, just say the word. -JW] October 2, 1936. A redhead, eight and a half years old, walking by a window, saw the score of Game Two of the 1936 World Series. It involved the Giants and the Yankees. That little kid fell in love that day with baseball. The last game that he did before retiring was October 2, 2016, exactly 80 years from whence the love affair began. And in 65 years, he was honored and thrilled and humbled to be able to fulfill a boyhood dream of broadcasting Major League Baseball.”
“You know, God gave us memories so we could have roses in December. And in the December of my years, I have collected so many roses and cherished each and every one of them. And you give me a rose tonight to join my collection of all those years. I am humbled, I am honored, and I know another thing. My work was never, ever a burden. I consider it always a blessing. God bless. Thank you so very much.”
