Advertisement

On Vin Scully's 88th birthday, enjoy our favorite Vin moments from 2015

Mark Townsend
·Yahoo Sports Contributor
(Getty Images)
(Getty Images)

It's fitting that Vin Scully's birthday falls so close to Thanksgiving. If there's one thing baseball fans everywhere can agree they're thankful for, it's his brilliance in the broadcast booth and his class and kindness as a human being.

As Scully turns 88 today, we're more thankful now than ever for his wonderful career as we've learned 2016 will be his 67th and final season broadcasting Dodgers games. Scully reaffirmed as much on Saturday, telling the Los Angeles Times that it's simply time.

[Free ship over $50 Enter Code ShipGift50 – At Yahoo Fan Shop]

“Each year, I knew I was getting closer and closer,” Scully said. “Finally, this past fall and winter — I think it’s time. I don’t want somebody else to tell me it’s time. I would rather do it myself.”

I really can’t see that I would come back,” Scully said. “Sooner or later, you have to be realistic. I’ve done it for a long, long time. I’ve done reasonably well at it. But I don’t want to stay on any longer than I feel I should.

“Which makes it a very tough decision, but I really do feel it would be time for me to walk away rather than have somebody say, ‘Gee, you know, you’re not the same. You’re not quite this, you’re not quite that.’ I don’t want that. So I think if I can get through next year doing reasonably well, it would be time then to walk away.”

We respect Scully's decision and we appreciate his honesty. And with that said, we also wish to honor Scully's greatness by looking back at his best moments from another outstanding season behind the mic in 2015.

Please enjoy.

* * *

Scully's take on selfies


When Dodgers fan Bobby Crosby filmed himself catching an Aaron Hill home run during a game on May 3, Scully coined it the "selfie of all selfies." That's really all that needs to be said, because just hearing Scully referencing selfies will blow ones mind.

Redhead extinction?


During a broadcast in July, Scully caused something of a social media stir when he cited a report suggesting redheads could be extinct by the year 2060. Scully, a redhead himself, said that didn't bother him so much since he wouldn't be around anyway. In classic Scully style, he then circled back around a couple days later and reassured redheads everywhere that there was no truth to the previous report. That's good news, but here's wishing Vin would still be around then too.

"No. It's gas."


There's nothing Scully enjoys more than seeing young children at the game. His descriptions of dancing and drooling babies have been hilarious over the years, but this particular story during a mid-September game took the cake. Scully talks of his days before he had children himself, and how he'd make them smile with his goofy faces. Then he hits us with the punchline that reminds us his sense of humor is right in line with his broadcasting prowess.

Snake prank


Here, Scully tells of a prank a Brooklyn Dodger player once played on his teammate by a hiding a small snake in his glove. The story itself is great, but observe how masterfully Scully ties his story into the action. He's so, so good at that. It makes everything he says so seamless, and that's almost impossible to do broadcasting an unpredictable game like baseball.

Remembering Yogi Berra


The baseball world lost a legend when Yogi Berra died on Sept. 22. But what better way to celebrate his life and honor his career than to have Scully share stories about his friend during the Dodgers broadcast. Here, Scully talks about Berra's remarkable season in 1950, in which Berra hit 28 homers and knocked in 124 runs, all while striking out 12 times.

More MLB coverage from Yahoo Sports:

- - - - - - -

Mark Townsend is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at bigleaguestew@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!