It is a staggering fact – unbelievable, in fact. The Dodgers franchise has been in existence for exactly 132 years, having been founded in 1883 by real estate magnate and baseball enthusiast Charles Byrne, who convinced his brother-in-law Joseph Doyle and casino operator Ferdinand Abell to start the team with him. And for exactly one-half of that time – 66 years exactly – Hall of Fame broadcaster Vin Scully has been the voice of the Dodgers, although the ever-so-humble 87-year-old icon doesn’t see it that way.

“First of all, I have not been the voice of the Dodgers for 66 years,” said Scully who, on Saturday afternoon, told reporters that he would be returning to the Dodgers in 2016 for an unprecedented 67th season. “When I started I was a third announcer with two great announcers – Red Barber and Connie Desmond – and only through the years, as they left and I slowly matured, where you could say ‘Well yeah, he’s the voice of the Dodgers.'”

Although Vin Scully may humbly say that he hasn’t always been the voice of the Dodgers, there isn’t a Dodger fan alive who doesn’t think so. Scully is seen here with fellow Hall of Fame broadcaster Red Barber (left) and Connie Desmond. (AP photo)

But what Scully can’t deny is that having been the Dodgers broadcaster for 66 years, he has unquestionably witnessed more major league baseball games than any other living human being. Among them were three perfect games, 25 no-hitters, 25 World Series and 12 All-Star Games. He called Kirk Gibson’s exciting home run in Game 1 of the 1988 World Series, Don Larsen’s perfect game in the 1956 World Series, Hank Aaron’s record-setting 715th home run, all four of Sandy Koufax’s no-hitters, and the consecutive scoreless-inning streaks of both Don Drysdale and Orel Hershiser.

But even after having personally witnessed all of these historic events, many of which that are documented at the National Baseball Museum and Hall of Fame in Cooperstown where Scully himself is enshrined, there must be one memory, one special moment in his illustrious career that Scully holds dearest to his heart. And while his answer may surprise some, it will come as no surprise to older Dodger fans – especially Brooklyn Dodger fans.

“If I had to look through all those years, maybe because I was much younger, more passionate about the game and the players, in Brooklyn when Johnny Podres beat the Yankees in the [1955] World Series to give the borough its only world championship – first, foremost and forever,” said Scully, a Bronx, New York native.

Vin Scully’s Hall of Fame plaque.
(Photo credit – Ron Cervenka)

As he so often does and only as he can, Scully elaborated on his fondest baseball memory.

“I guess because I was not much older than the players themselves, I mean, I sat in the back of the bus with the ‘humpties’ – those are the guys who didn’t play every day – and I remember sitting in the back of the bus with Dick Williams, a rookie outfielder, and we’d be telling jokes and laughing and scratching,” recalled Scully. “And he became a Hall of Fame manager, which boggled my mind a bit.

“But I guess that Podres win in ’55 was the most emotional one because I had felt the frustration of those players ever since what, 1942 or ’41?” said Scully. “They began to play the Yankees and they would lose all the time. And so in ’55, when they won, it was a rather incredible moment, it stuck to my ribs I think more than any of the others, although there’ve, as you know, there’ve been some dandies.”

Dodger fans were ecstatic when Hall of Fame broadcaster Vin Scully said that he would be returning for the 2016 season. They were far less excited – devastated, in fact – when Scully said that “realistically” it would probably be his last. (Photo credit – Ron Cervenka)

So there it is – the answer to the question that many lifelong Vin Scully fans have often wondered about and have carried around with them since their childhood.