It never ceases to amaze me how many National Days there are – things like National Doughnut Day, National Cat Day, National Saxophone Day, National Ferret Day, National Apple Pie Day. Heck, there’s even a National Donald Duck Day. (In case you are wondering, today is National Square Dance Day).

And while it’s obvious that many (most) of the so-called “national days” – which often appear on Twitter – are in jest or are tongue-in-cheek humor, there is one day that absolutely positively should be a national day; in fact, it should be a national holiday – and that day is today.

On this date – November 29 – in 1927, Vincent Edward “Vin” Scully was born in the Bronx, New York. Over the course of the next 88 years, he would become the greatest broadcaster of all time and a national treasure.

Is this a biased opinion? Absolutely.

Is it inaccurate? Absolutely not – not even slightly.

The best there’s ever been.
(Photo credit – Ron Cervenka)

If I were to list all of Scully’s accomplishments and awards, this article would fill 10 pages or more, so instead I will simply post the link to Vin’s Wikipedia page, which gives an excellent and detailed synopsis of his life and brilliant career as the voice of the Dodgers – a title that Scully recently rebuked as inaccurate – in a manner that only the extremely humble broadcaster could.

“First of all, I have not been the voice of the Dodgers for 66 years,” Scully insists. “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.’”

While my question to Vin was certainly in no way meant to discredit the outstanding careers of fellow Hall of Fame broadcaster Red Barber or Connie Desmond, the simple truth is that any baseball fan born after 1953 – which is most of them – has known only Vin Scully as the voice of the Dodgers – Jerry Doggett, Ross Porter or any of Vin’s other co-announcers notwithstanding.

Scully’s Ford C. Frick plaque at the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, NY.
(Photo credit – Ron Cervenka)

As most Dodgers fans know by now, Scully has said that 2016 will “probably” be his 67th and final season as the Dodgers broadcaster. And while this is devastating news for those of us who have known Vinny as the only voice of the Dodgers – which is most of us – at least we will always have the memories and warmth in our hearts that we were blessed to have listened to the best there’s ever been.

Happy 88th Birthday Vin!

…and Happy #NationalVinScullyDay!