February 26th, 2016 at 8:35 am 
by Ron Cervenka When Dodgers pitchers and catchers held their first official workout last Saturday at Camelback Ranch, new manager Dave Roberts was asked (in jest) if Clayton Kershaw would be his Opening Day starter when the team kicked off their 2016 season on the road in San Diego on April 4.
“That makes a lot of sense, but we’re going to wait to make it a little more formal,” said Roberts with a coy smile “But it makes a lot of sense.”
Although Dodgers manager Dave Roberts was coy with the media about who his Opening Day starter would be, he left little doubt that it would be Clayton Kershaw. (Photo credit – Jon SooHoo)
And though it will come as a surprise to no one when Roberts finally does formally name Kershaw as his Opening Day starter, the sixth of his career and one behind Dodgers right-handers Don Drysdale and Don Sutton for the most in franchise history, it was a surprise – and a very pleasant one – when the Dodgers announced that Hall of Fame broadcaster Vin Scully would be calling that season opener from Petco Park in San Diego.
“I love opening day, wherever it is,” Scully told LA Times reporter Bill Shaikin on Wednesday. “It’s so near. I said I’d love to share in that.”
Scully, who turned 88 years old on November 29 and has already announced that 2016 will be his 67th and final season as the Dodgers broadcaster, told reporters at the Dodgers FanFest event on January 30 that he hopes to call Dodgers road games in San Diego, Anaheim and San Francisco – including the final series of the 2016 season and the last of his historic career at AT&T Park on September 30 – October 2.
“I think I would love to finish with a game between the Dodgers and Giants,” Scully said.
After rallying the crowd at FanFest on January 30, 2016, Scully told reporters that he hopes to broadcast Dodgers road game in Anaheim, San Diego and San Francisco during his farewell season. (Video capture courtesy of MLB.com)
Over the past several seasons Scully has curtailed his travel and broadcast road games against only NL West teams. He cutback even further two years ago electing to broadcast games only in California. Unfortunately, he underwent a medical procedure late last season that forced him to miss the Dodgers final series at Dodger Stadium but insists that he is once again healthy and looking forward to the 2016 season opener in San Diego and the Dodgers home opener on April 12 against the Arizona Diamondbacks.
In addition to the season opener, Scully will broadcast the Dodgers March 25 spring training game against the Giants from Camelback Ranch and all three Freeway Series exhibition games against the Angels on March 31, April 1-2, with the first two games at Dodger Stadium and the third at Angels Stadium.
The bad news, of course, is that the on-going dispute between Time Warner Cable (SportsNet LA) and DirecTV is still… well… on-going, which means that roughly 60 percent of viewers within the Dodgers market area will not be able to watch the legendary broadcaster in his final season at the microphone. They will, however, be able to listen to Scully broadcast the first three innings of every game that he calls (home and away) on AM 570 LA Sports (aka: KLAC). While this is of little consolation for Dodgers and Vin Scully fans, it’s better than nothing.
With Opening Day only 37 days away, anxious Dodger fans are eagerly waiting to hear those coveted words as only the great Vin Scully can say them:
“It’s Time for Dodger Baseball!”
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It certainly will be a very, very long time before the Dodgers will really replace Scully behind the mike.
Do you honestly believe that anyone will ever replace Vin Scully, Joe?
First of all, there will never again be a solo broadcaster on television – not ever.
Secondly, no one will ever again put in 67 years with one team – not ever.
They certainly don’t have anyone on the horizon. They keep hiring ex-jocks with no broadcast experience. Is Kevin Kennedy really out on Dodger Talk and the Pregame show? I’d take him over Steiner anytime.
Unfortunately yes, Kevin is out. He will do some radio broadcasts with Rick, but at this time, that’s it.
If you are so inclined, you can voice your complaint to Lon Rosen at: LonR@ladodgers.com
A modest proposal: Since there seems to be nothing (?) the Dodgers can do to let fans watch Vin’s last year on TV, why not at least give us 9 innings of Vin on radio. Let Steiner or whoever they plan to use on TV next year do those games now. People watching on TV can get their radios and make the game, as Chick Hearn would say, “a simulcast.”
What about those of us who don’t live in the LA area? I get the games via mlb.com. I can get TV or radio, not both at the same time.
Prior to getting that last June I’d hadn’t heard Vinny (other than a few clips) in several years. Yes, I would subscribe to the games anyway, but my hurry to get it last year was to hear Vinny while there was still time. Your idea, while not really a bad one, would take it away from others like me.
So, what about an actual simulcast instead?