For those who missed Tuesday afternoon’s Presidential Medal of Freedom awards ceremony televised and streamed live from the White House, you missed a good one; not because the list of recipients read like the starting lineup to an All-Star game, but because one of those recipients was our very own Hall of Fame broadcaster Vin Scully. Fortunately, and because of the accomplishments of one of the other recipients – Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates – you can watch a video of the entire ceremony here:

Scully was referred to as “The soundtrack of summer” as he received his well-deserved Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Obama on Tuesday. (Click on image to view entire ceremony)

But if you don’t have an hour and nine minutes to spare, you can cut to the chase to President Obama’s recognition of Scully at the 27:27 mark … or you can read it right here:

“The game of baseball has a handful of signature sounds. You hear the crack of the bat. You’ve got the crowd singing in the seventh-inning stretch. And you’ve got the voice of Vin Scully.

Most fans listen to a game’s broadcast when they can’t be at the ballpark. Generations of Dodger fans have brought their radios into the stands, because you didn’t want to miss one of Vin’s stories. Most play-by-play announcers partner with an analyst in the booth to chat about the action. Vin worked alone and talked just with us.

Since Jackie Robinson started at second base, Vin taught us the game and introduced us to its players. He narrated the improbable years, the impossible heroics, turned contests into conversations.

When he heard about this honor, Vin asked with characteristic humility, ‘Are you sure? I’m just an old baseball announcer.’ And we had to inform him that to Americans of all ages you are an old friend.

In fact, I thought about him doing all these citations, which would have been cool, but I thought we shouldn’t make him sing for his supper like that.”

But wait, there’s more!

If you wish to watch the actual presentation of the Presidential Medal of Freedom to the greatest broadcaster of all time, you can do so at exactly the 1:00:10 mark … or you can read these accolades here:

“With a voice that transcended a sport and transformed a profession, Vin Scully narrated America’s pastime for generations of fans. Known to millions as the soundtrack of summer, he found time to teach us about life and love while chronicling routine plays and historic heroics.

In victory and in defeat, his colorful accounts reverberated through the bleachers, across the airwaves and into our homes and imaginations. He is an American treasure and a beloved storyteller. And our country’s gratitude for Vin Scully is as profound as his love for the game.”

Scully shares a brief but fun moment with President Obama.
(Video capture courtesy of C-SPAN)

Although the presentation to Scully was by far the most important to Dodger fans, the 88-year-old recently retired broadcaster was in great company among the other 18 Presidential Medal of Freedom recipients As such, watching the entire video – or watching it again – will be time well spent.