Greatness at 10pm

I love baseball. Since I was a kid, its a sport that I excelled at, and to me its MORE than a sport.

Its deeply ingrained in who I am.

Its hard to explain, but the nuances of the game, the strategy, the beauty of the event is MORE than its collection of physical plays.

Don't get me wrong, I enjoy basketball and football.

But, I love baseball.

Years ago, (when it first became avaliable) I ordered from our cable TV company, the Major League TV baseball package.....called "MLB Extra Innings."

Its is approximately 80 out of market games per week.

The MLB package for me, is a way to watch the 10pm games (EST) from the West Coast...(its 7pm PST)....

But, this helps me fall asleep, and its a replacement for WATCHING THE NEWS. The 10 pm news is a repeat of what I have already digested on the internet, during the day.

My news now, comes to me daily through news websites, and press aggregators......

So, the web has changed my "news gathering" behavior, and I've noticed how it has affected me.

I SLEEP a bit better, by not laying in bed and hearing a daily litany of negative news. I think (but I'm not positive) that the 10PM news MAY have, been contributing to a slight case of insomnia....

However, all of this had led me to a discovery.

2 words. Vin Scully.

Vin Scully is the broadcaster for the Los Angeles Dodgers.

At 10 pm, he is now - my nightly voice, instead of some man and woman reading cue cards telling me about, "the kidnapping, child abuse or murder" story of the day.

Vin Scully is great.

He started his career with the, Brooklyn Dodgers in 1950, and moved West, "with Dem Bumbs" in 1958.

Let's put that in perspective. Think of his career. 56 years of calling baseball for the Dodgers.

56 years X 162 games per year (not including his national games, and post season). This equals - a ton of games called by Mr. Scully.

Incredible.

Here are some of the quotes that he has uttered, ON THE FLY.

"Sometimes it seems like he's (Bobby Bonilla) playing underwater."

"Statistics are used much like a drunk uses a lamp post: for support, not illumination."

"The Dodgers are such a .500 team that if there was a way to split a three-game series, they'd find it." (1990)

"When he (Maury Wills) runs, its all downhill."

These classics and one liners come out nightly. I smile, laying in bed - watching TV.

VERY different than watching the 10pm news.

Listening to Vin Scully is magical. He is the GREATEST baseball announcer, ever.....in my opinion.

He sits alone, (with no color man) and talks TO YOU. He paints such a clear picture, and tells his viewers, and listeners, HIS VIEWPOINT, in such a way that he makes baseball, more enjoyable.

I was NEVER a LA Dodger fan.

But, you know what?

Because Vin Scully is so good, I'm slowly turning into a Dodger follower....

I'm on a plane, on my way to LA.
They (Dodgers) play the METS tonight, at Dodger stadium.

I'm buying a Dodger cap.

Thanks to Vin Scully.

A final Vin classic that stuck with me, and you can appreciate if you take it out of a baseball context.

"Its a mere moment in a man's life between the All-Star Game, and an old timer's game.". (1980)

Andy
30,000 ft over the Heartland, journeying to LAX.
Sent from my BlackBerry wireless handheld.