Pull Up a Chair and Read a Letter, Wherever You Are

Much has been said about the contribution Vin Scully has made to Dodger baseball and to sports announcing in general. But I never have read about the main reason I listen to him with such pleasure. I listen because he is talking to me.

In contrast, when there are two or three announcers, I feel like I am merely overhearing what they are saying to each other. Most of their time is spent in one-upmanship or trying to impress each other with their knowledge and opinions of how the team should be managed. In the meantime, the game becomes of secondary importance. Another indulgence is their laughter over some private joke.

But Vin Scully continues to share the excitement and joy of the ballgame with me. He tells me interesting facts and sidelines . . . not his opinion. And when the game is over, I feel like I have been there. And that ain’t half bad.

MARIAN PENNINGTON, Pico Rivera