Porter Honored for 25 Years With Dodgers

Ross Porter got his moment in the sun, being honored at home plate before Sunday’s game for his 25 years as a Dodger broadcaster.

Porter’s wife, Lin, his two sets of twins, their spouses, his five grandchildren and brother Peter were present for the 15-minute ceremony. A video of Porter’s career was shown, followed by the reading of a letter of congratulations from Commissioner Bud Selig and a city official declaring it “Ross Porter Day.”

Before the ceremony, Porter, 62, reflected on his years with the Dodgers and love for baseball, which began as a youngster in Shawnee, Okla.

At 14, he announced his first game, one involving the Shawnee Hawks, the Class-D Dodger affiliate.

Before coming to the Dodgers, Porter worked for Channel 4. With five games left in the 1976 season, Fred Claire, then the Dodger vice president of publicity, asked Porter to recommend someone to join Vin Scully and Jerry Doggett on the broadcast team--Scully’s work with CBS prompting the need for a third announcer.

Porter said it took him about a second to respond. “I said, ‘Yeah, me.’ ”

Two days later, he went to a Dodger game to make an audition tape. Porter was hired the day after the season ended. The bigger news was that Walter Alston, after 23 years as Dodger manager, was being replaced by third base coach Tom Lasorda. “We had a little press gathering to announce that I was being hired and I remember Walter O’Malley saying, ‘Walt Alston was with us 23 years. Ross, you’re going to be with us even longer.’ ”

Porter learned later the decision to hire him was Scully’s. His tape, along with a few others, were sent to Scully, who gave the nod to Porter.

Said Scully on Sunday: “I thought Ross’ style would fit in nicely with mine and Jerry’s. And that certainly was the case.”