The funeral for Vin Scully, the longtime voice of the Los Angeles Dodgers, brought out memories of his deep faith.
The broadcaster, known to millions of baseball fans, died in early August at the age of 92 and his funeral was held last week.
Among the details to re-emerge was the fact Scully, who spent 67 years on the air, often was outspoken about his beliefs, openly praising the Lord and describing the impact faith had on his life. Catholic media outlet Angelus once covered the famed broadcaster’s Catholicism, noting in a 2016 piece how he had quipped about the famous quote, “If you want to make God smile, tell him your plans.”
“That quote has been so much a part of me, I don’t know when it began,” Scully once said. “Maybe as a child, I heard a priest say it, and it just stuck. It makes good sense. You know, we try to write our own script, and it’s a mistake. There’s a script already written for us. Faith is the one thing that makes it work, makes me keep going. You appreciate what you’ve been given. You know, this isn’t the only stop on the train. There’s one big one we’re still waiting for. I used my faith to guide me straight and narrow and strong, for sure.”
Scully’s first wife, Joan, died in 1972, leaving him with three children. His son, Michael, later killed was in a helicopter accident at age 33 in 1994. He also lost his second wife, Sandi, to ALS in 2021. But through it all, Scully trusted in his faith.
“God has been incredibly kind to allow me to be in the position to watch and to broadcast all these somewhat monumental events,” he said in 2016. “I’m really filled with thanksgiving and the fact that I’ve been given such a chance to view. But none of those are my achievements; I just happened to be there. I know some people won’t understand it, but I think it has been God’s generosity to put me in these places and let me enjoy it.”
The most significant part of Scully’s storied life is how he wanted to be remembered, not as a famous broadcaster, but as a simple man who was good, kind and “lived up to his own beliefs,” as “The Los Angeles Daily News” reported.
“He was the best there ever was,” Dodger pitcher Clayton Kershaw said. “Just such a special man. I’m grateful and thankful I got to know him as well as I did.”
–Alan Goforth | Metro Voice