I Don't Know About That - Vin Scully (The Final Episode)

Episode Date: September 23, 2024

No better way to end the series (for now) by learning all about Vin Scully. Mike Parker was born in LA in 1958, grew up in Hacienda Heights, discovered baseball, and Vin Scully, after listening to him call a Dodgers game at age 7. As a child Mike decided he wanted to be a sports radio broadcaster and he followed that dream. After graduated from the University of Oregon in 1982, all the way to the present Mike Parker has worked as a sportscaster. The past 26 years he has been the play-by-play radio announcer for Oregon State Beaver football, basketball, and baseball teams. He is the six time Oregon Sportscaster of the Year. He has been called the Vin Scully of Oregon State. www.mikeparkermedia.com ADS: BETTERHELP: Visit http://www.BetterHelp.com/IDK today to get 10% off your first month.

This show is sponsored by BetterHelp. Kids, they're always learning and growing, but as adults, sometimes we lose that curiosity. What's something you'd like to learn? Whether it be gardening, a new language, or you'd like to beat your bowling score, or I don't know. Therapy can help you reconnect with your sense of wonder because your back-to-school era can come at any age. Rediscover your curiosity with BetterHelp. Visit BetterHelp.com slash idk today to get 10% off your first month. That's betterhelp.hclp.com slash idk. What best describes my libido? Blood twist. You're my optimist. I said blood twist.

I thought you said optimist. Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to For the Forseeable Future, the final I don't know about that podcast. Look, we're getting a bit emotional here. Jack bought a cake that we'll all blow out later on. It's over there. Yeah. Yeah, we'll do that off footage.

Nice of you to put that effort in, Jack. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Jack just looked at me and I said, how are you feeling? He goes, another day in it.

Horrible person. Another day. Another day. Another person. Another day, another dollar. Jack Socky patient is one of the few jobs that without saying actually makes sense. Another day in paradise. Another day, another four dollars. Whoa, another day at Bo Ground. So ladies and gentlemen, let's plug our gigs for the last time.

Oh yeah, you're gonna, you are, September 24th is coming up, right? Yep. So you have just completed your first run with Jimmy Carr and the Mark Norman Dance Soder kick. This is the whole thing, this is why the podcast had to stop. I'm away for two months, Forrest was away for a month after that. We just, uh... Give them what they want tours back on Detroit, Milwaukee, Kalamazoo, Minneapolis, Minnesota.

You got all those coming up coming up this week and then in two weeks. You're in Calgary, Kelowna, Vancouver again, and Victoria with Jimmy Carr on the Charm Offensive Tour. Then you're in Tucson, Phoenix, back in South Africa. Dan Soder, the MacNorman one. Have you done those really you just did them all right amazing those went great I was there

yeah good yeah member member you guys solved the world peace it was like Bill and Ted's excellent adventure the whole world yeah but the three of you guys did a joke together we did a joke together and then like, rawr, vortex open. And we all stepped through it. December 14th. Dan tripped in the hole. December, December. So embarrassing. So do.

December 14th, of course, Los Angeles. It's a big show for you here at the United Theater on Broadway, formerly the Ace. Yeah, come out to that. That's all right. We always have fun at that one. It's the best mood I'm in all year. All me friends and family backstage.

Sleep in your own bed. Sleep in my own bed. In and out burgers. I always have in and out burgers backstage for people. Everyone's happy to see them. They all judge me to begin with like, oh, I'll get one later and then they always do. Yeah.

So go to JimJeffreys.com for that. And then I am actually in SideSplitters next week. How about that? SideSplitters! SideSplitters in Tampa, Florida. I'm at the Wesley Chapel location. We love SideSplitters. I know that was one of your favorite.

Bobby Joe! He doesn't own it anymore. Yeah, but I still gotta give a shout out to Bobby Joe. BT though, you remember BT. He used to run the club. He owns it now, so yeah. It's a great club. It's one of the better clubs in the country.

So come out to SideSplitters in Tampa. And then I'm at the Comedy Inn in Miami, and then I am somewhere else, but it's on forrestshaw.net. Moving forward, I'm gonna figure out another podcast to do when I come back from all these tours and TV and all that type of stuff. And me and Forrest have another little thing

in the works maybe as well that we're talking about. So these things are coming for all your Forrest have another little thing in the works maybe as well that we're talking about. So, so these things are coming for all your Forrest Schor and Jim Jefferies and Jack Hackett needs. There'll be something in the shop. Something's coming. Something that you can walk in and pick up. I actually have something going on right now, Shepard. I have a, if you're in the, if you're in the Miami Hurricanes College Football. All right. Okay, who is it? I do a podcast with Michael Yeoh right now. And I should find the name.

And when you're doing it with him, is it just hard getting lost in his eyes? We know that you love Michael Yeoh. Or you ever like clean your fists off on his abs? Oh, I got dirt on my hands. Your fondness with Michael Yeoh. I remember that podcast that we did where you just... I love Michael Yeoh. I mean he's a great guy.

He's a great guy. Great guy. So handsome. Yeah. So handsome. Great cock. Jesus Christ. He knows. I'm doing a podcast. I'm speaking in code. We just... I'm trying to find the fucking link to it. I think I'm understanding the massive cock on Michael. Yo, love it

It's called comics. I can on canes and I was trying to find like where we're the platform is gonna be on all the platforms It's already out right now. So and we have actually it's a football podcast about Miami Hurricanes football But we have like like Roy Wood Jr. did an episode. We have people that that talk come on and talk. Can I do the theme song for you? Sure. Here comes the story of the Hurricanes. That would be that I'll change the words.

Pretty good. That's the story of the Hurricanes. Guess who our sponsor is. Oh, Hurricane Beverages. No, you like this. Tornado ice cream. Canes. Canes chicken. Yeah. this. Tornado ice cream. Canes. Canes chicken? Yeah. Whoa.

They sponsor shit? Yeah. Canes, where you been? Yeah, like we've been here the whole time. I'm gonna stop off at Canes on the way home. I'll stop meet you there. I'll meet you there as well. Sounds good.

Anyways, that's it. Comics on Canes podcast, Yeo, check it out. And, you know, IDCAT podcast, follow that. Yeah, give it a follow. Follow me, follow Jack, follow Jim. Shout out to all the people who have listened to the podcast from the end. We've done over 200 episodes.

Look, don't think it goes unnoticed that you kept on tuning in. And to the friends and family of mine who have always reached out and gone, I just heard your episode about blah, blah, blah. My mother-in-law who always gives me the dinner party facts she heard on my podcast. I appreciate it, Becca,

but I know where you got that from. I'm gonna miss those dinner party facts. This podcast has allowed me to talk at parties without being nervous because I've had things to say. Now I just have to go back to drinking. I don't know. Oh, no. You're going then. Yeah, I know this podcast was this was as I can't believe how many episodes we've

done because this is not an easy podcast. It's episode 207. Yeah. Plus ones that we did that we never aired. Plus ones we don't count in that. You guys want to give us a lot of money. Maybe we'll think of now one just like an earthquake We don't know those are we didn't know what you're doing. I have one. Oh, yeah, we did with Whitney Cummings Anyways, there's no loss, but but um, I love doing this podcast. It was really fun I was great going on the road

and meeting people that really enjoyed this podcast and liked it and we'll'll be back with something, and who knows, there might be other things to talk about. But at this moment in time, I can't think of another topic. I think we've covered them all. So I assume today's gonna be shit because we're out of things to say, but let's find out. Yeah, it's gonna be, you're gonna hate it. Nah, Forrest is before the podcast already told me that this is gonna be one of my favorite topics ever, so.

Yeah. We'll find out out please welcome our guest Mike Parker good day Mike Parker now it's time to play yes no yes no yes no yes no Georgie good luck by its cover all right all right well you're wearing a Travis Bazzana top are we gonna be talking about Travis Bazzana top. Are we going to be talking about Travis Bazzana? Now, I strangely know a lot about Travis Bazzana, only because I've Googled him, but, and for other reasons that I'll discuss. Are we talking about Travis Bazzana?

Well, at some point, I hope to, but that's not the primary reason that I've been asked to be on, but I do hope we get to talk about a guy from your hometown. Are you a big Oregon State fan or you just a Travis fan? Both and I also work for Oregon State. Oh okay, well that'll make it. Well okay so for the people who are listening at home and they don't know we'll talk a little bit later but Travis Pizana is a player for Oregon State who is now gonna be in the draft.

He is tipped to go first. From Major League Baseball, he's gonna be in the Major League Baseball draft. Major League Baseball, he's tipped to go first. He's a hitter, not a pitcher, and he is from Sydney, Australia. Nice. And not just from Sydney, Australia,

he went to Taramara High School, and I went Sunnives High School and they were the two high schools next to us. My father's a member at Taramara Bowling Club. This is a local boy that grew up in the same area that I grew up in Australia and I have wrote to him. Yeah you have? I did. I did when I found it. He went to... because at first I... you told me there's an Australian in the draft right? Yeah. first I, you told me there's an Australian in the draft. Right? So then I went, oh, there's an Australian in the draft. And then I went, all right, I got to check this out. And then I was like, fuck me, Tarahumara High.

I found out from Mike, our guest, that there was an Australian in the draft. This is like a local public school. This isn't a rich kid or anything like that. Cause often with baseball, you get a lot of rich kids cause they did private coaches and stuff like that. And also the amazing thing is there's no batting cages in Australia It's hard to buy the equipment for fuck's sake playing cricket. Yeah, like like like how did who taught him? Where did he get the reps in who how who did he play against like it's very awesome. I mean, well, we'll get to that

We haven't even figured out why Mike's here. Yeah, sure but But yeah, so I wrote to Travis and I said, hey Travis, I went to Sonata of the Sonata and the first thing Travis wrote back to me was like, I went to Taramara High! That's your friend. He's a very competitive.

And then he told me his dad's a fan, which always makes you feel old. My dad used to like watching you on the old Victrolaz. Yeah, my dad used to watch you in Seapia. But yeah, Travis Buzana, yeah, and he'll either go to Cleveland or Cincinnati, depending on when he's picked. But either way, he's in Ohio.

Exciting for an Australian to be picked first. You're starting near the top, right? Very exciting, but he still will end up in Ohio. Which, I've got some good teams, though. Cleveland and Cincinnati, if you're the number one picks, sometimes you're on a shitty team, but they're both actually. He's a second baseman. If he starts turning doubles with Ella Delacruz, you know,

you'll know all about it, right? Yeah. So it's like it's pretty cool. So we're here to talk about we're here to talk about baseball, Mike. Yes, yes. Baseball specifically, one aspect of the great game of baseball, one person, actually. But baseball primarily through through one person over the years. Babe Ruth. No, but this guy met Babe Ruth. That kid in the hospital.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. I think Babe healed him. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Make a wish thing. Um... He met Babe Ruth, so he has to be... He also met... Oh, that's too good of a clue.

So is this person still alive? No, sadly. He also this person still alive Does he know extraordinary? Oh, he also met? Yasiel Puig I've been scully. Oh, yes, I've given that thing The wild horse made it too easy What a great final podcast Vince scully we're talking about Vince scully I love Vince scully with all my heart Mike Parker was born born in Los Angeles. I'd give away any of my relatives to have him as a relative.

He's not alive. But in the day. Okay, Mike Parker was born in Los Angeles in 1958. He grew up in Hacienda Heights and discovered baseball and Vince Scully after listening to him call Dodgers game at age seven. Do it in the Vince Scully voice. As a child, Mike decided he wanted to be a sports guy.

As a child, Mike wanted to be a sportscaster. Ooh, that's pretty good. You want me to do it? I thought you meant Mike. No, I don't want you to do it. Decided he wanted to be a sports radio broadcaster and he followed that dream after graduating from the University of Oregon in 1982. And wouldn't you just know it? All the way to the present. Very good.

Mike Parker has worked as a sportscaster the last past 26 years. He's been the play by play radio announcer for Oregon State, Beaver, football, basketball and baseball teams. He is the sixth time Oregon sportscaster of the year. And he has been called the Vince Scully of Oregon State. I read this in some articles. And we have a call here of Mike's. We'll play a call of actual Mike's. He didn't know we're gonna this, but I have a call of, this is when Oregon State won the national championship in 2018. Okay, right away. Here we go. The Beavers a strike away and out away from the national championship. Kevin Abel trying to finish it here. The three two pitch on the way, fastball!

Taken, strike three, call! And for the third time in the modern era, it is my joy and honor to say, the Beavers are the national champions! And the only dog pile of the year taking place behind the mound, the Beavers 5 Arkansas nothing. The third national championship in the Pat Pesci era. And it's a complete game, two hit shutout for the freshman Kevin Abel, who wins four games. There you go. You got my dream job, Mike.

That's Mike Parker right there. I would love to be a baseball commentator. It lends itself to commentary. It's a measured game with moments of bursts of, big moments and pauses of nothing. You know, I wouldn't be a great commentator. You can just hear it, right? Cricket does the same thing,

but cricket, they always have about four or five people. Because the game of cricket is so long, they do it in shifts. Oh yeah. So you have like three blokes, there will be ex-players right, three blokes and they'll do two hours and then like someone else will take over two hours. Someone else will take over two hours and they pair them up in different pairings some of them get a bit feisty with each other

and stuff like that but we had a commentator in Australia called Richie Benno who was our... been scully. Who was just an old bloke who went, Australia is two for 46 in the seventh inning. Mike Bradley is out there now at bat. You know, that type of thing. Mike Parker, two things. Does it bother you to hear your own calls? Do you enjoy hearing that? And also tell us a little bit more about,

because that kind of shrunk down your whole life, but how you got into being a broadcaster. It was a little unnerving. I wasn't expecting to hear my own stuff on this podcast. So anytime I hear myself, I sort of, what mistake am I about to make? You know, what am I going to do wrong here as I listen back to those moments?

But that was a spectacular moment for Oregon State baseball. And I was honored to get to call that and loved calling that moment. But as Jim said, there's a bunch of pauses of nothing within the game of baseball fewer now. And it makes me wonder now to Jim, I know you listened to then in the later years, I grew up with Ben Scully from 1966 to 1972 at a very young age, age of seven, didn't miss a Dodger game from age seven until we moved to Oregon when I was 14.

And I listened to Vinnie all the time and absolutely loved him. And he inspired me to wanna seek out the profession of sportscasting. But I wonder now in the age we're living in with everything on television, for one thing I was a radio kind of phenomenon only. But with the pace in the age we're living in with everything on television, for one thing, I was a radio kind of phenomenon only. But with the pace of the game, the pace of the game, there's fewer of those pauses that

you refer to and the pitchers get the ball back and they're winding up and they're throwing again, they're getting the ball back and they're winding up and they're throwing again. And then Scully was the absolute master storyteller filling in all those pauses of which there are fewer now. He was the best master storyteller filling in all those pauses of which there are fewer now. He was the best storyteller ever. And I'm not sure now that the pace of the game and everything they're trying to emphasize in the modern major league game

would be conducive to that kind of style. If you know, because Vin was the best at filling in those pauses and telling us about the history and the lore of the game and the characters that he knew and had met through the game, there's less time for that now. Did he get fed these stories or are they just – because I used to see a guy like this and he'd go, here we go, Ichiro Suruko, like this, right? And he's Suzuki with Suzuki.

Yeah, yeah, Ichiro Suzuki. Ichiro Suzuki. Yes. He was playing in Japan as a kid and he said to his mom, you know what mom? I don't know if this is what I want to do for the rest of my life. And she said to him, what else can you do Ichiro? And then he said, well gosh darn it, I better keep playing baseball. You're right about the gosh darn it part too.

He would never be any stronger than that. When he was doing games, there was a show on Fox Sports called the best damn sports show period. And Vinny refused to read that promo. And he got away with not promoting that show because of the word damn within the best, you know, the best damn sports show period. So that was part of, you're right. He would say the best spot, you know, the best damn sports show period. So that was part of you're right.

You would say the gosh darn. I guess I'll have to keep playing this gosh darn game of baseball. Which is just a children's game after all. I don't know if they fed them to him or not, Jim. In the later years, I've read that there was a compiler of sorts who would who would kind of go through a material and then present a big packet of things that Vin could go through.

And Vin was always diligent in his preparation, but he did have some help in finding some of those stories and then weaving them in the personal anecdotes like you just said about Ichiro. His broadcasts were filled with those sorts of things, but I'm not sure that he in the later years was always finding those out on his own. Well, I used to listen to him so much. I still listen to him to this day to fall asleep.

I'll put on an old Vince Gully game and I find his voice soothing and it's okay. So I've listened to like the 88 World Series game. Don't want to listen to that one asleep because nothing happens in that game until Kurt Gibson hits that home run. And then you're waking up. Yeah. And the season that's improbably impossible. Right. But I met Vin once. Well, somewhat met Vin. Right. So, so I went to see when my son Hank was one year old. The same day I caught a foul ball pop fly

that was pitched by Clayton Kershaw. It's the only ball I've ever caught, right? But I was there and I had my son strapped to my chest in a baby-bjorn. I was walking along like Zach Galifianakis, you know what I mean? And I'm walking along and then he was in the window over at Giant Stadium, whatever that's called these days.

I think it is called Giant Stadium. Oracle Park. Oracle Park. Oracle Park, that's the one. So I was walking around to our seats and his booth, so he's maybe eight foot ahead above us in a little thing. And I looked and I got my son's arm and I said, there's Vince Scully up there like this. And he leant all the way out from the booth.

He went, hey there little fella, I hope you enjoy the ball game. Like that, oh God. He reached out and gave a little, he loves kids. He always liked kids. Whenever they cut to kids in the crowd, he's like, look at that baby there up against mother's skin. Sleep little boy, sleep little boy.

The game will be here for you tomorrow. But you've had, you're old. So he touched Hank? You're old, no he reached out and waved at him. And he was like, Kate's got a photo of it. Oh yeah? He was leaning right out of the booth. Waving, waving.

You asked Kate about it. She was like. Man, between that story and the Tommy Lasorda story with Hank. Tommy Lasorda told Hank off. He looked Hank in the eye and goes, you hang out with good people, you'll be a good person. You hang out with bums, you'll be a bum.

He said he remembered that. You understand? And Hank's like, he turned and looked at me, he goes, keep looking me in the eye. Ha ha ha ha. All right, Mike. Well, this is what we're gonna do. I'm sure this will just become a conversation of sorts

because Jim's into Vince Gully so much, but I'm gonna ask Jim a series of questions about Vince Gully, and at the end of him answering them, you're gonna grade him on his accuracy, zero through 10, 10's the best. Jack's gonna grade him on his confidence, I'm gonna grade him on how angry I am. And if you score 21 through 30,

these are quotes of Vince Gulley's, losing feels worse than winning feels good. Losing feels worse than winning feels good. That is an exact, that's an exact, loss is heavier than gain. Yeah. Right? So a baby's born, that's nice. Your baby dies, that's horrible. Your baby dies, that's horrible.

That's the worst. Next great example? Yeah, but you know what I mean? Good example though. You find 10 bucks, awesome. You lose 10 bucks, you're doing this for fucking hours. If you score 11 through 20, it's easier to pick off a fast runner than to pick off a lazy runner.

It's easier to pick off a lazy runner. Gotta think about that one. Yeah, that's true to pick off a lazy runner. Think about that one, it makes sense. Yeah, that's true though, yeah, yeah, yeah. And then zero through 10, worst course statistics are used much like a drunk uses a lamppost, for support, not illumination. There you go. He's very good.

Vin Scully quotes. I would argue that Vin Scully, I don't know if there's anyone on earth who had a job for longer Well, those are some of the questions What year did Vince Gulley began his broadcasting career with the Brooklyn Dodgers before the invention of television? so he was he was the he was the commentator for the the Dodger the Brooklyn Dodgers while they were obviously still in Brooklyn and I Brooklyn and uh... I believe...

uh... uh... nineteen... forty-nine. Okay, how old was Vince Gully when he started calling games for the Dodgers? How old was he? Probably twenty. Twenty, okay. Vince Gully's broadcasting for... Yeah, I think he did it for seventy-something years, like the actual Probably 20. 20, okay. Vince Gulley's broadcasting career. Yeah, I think he did it for 70 something years.

Like the actual job, so I'm gonna say 19. Okay, so how many years did he work as the Dodgers announcer? I'm not gonna ask that first part of the question. I think he had the job for 70 years. 70, okay. Vince Gulley was the youngest to ever do what? Uh, have sex with Marilyn Monroe. Okay, Vince Gulley was the youngest to ever do what? Have sex with Marilyn Monroe.

Call the World Series. Okay. Call the World Series. This one I think you'll know, you already said it, Gulley is known for a memorable call of a famous home run in 1988. Kurt Gibson. Okay, what other famous calls did he make?

Like very significant calls in sports. Oh, there it is. There it is. Granky's not getting along with Puig again. Turns out Puig's an immature sort of a fellow. By the way, his quotes on Puig are hilarious. Oh yeah, the wild horse. There he goes.

The guy from the Cuban sensation, they're very funny stuff that he said. But now there's, he has very famous calls, like monumental. What, not baseball? he's got one in baseball for sure that is like very monumental and then one in football that I'd say is very famous to but oh did he call did he I believe he called and it wasn't I believe he called Hank Aaron breaking Babe Ruth's home run record Were they playing the Dodgers or something?

I always just remember that call and the fans ran out and that type of stuff Maybe Vin was calling that okay, and in football. He made me did one Maybe definitely dead one in football. I don't know anything with football Say something big that could happen for you. He wouldn't know this. I remember I would know I like that football call when John Lennon on Monday Night Football. We have to tell you that Howard Cosell, my Howard Cosell and my Vince Cully and my John Lovitz are all in the same ballpark. No your Scully is good.

Your Scully is actually one of the better ones that I've heard. The Cosell I'm not quite so sure, but your Vinny is very good. You clearly listen to him a lot. How many World Series did Vin Scully call during his career? Well, I think and then he called two or three for the Dodgers since I've known him. two or three for the Dodgers since I've known them. 15. Okay, and what year was this final broadcast for the Dodgers?

You were around for this, you should know. I remember that, keep a thing in your heart, give a thing a good night. I have that queued up, the play is like. Yeah, the play is a thing, that's not my cup. But was that the year they went to Sydney? I have that kid up that plays the highest. Was that the year they went to Sydney? They went to Sydney to start the two games? I remember he just sweet-talked all of the Australian public like this.

People were like, so Vin, how much are you enjoying being here in Sydney? And the old fella was in his late 80s, early 90s, or something like this. And he'd been flown down there just to do two games and come back. They had him on a little boat ride around the harbour, and that was it. And he goes, well, Australia is like a fine wine.

Even if you can just sip it for a moment, it's still pleasurable. That's good. Very good. Okay. You don't need a lot of it to know that it's good. Here's a question. Here's a question that might have a-

Wait, what was the year he picked? Oh, um. Classic. He didn't do the COVID years. He was already gone before COVID, 1919. And it was, I remember going, COVID, we won the World Series in 2020. And I thought, oh, that would have been nice

if Vin was there to do it. I'm going to say 2018. 2018. What, what did Vince Scully say at the beginning of each game? Now this might... It's time for Dodger Baseball! Yeah, he definitely said that.

Okay. That might be his mother version. Before his career with the Dodgers... If you say anything about how I treat you, I'll kill you, you hear me? He's doing stuff. He was very violent. Always had a knife with him. A knife.

Little known fact. Before his career with the Dodgers. Wayne you're a jetty a day. Before his career with the Dodgers, what sport casting job did Vince Gully hold? I know he grew up a Giants fan, but that was when they were also over on the East Coast. But was it another sport? I don't know. Was it was it was in the commentary? I'll just say that he was a radio producer. He sold ads or something like that.

You know, you know, mail room or the radio station or something. Most memorable call you said we said a couple already. There's one more. I forgot, too. That's a huge one. Baseball one. But whatever. You already answered that. What was unique about Vin Scully's broadcasting style that set him apart from many others? Well, he told story after story. He knew everything about every single player. And you know what?

He did it all by himself. Everybody else has always got someone, a color person to bounce off or something like that. Vin just sat in the booth by himself, I assumed they were handing him bits of paper and off he went Yeah, you just he just and and and this is back when games Were typically three hours 15 minutes now. They're like two hours for when we went to the other day was an hour 58 Yeah, it's too far. Is it everyone else is right into it? But when you go to the game Yeah, I haven't got a fucking chance to buy fucking fucking hamburger. What has sped it up so much? They've got a pitch clock on it. That's what Mike was talking about earlier.

They've got pitch clocks on it and all that type of stuff, so they have to pitch within a certain time. And the batter has to be in the box too, otherwise... Which I kind of like in the early rounds, but I don't like my clothes are moving that quick. I like to see the sweat on everyone's brows. They're thinking and they're contemplating. I do like that in the playoffs, especially when there's like that kind of, you know. Yeah, when you see a pitcher who's losing his own and everything, he just sort of stands there

and you can see panic, oh, I don't like all that. But also it's like, it keeps them more honest at first. I don't know, but everybody, look, I'm also a big fan of no designated hitter. I like the pitcher hitting. I believe it's a different managerial game when you take people in. Well, you would, you'd just have him DHing this year.

You have him pitching in the games where he's- They can't pitch right now. Oh, okay, so well, yeah, so in the other ones, you would play outfield. Your first round pick. You could play out for. What was the new rule that every pitcher has a designated hitter? Is that the new rule?

I know they were doing something a year ago. Yeah, it was just the American League and the National League have now the same rules and they used to be different. And now they're both designated hitters? Yes, both designated. This show is sponsored by BetterHelp. I am a big fan of BetterHelp and a big fan of therapy in general. If you haven't given therapy a go, what's stopping you?

How can it hurt? It can't make things worse. Kids are always learning and growing, but as adults sometimes we lose that curiosity. What's something that you want to learn? Maybe it be gardening, a new language, I don't know. Therapy can help you reconnect with your sense of wonder because your back to school era can come at any age. I've benefited from therapy.

I recommend therapy to others. I've had trauma in my life and therapy has helped, but it also just helps when you, problem halved, problem shared is a problem halved, right? If you're thinking of starting therapy, give Better Help a Try. It's entirely online, designed to be convenient, flexible and suited to your schedule.

Just fill out a brief questionnaire and get matched up with a licensed therapist and switch therapists at any time for no additional fee. Rediscover your curiosity with BetterHelp. Visit betterhelp.com slash IDK today to get 10% off your first month. That's betterhelpatlp.com slash IDK. Which player's perfect game did Vince Colley call in 1965? In 19, well I know he called Clayton Kershaw's no hitter in about let's say 2013 but in 1965 that

would have been Sandy Koufax. Name the significant award he received in 2016. Yeah we don't need your mic, sorry. It would have been the Mark Twain award. No. What humorous advice did Vince Gulley give about baseball that also applies to life in general? This could be anything. He'd just throw out a quote or something like that.

This is a good one that Mike has here. If you're holding a bat, you're in with a chance. That's probably a good one. Which ballpark. Which is true, right? In any situation, if you've got yourself a baseball bat, you've got a shot of getting out of there. Which ballpark did Vince Gulley describe

as his favorite to broadcast from? It's, well, it's gonna be a trick. It's not gonna be Dodger Stadium So let's go back to Ebbets Field Okay, what about that one actually is not a significant? Was an award he won but okay, we'll go to something. What game show did he host and when what and when did it take place? Welcome to another episode of Gosh Darn It. Gosh Darn It.

Do you know what years Gosh Darn It ran from? Gosh Darn It ran from 1971 to 1973. All the contestants were smoking. Okay. Pretty good. It is rumored that the umpires did this before every game. When Vince Gull this before every game when Vince Gulley was calling. When Vince Gulley was calling? Yeah.

I reckon they probably made sure their shirts were tucked in or something like that. You don't want to look silly in front of them. Yeah, okay. Mike, how did Jim doing his knowledge of Vince Gulley's 0 through 10, 10's the best? I was very impressed, particularly with the impersonations, but the knowledge was at a very high level. I'll give him an eight. All right. Yeah, really good.

I do know about that. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, there are a couple of misses here and there, but very close like the game show. It wasn't 71 through 73. It was like 1969 to 71 or two. But that's in the ballpark it wasn't the gosh darn it show it was called it takes two and hi everybody and welcome to it takes two I mean it was I was a young kid because I loved everything Scully

did I would make it a point to watch Vince Scully hosting this game show called it takes two it did get canceled after a couple of seasons, but it was right there, 69 to 71. So he was very close. He was very close on that. And then he would sing at the end, it takes two baby. It takes two.

Just me and you. I know it takes two. What happened on this game show, It Takes Two? Well, it was. It'd be like the newlyweds a bit, yeah. So yeah, it was kind of, but a celebrity couples and a little bit kind of like what they knew about each other kind of had that newlywed game feel,

if I remember. I haven't seen an episode of it. I think there are some on YouTube. Oh, yeah. I haven't checked them out for a long, long time, but it was celebrity couples and Vin would take them through a series of questions. Yeah, it says numerical answersic whoever had the most points would win numerical answers to questions Which usually entail stunts and or demonstrations?

So three celebrity couples competed in this version for each question Yeah, I'll say this is that game show it was rebooted with Dick Clark in 1997 for one year and didn't go anywhere Gameshow hosting is a joyous occupation. It's a wonderful occupation, game show hosting. I went into sort of going, oh, I don't know about this. Oh, sorry. Don't know about this. And then you know what's good about game show hosting? A lot of the time, you're making people's dreams come true.

Like in my show, you get $100,000. That's life changing amount of money for a lot of people. It pays off the debts they need to pay off or gives them a deposit on a house or whatever they need it for, you know what I mean? And you can't take that for granted that someone's life is changing in that moment. So it's wonderful. A lot of celebrities on the show. Betty White was on it. Roddy, Roddy, Ed McMahon. Betty White back then was still a nice piece of ass. That was her and Sean on. I think that's what Betty said. Gosh, Dan, you got legs up to your armpits.

It takes two. All right, back to the scoring, Jack. How did you do on confidence? It takes two, and doesn't she have a lovely pair? He got an eight because he admitted he didn't know some of the answers. Wow, that is pretty confident. 16.5, I'll give of the answers. Oh, wow. That is pretty confident. 16.5. I'll give you a 10.

Losing feels worse than winning feels good. I don't want you to feel like a loser. No, no, no. What year did Vince Kelly begin his broadcast and hear of the Brooklyn Dodgers? Jim says 1950 or 1949. Sorry. He said 49, but 50 is correct. So I mean, again, that's that's right in the ballpark. Yeah. And then so this because when I was asking these questions, we'll get to him.

I was trying to think of the timeline here. How old was Vince calling when he started calling games for the Dodgers? Jim said 19 and he was 22 actually. But I think he started with 20, 21, then worked his way backwards. But he was 22 when he began with the Dodgers in 50. Wow. I used to like to sit under the speaker and listen with the Dodgers in 50. Wow. I used to like to sit under the speaker and listen to the roar of the crowd.

That's right. And I never got bored of it. Now you said the roar of the crowd, the crack of the bat, the roar of the crowd. Can you imagine being the best at something at 22? It'd be crazy. He used to be the best at something. I'm not sure he was necessarily known as the best at it at the age of 22,

but by 25, I think that's one of the questions. He was 25 years old when he called his first world series. And that's still the youngest that for any announcer ever to call a world series game. So that was in a sense saying, this guy's the best in the business and he's 25 years of age. Yeah. Well, I think a lot of people have modeled their tone off him, you know what I mean?

Like that's like the rhythm, the pattern of being a commentator. I liked how every year he used to tell the same story on the anniversary of the moon landing. Every year, you can probably find, I heard him tell his story. He goes, I tell this story once a year on this particular day And he goes I I had just finished watching the moon landing and we were at an away game

And I was staying in a hotel and then we got in the elevator and there was these two Businessmen and they were standing there and one of them said to the other one Did you watch the moon landing and he said well I did not for long, you can only watch so much of that. That was July 20th 1969, and the reason I know the Dodgers had to be out of town is I went to an Angel game that very day at Angel Stadium in Anaheim. And so that's where I was, you know, baseball game or stay home and watch the moon land and let's go to the ball games. We went to the ball game, but the game stopped for five minutes when they put up on the big board. We have landed on

the moon and Reggie Jackson and the Oakland A's players and the Angels players came out and all stood and applauded for a few minutes and then the game resumed. So I remember the moon landing, not for the elevators and all of that, but for Reggie Jackson hitting a home run that day and for the fact that I was at a baseball game and they stopped the game to acknowledge the moment. That's cool. So that's my moon landing story. July 20th, 1969. I don't tell that every year on July 20th. I'm glad you proved me correct because I said they're at a way game. If they were at a home game, they would have ruined it. No, he was in a hotel lift. There's only so much of that you can watch. Hahaha. It is a funny thing.

No one's ever seen anyone land on the moon and the guy's like you're gonna only watch it for so long. It is funny that you said Reggie Jackson came out and applauded too. That was before screens. That wasn't a TV screen. That was just written

like the TV. Yeah, and then they just clapped in the air like good job guys up in the moon. Yeah, yeah, yeah. And then they just clapped in the air like, good job guys up in the moon. Yeah, exactly. And they're right, there was no video of it. It just said, we have landed on the moon. And up on the scoreboard, we've landed on the moon. And that's it. Have you ever seen the movie The Dish?

And everybody came out and clapped. Go watch the movie The Dish. It's a very fun movie from Australia about when we landed on the moon. It's because the satellite, the feed was coming through Australia because it was the time difference and the access of the Earth. So it came through Australia in a sheep paddock on a satellite dish is how we saw the moon landing happen. But it's an interesting, it's a true story but it's a comedy. Now it would be on everybody's phone and people would be like fake Yeah, yeah

Lost they lost the shuttle for a bit They lost it for a bit because they had a blackout and it wasn't pointed towards a Kubrick was doing stuff with his cameras No, it's got the guys working in the sheep paddock in Australia They lost the shuttle and they were like fuck and all the NASA was like you still got contacted They're like like mm-hmm. Yeah, and there's like a million different coordinates that they could have put in there and in the end one of them went Just point the satellite at the moon Where could they be pointed at the moon It's like trying to find a radio station they go fuck it we found them again

like trying to find a radio station they go fuck it we found him again Vince Cully's broadcasting career span that oh how many years did he work as a Dodgers announcer Jim said 70 pretty close on that right close 67 ah bloody no hope okay so is there maybe a person who had a job for longer in this one 67 years even the musicians like McCartney how old is he? McCartney's 83. How long has Biden been in politics? He would have been famous in the Beatles not even famous in the Beatles but doing the job in the Beatles. Yeah because it's a different job. 19. Like as just the Dodgers announcer so that's a specific job. Just as one job I don't think there's a specific job. Just as one job.

I don't think there's anyone on earth who's done one job for longer than Vince. The Queen. What did the Queen. Not in sportscasting, not in sportscasting. That's the longest run by one announcer with one team in the history of sports. I'm sure in the sportscasting. In the future, because they start so young,

there'll be like some people who make iPads. It'll be like, I've been making iPads for eight years because they start as kids Bill's burgers they have you there the guy from Bill's burgers started the 40s when he came back I was his for he can't he came back from the war the local burger spot wait a minute now Bill's wins Why? Bill's been doing that longer than Vin bill's still going none of a hell. He started in his 40s No, he started after he came he started in his 40s. No, he started after he came back from World War II.

In the 40s. He started when he came back from World War II. Yeah. Oh, wow. Yeah, Bill. You mean? Bill, when he has Vinny beat. Yeah, it's a local burger joint here in LA on Oxn-

It's in the Valley. In Van Nuys. If you ever come back to LA to visit, called Bill's Burgers, good burgers too, and he's back there, he'll be back in the valley. In Van Nuys. If you ever come back to LA to visit, call Bill's Burgers. Good Burgers too. And he's back there. He'll be back in the back somewhere. You know, just kind of just, eh. The hours get less and less every year. Yeah, he's got the same griddle.

Every year he takes an hour off each day. We've talked about Bill's Burgers at least 500 hours. Yeah, we love Bill's. The Queen would have done something similar. Her dad died young. Yeah, she's been around a while Um, so we already said he was the youngest to call World Series game at the age of 25 in 1955 oh and then Kirk Gibson this was the memorable home run you already knew it cuz he was talking about it before Yeah, that Kirk Gibson man

That's the sweet spot on the bat because he was had a gimpy leg and his back was a bit thing And it was a 1988 world for people that leg and his back was a bit thing and he was a 1988 world series it was the Dodgers versus I don't know where they play one Oakland Oakland yeah and maybe you know more about it and I do Mike and you've listened to him more but this I was just painting the picture for people that didn't know what the scenario well it, it's it's you know, Jim has talked about it. It's it's one of the great calls that, you know, among the so many that then made. The thing I love about then just for a pause for a moment, though,

is I discovered him when I was seven years old and the count was the two, one pitch on the way breaking ball in there for a strike and the count two and two. And I was hooked on that I was mesmerized and hooked on a 2-2 count to Ron Fairley in April of 1966 so and to me that's his greatness consisted in being able to take a game in April or May a nondescript kind of game and make it compelling and exciting and interesting and just and exciting and interesting and just millifilous and how it sounded. So I say all of that to say the 1988

bottom of the ninth inning is one of the, you know, Jim you said you've fallen asleep to it. I've watched and listened to it many times over and over again. It's just a classic bit of oratory on Vin's part. The game itself was pretty good too, but his whole call of Kirk coming out of the dugout, limping up to the plate, getting the count to three and two and hitting the

home run is as good of a call of a moment in time as I've ever heard. It's spectacular. Okay, so in the year that Improbable, the Impossible... We have it here. Okay, so let's have a listen to it just quickly. We don't have the whole thing. We have a lot of people listening in Australia and Britain to this podcast and you want to hear this. We don't have the whole podcast but we have what you're talking about, Jim, on there. Thanks to a bed and breakfast on Book. No, that's an ad.

Yep. Yeah. We're trying to make money. Weird call. Weird call. Hey. Valvoline. Do you ever have little things in your back pocket that are ready for big moments?

It's like how I have heckle put downs that I've used over and over and over again and then sometimes I just do it off the cuff. But do you have a few little things that you go if a grand slam happens, this is what I might say. If a walk-off home run happens, I have these few things ready to go. It's a great question Jim and I should because I've been caught up at times where oh wow I wasn't expecting that or I should have something ready made for those moments but on the other hand and listening to the master of the craft and a guy that inspired me to get into the whole thing. I'm not sure that that he rehearsed, you know, I mean, how could he know? I mean, okay, if Kirk Gibson limps to the plate and hits a pinch hit to run home run, that amazing line that he uttered. Now, I do about in a year that has been so

improbable, the impossible has happened. I mean that's perfection but I do think for the Hank Aaron and we may get to that I think for as you talked about moments. I do think he had he had something prepared for that because that if that was just off the cuff eloquence about what a great moment for Atlanta, great moment for baseball, a great moment for America. I have to believe in my heart that he prepared that because if he didn't, then he is absolutely the best extemporaneous speaker since Socrates and maybe greater.

Because that was a history lesson, a sociological lesson, a history lesson about the relationship between races in our country and where baseball fit in, where that home run took place. That also is a thing of beauty. I do have to think that one was prepared a little bit. We have both of those. Let's listen to Kurt.

Kurt Gibson, he's at bat already. But the game right now is at the plate. But he's that bad already. In a year that has been so improbable, the impossible has happened. You always said, right, if you listen to this bit here, you always said that he said in big moments, you let the crowd do the commentary. And that's what Mike was talking about the beginning too. I was just listening to it there. There's a lot of space that he just leaves there for the crowd. That says this amazing line. Yeah, but he says that amazing line too in a year of the Improv. Okay, so let's for our non baseball fans explain what is

about to happen with Hank Aaron. How important this was. Although Mike can explain it. Yeah, actually, Mike would be better to do this. Yeah, and I was, it was a Monday night game, April 8th, 1974, and I didn't hear Vin's call in that moment, I heard it later. I heard a national radio broadcast, and I think, Jim, you were kind of alluding to this, and so that why, why did he call Hank Aaron 715 home run? Because the Dodgers were playing in Atlanta's Fulton County Stadium that night. So it was just this great call, this iconic moment of sportscasting was just on the

Dodgers radio network. Now, that's a big network. And that's a lot of people. But it wasn't the national radio broadcast. It wasn't the game on television. It was the Dodgers radio network and then just happened to be there. Oh, so the bloke who does the commentary. Happened to be there for yeah, for so many of the great moments. And so Hank Aaron had been chasing Babe Ruth's home run record that had stood since the Babes retirement in 1935.

Babe Ruth hit 714 home runs and Hank Aaron at the end of the 1973 season was one short at 713. He homered in Cincinnati to tie and then came home to Atlanta for this Monday night game. And with the eyes of the world on him and he had been receiving throughout the off season from the end of the 73 season into 74, death threats, horrible racial epithets. He, Hank said he kept,

he kept that mail and those letters just as a reminder to him of kind of what he was going through, what he had to endure. And there were people saying, if you play in this game, you're gonna lose your life, you're gonna get shot, we're gonna kill you. And so there's a moment after Hank hits the home run, and then he calls it just so eloquently and perfectly.

He lays out for like two minutes after he calls that it was gone. He goes away for two or more minutes while the crowd cheers this incredible moment in baseball history. But his mother, Hank's mother, Billy, came running across the field and just threw her arms around Hank after he crossed the plate.

If you see the images of it, YouTube, it brings tears to the eyes. It's a moment that was meant for Scully to call but it was a moment that was, it's just so pointed and sweet and Hank's mother saying I just wanted to put my arms around my boy and hug him and hold him and make sure that he was okay. It was appropriate that the poet and the master storyteller Vin was there to call maybe the most famous home run in baseball history, Hank, 715.

I like that. So that was just the Dodgers radio. That means there was an Atlanta guy who also called it. Yeah. He's been forgotten in history. I feel sorry for that guy. And it's not as good. And it's his team and his call was like this,

big hit that. Way to go, way to go Hank. Something like that. 700 and something home runs. We have Vince Gulley's call. The fans seem to like it. Vince Gulley's call of Hank Aaron hitting the 715 in the pass baby.

The end part is like the thing. The season straight away. Fastball is a high drive into deep left center field. Buckner goes back to the fan city shot. Just run around the base. Just got the home. Yeah, commentary's not bad. Yeah, I'd pretty good.

That was the impersonation of the Atlanta black. What a marvelous moment for Atlanta and the state of Georgia. What a marvelous moment for the country and the world. A black man is getting a standing ovation in the deep south for breaking a record of an all-time baseball idol. And it is a great moment for all of us, and particularly for Henry Aaron, who was met at home plate not only by every member of the Braves but by his father and mother he threw his arms around his father and as he left the home plate area his mother came running across the grass threw her arms around his neck kissed him

for all she was worth. He's the best in the big South to Georgia and Atlanta. That's really good. I know and I agree with what you're saying. If he had that prepare, if he had that prepared, I mean, it's great, you know, but if he didn't, then it's like, oh, I think I think I think he

would have had the gist of it. Yeah, I think he was an off the coast guy. I think I think he knew he would have had to say something important. Oh, let's we got to find the blo guy. Yeah. But I think he knew he would have had to say something important. We've got to find the bloke from Atlanta. What did he say like this?

This guy, a black man, I'm not acknowledging that. It's going to be a Babe Bruce record forever. You should put an asterisk on it. And they'd be right next to each other too. That would be the hard thing too, once Vince Scully was that famous, you'd see him in the next booth like, ah shit. Well who's the name, because obviously I've never listened to him. I think he just retired maybe last year, the Spanish guy who's like the Spanish Vince Scully.

Oh for the Dodgers. Yeah for the Dodgers. And he did it for 50 something years. And the Spanish speaking people, that's their Vince Scully. Oh for the Dodgers. Yeah for the Dodgers and he did it for 50 something years and the Spanish speaking people that that's their Ben Scully. Who's his name? Jaime Jaime Horeen. Jaime Horeen and he still came out. He did the games for 64 years I think. Wow. And he and Vin he and Vin were very good friends and you know, they traveled together, they on Dodgers Goodwill ambassador trips, but they would talk to each other before almost every game I've read.

In fact, I have a book, I want to show it to you real quick so I don't forget it. Perfect Eloquence, it's an appreciation of Vin Scully put together by a fine writer named Tom Hofarth. 67 essays are in this book, one for essentially each of the 67 years. There's a lot of material in there Jim about about Jaime Harine. You're in there right? Vin's relationship and and I and one of the essays I was honored to be asked to contribute one and and one of my essay I have an essay of the 67. I'm in there with Brian Cranston. Brian Cranston's in this book and so is yours truly Mike Parker but we all pay

tribute to what to what Ben Scully meant to our lives and Jaime there's some great material on Jaime Harine and his place in the Southland during all those years as well. Just quickly before we end the podcast, I can help. I can help. This Bazzana, is he worth the hype? Is he a good lad? How is he?

Oh gosh, he's one of the best, Jim. And I'm just so thrilled for him. I've got Bazzana custom-made shirt by a fan. Bazzana Australian for baseball. He's about to, you know, go as you said earlier, he's gonna be if not the first, a very high draft pick and has a long major league career ahead of him and his father Gary and I have the dialogue quite a bit through Travis's years at Oregon State. Gary Basana is a big fan of yours Jim In fact, he was rallying with you all the way

through the years about getting the North Sydney Bears revived. He's wanted, he said that was his favorite team and he wants to go to a game with you someday. Maybe you and Travis and the Bazzana family, Gary and his wife, Jenny, and his other sons, Mitchell and Hayden, they'd all love to go to a game some day with you to see the revival of the North Sydney Bears. Well, I'm a big supporter of Gary's from Sydney and-

Jim's dad's name is Gary. My dad's Gary's in the same area. Ah, okay. And any times you want, the North Sydney Bears is my team as well. And we are getting closer and closer and closer. And we are in talks right now. And for me now it's Perth or bust. Perth is my second home in Australia. I went to university

in Perth and I think if I moved back to Australia I would live in Perth and especially if they brought the Bears back. But the black and red need to be back on the field and if you're a Bear supporter, why they ever got rid of the North Sydney Bears is beyond me. The North Sydney Bears is everybody's second team. No one hates Bears. No one hated the Bears, except for Manly supporters. And that's a whole other thing.

And I can't get into that right now. That's another podcast altogether. But we're doing our very best to get the Bears back. So- Gary's son, Travis, Travis Pizana. I just, I know, I hope I can tell your knowledge level and you've already Connected with him. You're gonna love the guy He's one of the best young men ever to come through the program an absolute

jewel joy of a guy Spectacular person as well as one of the best hitters ever to come through college baseball. And he's got a long major league career ahead of him. I bet you'll see him at Dodger Stadium someday. Well, so he's a second baseman. From what I can tell, he hits for average and for home runs. And he looks to be his type of bloke. If he gets in the majors, he's going to get like 30, 40 home runs each season and hit about 280 if he sort of stays on target for what he is.

But is he fast? Is he still bases? What else has he got going on? Yes. He's set the Oregon State single season and career stolen base record. He's the Oregon State single season home run record holder, Oregon State, career home run record holder, and Oregon State's been playing baseball on the same field since 1907.

So there's a lot of baseball that's come through, Corvallis, Oregon, Oregon State, and Travis Pesano essentially sits atop the record book in almost every category, and he runs, and he defends as a second baseman a complete player but again just a tremendous young man who has been dreaming about this his whole life since he was three years old he kind of fell in love with baseball he's had some mentors that helped him and saw that he had some talent in Trent Olgen and Ryan Rollins Smith they

kind of brought him along put him under wing, but he's just worked relentlessly to be as great as he possibly can be. And I think you're all going to enjoy him. And I know Jim, you well just being, you know, from your land. And from your home town, you're gonna love this. I collect sports cards, just like, just a bit of fun. My son likes basketball cards.

So I got into it with him, type of thing. And I've got a, I don't like the autograph cards. I find them a bit like, I don't get autographs. I don't get them. It's like now we've got all got cameras on our phone. You proved that you met someone with a photo these days. I don't need a scribble on a bit of paper, right? But I do have a Travis Bizzano autographed

Oregon State card. Yeah, I thought I'll get it on the ground level with this kid. In case he goes on to be the greatest baseball player ever. I'm going to have an Oregon State card. Yeah, I thought I'll get it on the ground level with this kid Yeah, in case he goes on to be the greatest baseball player ever I'm gonna have an Oregon State card at this guy didn't cost that much, but I know what did that man? Yeah That's nice. Yeah, that's good. You're here. Let's ask me a few more questions here. Let's do these before did it do 67 years 20 is his dad Gary into baseball baseball? How did Travis get into baseball?

Yeah, yeah. You know, Gary did play some baseball himself, yes. And so Gary liked baseball and gave Travis sort of a choice of paths to follow. So he was playing rugby and cricket and baseball, but it was baseball that Gary enjoyed most growing up and just baseball what Travis ended up gravitating towards and I don't know enough about cricket to know but Travis has said that cricket helped him

He's a guy that he's the all-star Power left-handed hitter, but he hits the all-fields and his dad and Travis have both told me that Cricket helped him be able to hit the ball anywhere behind him in front of him this way that way I don't know enough about the art of hitting in cricket but Travis was very good at it and he said it actually helped him develop as a baseball hitter well I would bet money that me and Travis were born in the same hospital yeah he's from Hornsby went to Taramara High Hornsby Hospital was where I was born man. Hornsby is still where my dad goes to the movies. I like the cinema there, it's got good parking.

You're gonna, hey, you'll find that out. I don't know what hospital he was born in. You do know what you were born in. I bet you'll find out before I do about Travis and where he came into the world, but I think you guys have a lot in common. So the school that I went to, although they've improved it a lot now, was a pretty rustic old public school, you know, meaning for the public, not like the British term for public means private. So public school and we had, there's only been, I think there's been about 10 Australian players playing Major League Baseball. I think they've all been pitchers.

There was one other one, starts with N, who played for Atlanta back in the day, who was a hitter. But anyway, we had a guy called Rich Thompson, who was a relief pitcher for the A's. And he went to my school. And I can tell you, my school had no sporting programs. Nothing. We were lucky if the government gave us a ball. I was trying to look up names, there's not a lot here.

Rich Thompson. You see Rich Thompson? Because my mother taught him at the school. She was very, but anyway, but that's the whole thing. So my school, I went to check after I saw Travis, I went to check because I went to my school page. So Seneives High School, I went to the Wikipedia page. Fuck me Seneives High.

Why have you taken me off the famous alumni? Yeah, fuckwits. Like who else you got? You got the baseball guy and me, we were the two. Wait, I wanna see they have now. They're fucking, they got rid of me and Rich. Rich isn't there either. Like who you gotta fuck to get on the famous alumni of Sunnives High School?

Wait, there's an Olympic swimmer? Ellie Ovedon. Yep. She got a fucking bronze. My career is definitely a bronze in the Olympics. You're the bronze of comedians. I see a t-shirt and nothing. This is an academic.

George Williams. Alright, we got some more Vince Golly questions. Did they leave Megan Conley in there? No. They left it, we had a couple of soap stars. Frenzel Rome. Frenzel Rome, the band, was from my school. Candy Raymond.

Forrest knows Frenzel Rome. I don't. No, I thought it sounded like something good. And Jeanette Young. Jeanette Young was the governor of Queensland. Yeah, the governor of Queensland. Candy Raymond for us those friends are wrong. I don't know Jeanette young was the governor of Queensland Yeah, the governor of Queensland that would be the prime That's pretty good, but the rich Thompson or Jim Jeffries go and get the fuck out of you All right, how many how many World Series did Vince Gully called during his career? You said 15, Jim. What's the answer, Mike?

I've seen 28, I think 28 is the right call, but another source said 20. But I like to err in the other direction, so I'm gonna say 28 for Vinnie. All right, and the final year that was broadcasting for the Dodgers was, Jim was close. Jim was very close on that. It was 2016, his final broadcast was at Oracle, it was at Candle, at Oracle Park in San Francisco, his final call. And that was it after 67

years. And it was, yeah, I went to one game in 2016, but it was again in Anaheim, an Angel Dodger game. And my daughter Lydia, and I hope you enjoyed your conversation with Lydia and Food Sovereignty here recently daughter Lydia and I hope you enjoyed your conversation with Lydia and food sovereignty here recently. She and I have had a shared love of baseball amongst other things and she took me on a trip and then Scully was you know I didn't care about the Dodgers Angels game I just wanted to get underneath a little bit like you did Jim get underneath the booth in Anaheim and kind of wave up to my hero knowing it was his last year. And everybody was blowing kisses to him and waving at him. But I think

I do think for a moment he might have made eye contact with me as I'd like to think that anyway. So yeah, 2016. And I made sure that I at least got into the same ballpark once that year that he made his final call. And before his career with the Dodgers, what sport casting job did Vince Gulley hold? Well, he was a radio reporter. In fact, I was going to be one of my dinner. What was his first job as a sportscaster? So can I give this as a show? What do you call them? Dinner party, party facts or party facts or whatever?

Can I go with that now? Sure, yeah. Sure, yeah. His first professional broadcast wasn't baseball. It was at his favorite ballpark to call games from, Fenway Park, to get to that question, Fenway Park. And Red Barber needed a guy, Vinny had sent tapes and letters out

to all the radio stations around New York. He was born in the Bronx and grew up in Manhattan and was sending tapes out after he graduated from Fordham and said, I'd like to get a job doing something. So Red, Barbara, one of the Ford C. Frick Hall of Fame broadcasters too, even before Vinny got there in 82, Red hired this young guy to go call a University of Maryland Boston College football game at Fenway Park in November of 1949, late November, wind howling, raining.

They didn't have any room for Vin in the press box, so they make him go on top with a little light bulb to see his notes and things with the rain and the wind, very little light. And then called the game and didn't utter a peep the entire broadcast about the conditions that were awful that he was working in. When Red Barber found out later that the young kid had called such a good game amid those conditions that kind of stuck in Red's mind.

So a year later when a job with the Brooklyn Dodgers opened Red said I think I'm gonna hire that red-haired kid that didn't complain about the wind and rain at Fenway Park calling a football game in 1949 and the rest is glorious history for Vincent Edward Scully but his first job as a broadcaster was calling a football game at Fenway. I'm one of the... look I'm one to complain. You know me I'm one to complain. Yes. If I was called that one up here I'd be like okay we got, two out, and fuck me, it's raining. I gotta tell you, I'm up here, buddy, that's a rat, there's a rat gnawing on me.

Also, you're calling a baseball game. That's how bad I am. That's how bad I am. First and second. How do they fit, I can't imagine fitting a football field in a baseball field, I guess it would. It's a hundred yards, it's like 300 feet. Not with the green giant, you'd have one quarter just cut off.

Yeah. Yeah. It's 60 yards on this side and 100 yards on that side. That ladder's in play. Yeah, memorable calls. There was one other memorable call. I got Sandy Kofax, right? Got Sandy Kofax.

I'll let you do it. Because we skipped ahead and he answered some of that. Oh, he did work alone. That was the answer to that one, correct, Mike? The set of parts for everybody else. That was great too, Jim, and you're right, because the age we've lived in for many, many years was two or three, sometimes four people in a booth.

And as Vin has said, he learned early that he wanted to be talking to you, not to the person necessarily next to him in the booth. Now he was good when he had a broadcast partner. He had a lot of good ones over the years, but he preferred to work alone because then, you know, he was at work and just sharing from that deep and resourceful mind, the stories and the things that would kind of flow

through his mind or that he had prepared for, but he felt like he was talking to you and not necessarily bouncing his great stuff off of the person next to him. And that's partly why he worked alone, just to give his mind that beautiful voice of his free flow. And he was one of the last in the profession to work alone.

Again, we're not gonna have another Vin Scully type just because of the way things are set up these days. Do you work alone? I do. I don't know if that's a budgetary thing at Oregon State or not, but no, in football, I have an analyst. And football is the analyst's

game. You know, I try to get in and out of the play second and seven at the 43, handoff to Ken Simonton, breaks a tackle down, he goes at the 39. Jim, that was well blocked, was it not? And then my, you know, my broadcast partner comes in and describes what just happened and then I come back and say it's second and seven at the 43 and then go off again on the next play. Vin was very good at football and has one of the most iconic calls ever in the National Football League,

which we can get to in a minute. But I do work alone in both basketball and baseball. And I think having grown up listening to Vin doing the same thing in those formative years in my life, 66 through 72, I just sort of felt like that's the way it should be here. That's the way it's done. Not realizing that Vinnie was sort of unique in that respect in working alone even even in those years, there were most a lot of teams had two person booths, but the Dodgers

were then Scully, Jerry Doggett Ross Porter Etc. Those guys generally worked alone and I just said well if that's the way it's supposed to be done Then I'm gonna I'm gonna give it a shot The the the football one. Okay, so I will give this for American sports because of timeouts Because of the stopping and the starting of American sports, they do lend themselves better to commentary. Like, it's very hard to, basketball's a terrible sport to listen commentary on the radio,

because you're like, who's past the who and then what? And then there's three. On the radio, it's one of the worst, yeah. I love basketball. I love basketball, but on the radio, it's a shocker. Baseball is the best sport on the radio because you can paint the entire picture. I know how many runners are on, I know what the count is, I know if they've gone deep in the field, if

they've come up, if they're in for it. I know every, I can, the theater of the mind, I know everything that's going on. American football at least they can have the play, the play stops, they can dissect the play. You know what down it is in distance. You know if they're going for a Hail Mary or they're doing a running play or they're doing a whatever they're doing, you know what they're sort of set up for.

So American football's good. Isocki, what? On the radio you mean? Have you listened to Isocki on the radio? The puck's over there, it's over there. He fell over. I wonder if Canadians have such patience because if they're listening to ice hockey

on the fucking radio, that's a nightmare of a sport. Plus it's like the names, like if you don't follow. And it's like this, it's near the goal, to the other side of the field. What? Kuprachowski just passed it, Kukrachowski. Yeah, yeah, and everyone's called, like there's French names out of nowhere.

And then Lefleur Leflop. Jean-Paul just passed it to the Russian dude. I think that's why I don't I never gave hockey a shot. The only sports I did and do are football, basketball and baseball. But it's hard for me for us to hear you say basketball on the radio is terrible or hard to listen to when another of my heroes growing up, I loved Vince Scully, Dick Enberg with football, but Chick Hearn. I mean, Chick Hearn was a legend

in Los Angeles, as you know, and he could make a rebound to Chamberlain, outlet to Jerry West, get it to Gale Goodrich, Goodrich gets it back to Jerry, dribble drive in, deep feeds, well, slam dunk. I mean, that's good, right? Yeah, but it's good because you get the end result.

And thinking that was pretty good. Who is the bloke, um, Lola's law or whatever, the guy, the Clippers bloke. And he was just like this. Ralph Lawler. Ralph Lawler. I like Ralph Lawler. Bingo, bango! Well, that tells you something, doesn't it?

I still listen to basketball on the radio because I'm a basketball junkie and if I have to be in a car during a big game, I'm listening to basketball on the radio, because I'm a basketball junkie, and if I have to be in a car during a big game, I'm listening to it on the radio. And it's harder because it's faster, just like Jim Schafer. It's harder. It's faster. It's harder for you, I'm saying, as an announcer. And everything is sort of set after the fact.

You like Jack, didn't you? I didn't grow up in LA. I grew up in Miami. So I didn't listen to him. I know his calls, and I know some. So. And who was your big Miami guy? Well, in Miami on the radio, the guy,

I can't remember his name right now, but for the Miami Heat, he was such a pessimist. Like they get down nine and he'd be like, yeah, I guess that's it for tonight. I'm like, it's the third quarter. We got to play. But on TV, I used to love Eric Reid still calls the TV and then Dr. Jack. He was up for the end or he was a Portland coach.

Royal Jack. Jack Ramsey. Dr. Ramsey was one of my favorite color guys of all time because he he had so many sayings to like this away that away hard away like was a guy's name. You know. Oh, yeah. He was. I would smoke a lot of pot and listen to him and laugh and but Jim is right, though baseball and then then himself said of the three sports, then said

basketball is ratatatat. I've heard Scully talk about this basketball's ratatatat. This machine gun fast like pace. Football is formulaic as Jim said to you have a play, then you dissect the play, then you get on to the next play. But baseball, there's so many different things going on. The wind, the sun, the disposition of the outfielders

and the infielders, how long the pitcher is trying to take his sign back in the good old days when that happened. The batter stepping out of the box, playing with the Velcro that I heard you Jim say. say, then Scully once said, that's what's slowing baseball down. Velcro slowed down baseball. Only then would notice something like that.

But, but there's so much going on that it gives a guy like Scully an opportunity to create that picture for you. And so one of his famous calls it really famous because of football was Joe Montana throwing the Dwight Clark in the end zone they call it the catch Jim right you've seen it you've definitely seen it on TV just because it's on commercials and things like that he's cut like yeah and right he said a good call yeah really good call he he says Dwight at the very end he goes he lets the crowd roar for 30 seconds

Returning like in a man. It's a madhouse at candlestick with 51 seconds left Dwight Clark is 6 foot 4 but he stands about 10 feet tall in this crowd's estimation Do you write like who do you think is not the next Vince Scully? But who do you think's like like a lot you think is, not the next Vince Scully, but who do you think's like, like a lot of people, I don't mind Joe Buck, but some people don't like Joe Buck. They get really angry about Joe Buck. I think I like, I don't mind Rick Monday. I very much like, what's his name, the pitcher, what were you talking about? Oral Hershiser.

Oral Hershiser. Oral Hershizer. Oral Hershizer. And I like it because he just can call every pitch. As a pitch he's like this. He looks like this. Oh, you'll throw him a cutter on this one. And they're fucking dead. He does it. He knows each time he goes,

oh, what I would do is I'd throw something away. Something to, a slider away. Like that, right? And then boom, slider away. It's like, he's like a fucking prophet. Or he's watching the game 10 seconds ahead of me. Or he's a world class athlete. What's different about calling games today,

I mean, there's a lot of things different, but one of the things is the analytics fits out immediately, whatever the pitch was, whether two pitch, sinker, slider, cutter, sweeper, four pitch fast, four seam fastball, Seymour, whatever it's instantaneous. And I've been hearing a lot of the young broadcasters will kind of tell you what it's after the fact in a sense. And then Scully's greatness was and Hank Aaron

even talked about in an introduction to a book. Somebody asked Hank about his 715th home run. And he said he liked Vin Scully's best. So there goes the poor Atlanta guy again. But Hank himself said, I like Scully's call best. But Hank said, Vin knew the pitches. Now Vin, before all this analytics stuff gave you the spin rate and the VLO and the vertical break, the

horizontal break, all these things that all the young announcers have access to and they work them into their broadcasts. Vin was saying, you know, breaking ball outside, the one, two slider a little bit high, ball two, two and two, fastball down and away, ball three. I mean, he knew what the pitches were and would let you know long before there were tools to tell you what those pitches were. So I think the young broadcasters have more tools at their disposal. It doesn't necessarily mean that they convey a game

better just because they have all that information in front of them, in my opinion, anyway. I sometimes think the stats now in baseball, I like because I like numbers. I like the sort of looking over the numbers. Exit below. Yeah, I like all of that type of

stuff and people's averages versus their RBI's versus their on base percentage and all this other stuff. But what I don't like is when the computer just tells me, oh, you have a 4% chance of winning now You down for one in the eighth 5% chance of winning yeah, we can still win fuck off yeah Yeah, they do that with very negative those stats. Yeah

The humors advice Vince Killing would give about baseball. Some of them were the the categories for the the The gang the show they do but there's one you use one you put in here Mike that I like that as a famous one Are you do you wrote it to me? Well? Yeah, go ahead for us. What do you got? I forgot what I gave It was something about you today, right day today. Oh, yeah, he was looking over an injury report then was Day to day, right? Day to day. Oh, yeah. He was looking over an injury report then was on the Cubs and Andre Dawson. He said, well, you know, Andre Dawson was scheduled to play today, but he's on the injured list and listed as day to day. Aren't we all? And that was perfect. I mean, that was again, the essence of Scully And that was perfect. I mean that was again the essence of Scully

saying perfectly what needed to be said about Andre Dawson a particular player being day to day and then he Universalized it for all of us. I got a mate from Miami the Hawk I got a mate who's got an elderly father as we all do, you know when you're this age you got an elderly father and His father is saying, and they go, how you doing today? And he goes, I'm still buying green bananas. My favorite one, I'm still buying green bananas. That means, cause they don't come good for about four days.

So, he assumes he's gonna be here by the end of the week. Who said that? It made him one's dad says it. He goes, I'm still buying green bananas. He seems he's going to be here by the end of the week. Who said that? It made him on his dad's says it. I like that. He goes, I'm still buying green tomatoes, green bananas. On this last question, this was sort of a maybe a myth. The umpires did something before each game with Vince Gulley. Is this true or not that they saluted him?

Well, Bruce Freming, Bruce Freming in that book that I referenced earlier, Perfect Eloquence, Bruce contributes an essay, an umpire contributed an essay and he said that Ben was heralded, regarded, almost revered by umpires because unlike yours truly and almost every broadcaster I've come across, oh that's a terrible call, he missed that, yeah, and Ben never said that about an umpire in 67 years did not question their calls I find that almost impossible There must be I know I know Jim there had to be a moment or two oh he he's called out and he was clearly

safe but according to Bruce Freming a longtime National League umpire then never second-guessed umpires he just said well you know this is how Mr. Freming saw it. And so the inning is over or whatever, you know, then would, would say, but he protected and covered, he respected umpires. Umpires thus reciprocated that respect and admiration and Freming's crew and many other umpires took cues from him before games. They'd look up in the booth and give Vinny a salute or a wave like, Hey, we know you're calling our game and we're glad you're up there in the booth.

I wonder if like, you know, when they all, they all get out of the bullpen and they all have a fight, right? What is that called when they all? A brawl. Yeah, no, but when they all run out, what is, what is that? Bench is clearing brawl. Bench clearing, bench clearing right right I got a fine footage of Vin calling one of them They're very measured about it

Yeah, did he ever do boxing very good at those moments. He's great at calling the those types of Incendiary, you know people up. He called and I've never heard the call, but you know Jim and you guys have probably heard of the day John Roseborough, Juan Marischal the Giant's Pitcher was August 22nd, 1965 at Candlestick Park when Marischal the Giant's Pitcher took his bat and began to swing it and hit the Dodgers catcher, John Roseborough, over the head with it. Now, both Vince Cully and Willie Mays are credited with helping to kind of calm that. That Vinny, because of his demeanor and calmness, helped keep Dodger fans from rising up for some sort of riot when the Giants came back to Dodger Stadium. And Willie Mays,

to me the greatest baseball player ever, whom we just lost, then also praised how Willie and described in that moment how Willie was on the field, wrapping his arms around John Roseboro and doing everything he could to be a peacemaker in that volatile situation. I haven't heard Ben's call. I don't think there's a recording of it available, but I've read about it and it sounds like those two, Scully and

Mays together, help kind of keep the peace in that terrible moment. He keeps swinging, but that's not the ball. Swung on and missed. Oh, we're gonna need more of a brush, more than a brush to clean home plate. I found a video called Vince Scully loses it when Alma Fittano stupidly waves Greg Brock back to third. All right, more than a brush to clean home plate. I found a video called Vin Scully Loses It When Al Malfatano Stupidly Waves Greg Brock Back to Third. Alright, let's have a hear. Oh, I'd like to hear it if you got it. Joey Amalfatano, who was the third base coach.

I've not heard this. If you got it, I'd love to hear it and get a little worked up. There was a wonderful old writer in Chicago, God rest his soul named Jimmy and right And he taught us all I think a very good lesson in life One time said hi Jimmy. How are you? And he said son remember? suckers beef

No sense complaining for the Dodgers. They are getting their clock cleaned. Junior Ortiz is the new catcher. And it's 11-2 Pittsburgh. A chopper to Breen. Big knock. Now it's a fair ball down the line. And Brock on his way for two. They're going to wave him for three. I can't believe they waved him.

He's out. Waved him down by nine! So they were down by nine and he waved them in. I think we've been disconnected. Oh now come on! Yeah, he was upset there for sure. That is beautiful and it tells me, I mean this, the book that I referred to, Perfect Eloquence, describes a saintly, wonderful soul and man that

nobody had an unkind thing to say about. Everybody loves this man and he loved everybody. The love affair with Dodger fans and baseball fans is incredible, but and it almost makes you think that he would be incapable of a moment like that But he clearly was troubled by Joey Amalfatano waving the rudder And I'm glad to hear it because I'm troubled in virtually every broadcast I do by something I was I had a driver the other day that picked me up from the airport and He was I was wearing me Dodgers hat as I always do, and he goes, you like the Dodgers? And he goes, one's picked up Vin Scully. And I was like, I wanna hear.

Any other celebrity, I don't wanna fuck any. I wanted to hear that he got on the phone and told his wife to fuck off or something. You know what I mean? Because people when they're in the car, those drivers hear more about celebrities than anything. And I go, how was he? And I go, he goes, he got in the car, and he looked at me,

and he went, hello, sir. Isn't it a fine day for a game of baseball? Ha ha ha ha. Ha ha ha ha. Ha ha ha ha. Wow. His favorite thing. Wait, do you have another dinner party fact?

Because the thing that you wrote in here that you needed to check, I checked, is correct by the way do you remember this or you know he was born female no okay yeah I'm gonna ask Jim one more question see if he gets it there's a famous TV character named after him. Who is it? Scully from the X fact on the X-Files. Yeah, I should have. I should have phrased that differently because I was really easy. And for us, you did corroborate that.

That's correct. It says Chris Carter, who was the the the EP for the show, named Scully after his favorite sportcaster, Vince Scully of the Dodgers. Also, John Doggett was another character in that show who they said was a broadcasting partner of Scully's. I guess you also Jerry Doggett. Yeah, you know, Jerry Jerry is one of those guys. And I know that anybody who remembers those days, you know, Jerry, Jerry's Jerry did the third inning in the seventh inning

and then did everything else. And we as young listeners would say, I can hardly wait till the seventh and he's over, you know, we can get Scully back on again. But Jerry came to be a guy that we all liked because the, the beautiful part of every game going in, in the late sixties, Jerry would say, well, Claude Osteen has completed his warmup tosses. He's ready to go. And now for the play by play here's Vin Scully Vinny. Well, thank you, Jerry.

And hi everybody. And a very pleasant good evening to you wherever you may be. No, wherever you beautiful. And so Jerry Doggett was the setup guy to bring Vinny in and we would all just wait for those moments. So, uh, Jerry was a good broadcaster but a little bit like Jim's been referring to that poor guy in Atlanta when Henry hit his home run. Sometimes other Dodger broadcasters had to feel a little bit that way but Vinny never

made them feel that way and Vin was the star but all of those guys, Doggett, Ross Porter, the people that worked with him all the years, write glowing tributes to him in this book and elsewhere. So it feels like even outside of the Dodgers, he's regarded as the greatest all time. So the Cubs had that guy, Harry Carey or whatever. Harry Carey, he was a bit drunk, was he? Or something? He had a, that's what I've heard. He had a few sheets to the wind.

And then by the seventh inning, he'd get out and sing, like, take me out to the ball game, and go, let's go to the runs! That's good too. That's good. That's Will Ferrell. That's Will Ferrell.

Bob Uecker. Bob Uecker, who's still commentating. He's gotta be the last for Milwaukee, who, if people at home will know him from the major league movies. He did the commentary for the last for Milwaukee who if people at home will know him from the major league movies You did the commentary for the major league leader. Yeah, Peter Belvedere. Yeah, he was the star mr. Belvedere What is the star as she was? And his many appearances on Johnny Carson those are worth YouTube

I mean, you know, he would go on with Johnny and in self deprecating humor with Johnny and in self-deprecating humor, Euker was as good as that. It's almost anybody I've heard about his lack of star power as a major league baseball player. He's very good at that. He started out as a player, did he? Go ahead. Euker was a player before he was a commentator.

Yep. Yeah, Euker was like a 200 hitting catcher who owned Sandy Koufax though. If you talk to Koufax, who's your hardest out in Major League Baseball? It might have been Bob Euker, this nondescript 200 hitting type catcher, but somehow for whatever reason, Bob connected a few times off of Sandy Koufax, but off of very few others. But he's very funny and very talented. But Euker and John Miller, who's a great broadcaster for the San

Francisco Giants and still working. And John does a great impersonation of Vin, by John Miller, who's a great broadcaster for the San Francisco Giants and still working, and John does a great impersonation of Vin, by the way, that's hilarious, captures the voice and the timbre and all of that quite well, almost as good as you, Jim, not quite, but John Miller said that Vin Scully, let's face it, is the greatest sportscaster, let alone baseball.

He just said, is the greatest sportscaster ever, period. And that seems to be almost a universal view of this great man. Have you ever heard the commentary of Richie Beno for the cricket? I have not. You asked Gary Buzana about Richie Beno. I will.

Richie Beno, he was a spin bowler. He was at one stage the greatest spin bowler on earth before Shane Warner or whatever, but he played the game 100 years ago. And for some reason, like the Nine Network, they all have the same blazers for the commentary, these sort of blue or green blazers. For some reason, he was allowed to wear like a tan

or a baby powder blue one. They made special ones just for him, but he's worth listening to Bob Bob. You could did 118 episodes of sir Well, he was part of the show for sure. I just don't know. They must have filled out the window. Yeah Yeah, I'm serious We have Vince final sign-off we're gonna hear that right now. Here we go You know friends so many people have wished me congratulations on a 67 year career in baseball and they wished me a wonderful retirement with my family and now all I

can do is tell you what I wish for you may God give you for every storm a rainbow for every tear a smile for every care a rainbow, for every tear a smile, for every care a promise, and a blessing in each trial. For every problem life seems, a faithful friend to share, for every sigh a sweet song, and an answer for each prayer. You and I have been friends for a long time, but I know in my heart that I've always needed you more than you've ever needed me, and I'll miss our time together more than I can say. But you know what?

There will be a new day and eventually a new year. And when the upcoming winter gives way to spring, rest assured once again, it will be time for Dodger baseball So this is Vince Gully wishing you a very pleasant good afternoon wherever you may be The best that ever was ever will be yeah, yeah, it brings a tear to your eye you're about to tear up Yeah, the tear up Like I'm an atheist he's talking about God and miracles and shit like that.

I'm like, oh, you're so right. Jim, I was thinking that very thing is he might be the only person that you would listen to, even with a sense of admiration for the eloquence with which he spoke of those divine things. I mean, when Vin's saying it, they sound pretty good, don't they? Well, that's the whole thing with divine divine mythical things God and I type of stuff

If there is a God the God that he just explained is the one that I want Yeah, you know, I mean the answers every prayer that there's a rainbow after every bit of a sprain and then That's he lived that way he lived that way and that's the thing. Just to say the way in the book that I've talked about, Perfect Eloquence by Tom Hofarth, it's worth reading. If you like Scully at all, you that's included in the book and they all speak of of the way he loved people the way people loved him and how he knew the names of every person at Dodger Stadium you know whether it's you know the elevator operator the janitor with the broom and the outside the the press box before games he greeted people people by name, a lovely human being as well as the, as you said Jim, the best there ever was at his craft. And look, this is probably a weird thing to end it on, but he had tragedy in his life as

well, doesn't he? It didn't go all smoothly. Yes he did. Yeah, he did and I don't know much, I don't know a lot, I know he lost his son in a helicopter crash. He lost his son in a helicopter crash. His son was three years of age. And he lost his first wife to an overdose of medication. She was only 35 years old. And so, and he's been very private about those things. He's never allowed or authorized, he never allowed or authorized a biography in his life. He just was private in those matters, in those very difficult matters. That's why I'm not on retainer selling books, but the Perfect Eloquence book deals,

it's as close as you'll get to those scully life stories told from people who knew him and loved him and cared about him. There's a photograph of Bryan Cranston walking within at the ESPY Awards. They walked together and received or presented an award together. I'm not exactly sure what it was, but it was a very special moment. There's a photograph of Bryan Cranston walking with Vin at the ESPY Awards. They walked together and received or presented an award together.

I'm not exactly sure what it was. And I think, Forrest, you were talking about the Presidential Medal of Freedom that Vin received that year from Barack Obama as a high award that he received at the end of his broadcast career. But that book contains stories somewhat, Jim, and what you're talking about, the pain and the tragedies that he did endure, but always with grace and gratefulness to just get in to continue to do in his profession what he did for 60-70 years. I've got a deal at the moment. I'm working on a biography and I'm finding, and

it's a long way out at the moment, but I'm finding the process challenging to say the least. Because you have to uncover so many parts of your life, things that you don't wanna revisit, things that you're ashamed of, things that you're happy with, and things that you're happy of, you don't wanna seem braggy. I'll write an essay,

just get people to write essays for you. Well, this is the whole thing. One of my favorite, I always say I haven't read many books but I have read some biographies. One of my favorite things and I've listened a lot of audiobooks but one book that I did read that I really enjoyed was the Chris Farley story and it was just interviews with Chris Rock and David Spade and all these different comedians who worked with him and I think when you allow others to do the bragging for you, it's very interesting because I'm finding this like,

well, here's an achievement of mine or something. I don't want to, you know what I mean? So, so Vince Scully wasn't a braggy guy. I don't think. And also look, it was a strange coincidence. We're getting to a bit in the biography now, where I have to talk about my nephew dying in a strange coincidence. We're getting to a bit in the biography now, where I have to talk about my nephew dying in a helicopter accident.

And I don't wanna talk, I don't wanna visit that. You know what I mean? So I'm sure he didn't wanna talk about that. I find it very, there was one of my favorite musicians is an artist from Australia called Peter Allen. And I like him for reasons. My father liked Peter Allen. So it was something from my childhood that I enjoyed.

Gay guy, married Liza Minnelli, died of HIV in the end, wrote the famous song, I Go to Rio, which many people... When my baby, when my baby smells of me, I go to Rio. But the thing about him, he said he never wrote a book because if you want to know about his life, listen to his lyrics, right? And so I sort of feel that with me stand up as well. I feel like I've told you half the stories already. You've already heard all these things, you know? But that's interesting that the bit where you just said

he never authorized a biography because he was everyone's, well, for me, he was a grandfather, right? He was everyone's favorite relative. He was part of your family. I listened to Vince Scully more than I did anyone else. And when I moved to America, the voice that I heard the most was Vince Scully's out of anybody. I didn't have any, I didn't know anybody.

I didn't have any friends. I had this radio channel that I listened to each day of a sport that I was just getting into. And that man spoke to me every day. I'm even getting swelling up right welling up right now No, but it's it's like it's funny how people can touch in you never met him Yeah, and that's not where I started this conversation. I was in that book Richard Lewis the comedian Richard Lewis speaks of how then

In a very difficult challenging time in his life how then in a very difficult, challenging time in his life, Vin Scully was the calming voice that just helped him like, Oh my gosh, I can listen to the Dodgers every day. My life may be horrible right now, but I can listen to Vin Scully tonight. Is Vin's wife still with us? Brian had a similar experience to listening to Vin growing up in LA. Is Vin's wife still with us? Is she still with us?

No, I don't believe Sandy is any longer. His first wife died, as I said, of an overdose. And I think Sandy passed a couple of years, I think, before Vin did. I don't know the exact detail on that. It's 2021. But, yeah, 21. And Vin passed a year later on August 2nd of 2022. and Vin passed a year later on August 2nd of 2022. Yeah, yeah. I was calling a baseball game, in fact, Travis Pizzano wasn't playing that, he played in Corvallis in the summer of 2021, but I was calling a baseball game in Corvallis, Oregon,

and somebody came over and handed me a note while I was in the middle of a broadcast, and said, in the note said, "'Vin Scully has just passed away at the age of 94. And I didn't know how that news would impact me, Jim, but like you're saying, you're well enough just thinking, it was hard for me to continue that broadcast. Just thinking about what I'm sitting here calling a game

on this August night in 2022, because in April of 1966, I walked in as a seven-year-old boy into my friend's garage and his dad was listening to something on the radio and I didn't know what it was. But I said, what are you listening to? And he said, well, it's baseball, the Dodgers. Who are the Dodgers? What are the Dodgers?

And finally I got around to who is that talking? And Mr. Holland said, Vin Scully. And that was it. So I reflected back to those moments because I didn't miss a game from that point on. So here I was being handed the news about the passing of this man. And it was, you're right, Jim,

I felt like I lost a long time friend and loved one that had meant so much to me all my life. And it's funny as a commentator that you, as we said, what's his name? Walter Cronkite? Not Walter Cronkite, who was the guy that we said that? Bob Uger. No, who did the football of John Lennon. Oh, Howard Cassell. Howard Cassell, right? So Howard Cassell has to report that John Lennon has been shot, right?

You have to report to the people there that Vince Scully had just passed away. I was at the London Comedy Store when the news broke, I was walking on stage, Richard Pryor had died. And I felt for some reason at that moment, it was my job to tell the audience that I walked out on stage and said, I just think you should all know

that Richard Pryor has just passed away. Anyway, here's some jokes Women am I right? Tough transition stuff Mike. Thank you for Mike Parker. Thank you very much for being here today talking about Ben Scully The book again and you should definitely check that out. It's called perfect eloquence and appreciation of Vince Gully You should definitely check that out. It's called perfect eloquence and appreciation of Vince Gully Yeah, like perfect eloquence and it is an appreciation of Vince Gully and it's sent by Tom Hofar at the longtime writer For the LA Daily News and other Newspapers and he does a great job

He was a friend of then very close with then and he compiled all these essays and Jim I think what he did for then what you're talking about It's it's actually a pretty good way to get for said he'll contribute and Jack you know what I mean it's a good way to go about telling one story and it's it's a beautiful story. Let's do that after I die. I don't think it'll be as good as Seller as the other way. Well yeah and this came this came after you know I mean this came it just it just came out this May, so it's only been out a couple of months, not quite two years after Vin's death. But you know, this has been a, what's that?

You know why we really needed Vin Scully to have a biography, because the audio book would have been the, if he read his own book, I was a young boy up in Brooklyn. That's pretty, see that's good, but that is good. Jim, you've got the timbre and the, I mean, maybe you can do some sort of voiceover yourself for an audio book. I could try to do the audio book of Vince Gully, but I'm not good with the old reading.

I'll just take a while. I'm not illiterate. True joy. The very fact you had my daughter Lydia on too recently on Food Sovereignty. I watched that. It just came out. I just watched it recently. Your interactions with my precious daughter Lydia were beautiful to watch and funny. I didn't know how that was going to go. interactions with my precious daughter Lydia were beautiful to watch and funny. I didn't know how that was going to go. It's the end of the podcast, I want to get this off my chest. What you said to my daughter. That was acceptable.

It was good though. I loved it. Thanks for having her on. I think Lydia was the conduit to you for us to say, hey, my dad likes this Vince Gully guy. So I'm grateful for her for putting us together. Yeah, it was 100% Lydia's idea. And she had mentioned WC Fields, who you're very fond of, who I love. But then she said Vince Gully, too. And I said, now we're doing Vince Gully, because this is the podcast Jim's waiting for.

Down the road, if there's ever any down the road, both. I heard you guys singing together, Lydia the Tattooed Lady, and that is a Groucho Marx specialty. I forced my kids as they grew up to watch the Marx Brothers and WC Fields. My mom made me do the same thing, but I've been a Fields fan and a Marx Brothers fan. I've seen all of their films.

I think they're geniuses of what you do, Jim, so well. I don't know if you like them at all, but I love Fields and the Marx Brothers, so maybe we can talk about them someday too. We used to do the Jim Jeffries Show at a studio where they filmed... Mr. Ed, the I Love Lucy. No, no, Animal Soup and all that type of stuff, whatever.

Oh, Duck Soup? Duck Soup, it was Duck Soup. All the Marx Brothers films were films. It was a very old studio. That studio. The Paramount, yeah, those were Paramount films. And among the greatest, to me, the greatest comedies ever made in the early 30s

were the Marx Brothers works, Horse Feathers, Duck Soup, Monkey Business, Animal Crackers, The Coconuts. Those are just classics of comedic cinema. And I've been a fan of Groucho and Zepo and Chico and Harpo my whole life. Well, I've made my son sit down and watch all the Python stuff. He's watched everything now.

Every sketch, everything. We've watched Money Python from beginning to end. And then Chris Lilly was the next thing. I've made him watch all the Chris Lilies, but he took the Chris Lilly like a fish. He loved Chris Lilly was the next thing I've made him watch all the Chris Lee's but he took the Chris Lilly Yeah, like a fish But yeah, my son's getting a somewhat comedy education All right Mike

We have to make I gotta tell you that was a great podcast. What a wonderful podcast and with Look if you're ever on a hill and it rains let there not be any mudslides We live in Oregon so I'll keep that in mind I'm just trying to be Vin-like. If you're ever on a road make sure your tires are always pumped This is why I'm not the great commentator Well, this is why I'm not the great commentator. Hey, get to a North Sydney Bears game with the Bazzana family and that'll make my life. That'll be a great report to get back from Gary and Travis. The North Sydney Bears game, the dream is that we get them into Perth and then we play

a couple of games each year at North Sydney Oval. And look, we're talking, you want to talk about an oval with like weird sort of dimensions. It's a cricket pitch. And so they've just fitted the rugby field in the middle and the corners are too small so that when people dive in for a try, their head would crack against the concrete barrier

on the outside. It's a, there was one side of the field had no grandstand. It was just a hill. Can you imagine in the modern day paying tickets and you just have to find a patch of grass next to other human beings? Oh, wonderful place. We gotta go, we gotta wrap this up. And then there's a tree, Morton Bag Fig Tree.

Anyway, thank you so much, mate. We're done now. Thank you guys. Oh, okay. Hey, if you ever had a party and someone comes up to you and says, Vince Scully only commentated for 60 years, go, well, I don't know about that. And walk away. Good night, Australia. Thank you so much.