New York Post: SCULLY’S VOICE STILL THE PERFECT TREAT

I KNOW I should have been watching the rest of the Rangers-Yankees, but . . . The MLB Network, yesterday, carried, live, the Dodgers-Rockies game, the Dodgers’ feed. With Vin Scully.

What a treat.

Scully has understood the difference between radio and TV since Jack Benny made the switch. On TV, his greatest gift is brevity. He knows exactly when it’s time to say nothing. And he rarely sees anything worth shouting about. He figures that we can see or we wouldn’t be watching.

In fact, in the first inning, yesterday, he noted that Dodgers shortstop Rafael Furcal is a switch hitter, adding, “batting right.” Then he added, as if to credit us and scold himself, “as you can see.”

Sixty years later, Scully never sounds bored or distracted. Or forced. No self-promotional nicknames, no pre-fab signature calls; he says nothing to place himself above the game or anything in it. And, because he works alone, he provides analysis, but no over-analysis. Still, his attention to detail, biographical info and what happened last night is complete.

Yesterday, when LA’s Matt Kemp hit a long homer, Scully correctly characterized it “a monster,” yet barely raised his voice. He doesn’t shout; he italicizes. Besides, he has no home run call beyond what comes naturally. Imagine that: Scully doesn’t rehearse what isn’t scripted.

If he were 21, today, fresh out of Fordham, looking for his first gig, a team or radio GM would quickly, easily remove him from consideration for everything that since, good gosh, 1950, so many have cherished.