A baseball life: Scully auctions items from 67-year career
VinScullysat LOSANGELES— outside watching two sets of his golf clubs being loaded into a truck. He thought of afternoons teeing off at BelAir Country Club or with PresidentGeorgeH.W. Bush.
Those left-handed clubs had produced a lot of shots over many rounds, some good, some bad. Traipsing the fairways was a way to relax and swap stories away from the ballpark through the years. Seeing them go stirred emotion that surprised the 92-year-old Hall of Fame announcer.
“Wow, there is a chapter ofmy life that really hurts,” Scully told The Associated Press, “but at my age and after some physical problems, IknewI’dneverbe able to hold them again. I heard a door close in my life.”
Scully took a bad fall in April at the end of his drivewaywhile retrieving the mail, breaking his nose and ribs and suffering a concession.
“I t was a learning experience,” he said. “I hold on to my walker.”
He’s decided to let go in another way, though. The retired Los Angeles Dodgers broadcaster has culled items from his personal collection of memorabilia for auction on Sept. 23. Internet bidding begins Friday at huntauctions.com.
The auction was originally scheduled for All-Starweekend inLosAngeles inJulybut wasmoved onlinewhen the game was canceled because of the coronaviruspandemic.
“It’s not just a collection of cold, inanimate objects,” Scully said. “There are things thatmean a great deal to me, but nowit’s time to let someone else treasure them.”
Among Scully’s favorites: ■ 30 lots related to U.S. presidents, including the elder Bush, Ronald Reagan and Barack Obama. There’s a book about TheodoreRoosevelt signed by him in 1910 and given to Scully’s father, whoworkedinthepresident’s New York law office. “I’ve alwaysthoughtwhatatripthis book has taken,” Scully said. He and Bush played college baseball against each other, Scully at Fordham and Bush atYale. Yearslater, whilewalking off the golf course, Scully told him: “As long as you’re in the WhiteHouse, youcansay anythingyouwantaboutyour baseball career, but remember we both went 0 for 3.” Bush’s response? “He just howled,” Scully said.
■ Several plaques noting Scully as a finalist fornational sportscaster of the year. “I put them up for humility to remind me, ‘Hey, I was in the race but I didn’t make it,’” he said. Of course, he was the winner many years.