Kubek, Gowdy and Scully...my favorite sportscasters

Tony Kubek,72,who spent nine years roaming the infield for the New York Yankees from 1957-65 and then moved on to the announcer's booth for 24 years as a baseball analyst on television, received the Ford Frick Award on July 26 at the Baseball Hall of Fame ceremonies in Cooperstown.

Kubek was rookie of the year in 1957 and finished his career as a Yankee with a .266 batting average. Kubek, found his way to the television booth in 1966 and hooked up wih the legendary sportscaster Curt Gowdy, and for a short while, teamed up, and enjoyed the down-home, say-what-you-want style of commentator Dizzy Dean.

I remember being glued to the sofa, every Saturday morning as I watched, from beginning til the end, the "Game of the Week". Dean, who won 30 games in 1934 as a pitcher for the St. Louis Cardinals, once said, "I ain't what I used to be, but who the hell is."

Kubek and Gowdy, who died in 2006 at the age of 86, are both in the Hall of Fame where they belong. As is, my favorite sportscaster of all time, Vince Scully, who is still in the booth announcing games for the Los Angeles Dodgers. Scully, in his 60th year with the Dodgers, has a delivery as smooth as they come. If Vince has made a mistake on the air...I sure haven't seen it. He's the man. Scully called Don Larsen's perfect game. He called Sandy Koufax's perfect game. He was on the air waves when Hank Aaron blasted his 715th home run.

If it was up to me, I would've awarded him an academy award for his portrayal of himself in the sports movie, For the Love of the Game. Born in the Bronx (in 1927), Scully is now 81, but if we're lucky...maybe...just maybe... we'll be able to turn on the TV or the radio and catch the "voice" of the Dodgers for a few more years.