Published October 30, 2024
After Freddie Freeman’s walk-off World Series grand slam, the first in Major League Baseball history, Joe Davis made the call for Fox Sports. It was quite the tribute to Vin Scully.
And it had a lot of history behind it.
Here’s the play and the call.
Like many others, I miss Scully’s words. I also miss his skilled silence.
He had a lot of memorable play calls, but one of my favorite sequences of all time was after the Mets stunned the Red Sox in winning Game 6 of the World Series. Yes, on the Buckner play.
Ray Knight crossed home plate for the winning run.
“Here comes Knight, and the Mets win!”
Scully didn’t say another word for the next 3 minutes, 24 seconds.
The game is in my video library (hence the screenshots). I watched and counted.
NBC showed the reactions of fans, players and managers. The network showed the replay of Buckner missing the groundball, then the replay of Knight rounding third and scoring — all with no narration.
After nearly 3 1/2 minutes, Scully broke his silence.
“If one picture is worth a thousand words, you have seen about a million words, but more than that, you have seen an absolutely bizarre finish to Game 6 of the 1986 World Series. The Mets are not only alive, they are well, and they will play the Red Sox in Game 7 tomorrow.”
Two years later, Scully again let the scene tell its own story after the Kirk Gibson walk-off home run in the same Dodger Stadium as Freeman’s homer.
For the record, here’s what Scully said to open the 1986 broadcast.
“The last time the Boston Red Sox won a World Series, the Doughboys were dug in the trenches of France — Mademoiselle Armentières, and finally, Johnny came marching home. They’re trying to do it again tonight.”
One of the loudest silences ever
Paul Simon sang the national anthem before Game 6 in 1986. Bob Costas, before turning the broadcast over to Scully, said this when Simon finished.
“Paul Simon, and there will be no sounds of silence at Shea Stadium tonight.”
Well, yes and no.
Costas continued.
“Fifty-five thousand-plus ready to roar, right after we check with Tom Brokaw and NBC News.”
Roar they did, and Scully knew when to get out of the way and let them be heard.
There was one more game
Rain delayed Game 7 by a day. The Mets won it to win the Series.
I remember that NBC wrapped up its broadcast that night with a video tribute of the games and the network’s coverage of it, with a nod to director Harry Coyle and crew. The song that played over the highlights was probably a bit obscure to most still watching, but it was one of my favorites, off one of my favorite soundtrack albums.
“Country.” You’ll have to click to hear it on YouTube.