“Vin Scully made storytelling an art.” – Amy Lawrence on After Hours with Amy Lawrence
This week we all learned of the passing of Vin Scully. Mr. Scully was on the radio airwaves for 67 years, calling some of the most memorable events in baseball history: In 1965, Sandy Koufax’s perfect game. In 1974, Hank Aaron breaking Babe Ruth’s home run record. In 1986, Bill Buckner’s error. In 1988, Kurt Gibson’s home run.
More recently, fans have asked him to share #1, the most important, #2, the most theatrical, and #3, the most emotional home runs he has ever called in his illustrious career. The most important: Hank Aaron breaking Babe Ruth’s home run record. The most theatrical: Kurt Gibson’s home run. The most emotional: His high school classmate’s home run in 1952.

Your high school teammate’s home run? What’s the significance of that? Mr. Scully describes one day in high school, he and his friend Larry Miggins (considered by Scully to be “the best athlete on the campus”) shared their hopes and dreams of what they’d like to do when they grow up. Miggins hoped to become a big league ball player. Scully hoped to become a broadcaster.
Low and behold in 1952, Mr. Scully would call a professional baseball game with HIS high school friend at the plate, who proceeded to hit a home run. Scully labeled that a billion-to-one chance of both their dreams coming true.
This resonates with me because I share with student-athletes today that one must subscribe to what I call the 4-A System: Aspire. Act. Achieve. Assess.

Aspire: To direct one’s hopes or ambitions towards achieving something. Act: Take action. Do something. Achieve: Successfully bring about or reach (a desired objective, level, or result) by effort, skill, or courage. Assess: Evaluate or estimate the nature, ability, or quality of.
First, you must have an idea of what you want. Then, create a plan and execute that plan. Work towards that goal, and you may acquire all you desire, come close to it, or maybe nowhere near it. Review what went right and where there were areas of improvement. Rinse. Repeat.
But, at the beginning of it all, every goal starts with an idea, a hope, a dream. Mr. Scully and his high school friend exemplified that very principal sitting in their high school auditorium. Dream big! Strive for it all. Then, get to work. The journey is well worth it.
Thank you, Mr. Scully, for your ability to tell stories with ease. You were indeed a treasure!