By Jake Hamar (Twitter: @ktikjake)

We all remember the voices of our childhood.

Radio DJ’s that played our favorite songs, or the TV anchors that told us what was happening in our cities, and were not just faces on a television screen, but members of our community, and defined who we were in our certain areas of the country.

Vin Scully was that personality.

For every Dodger fan in California, Vin Scully was the easy going, happy go lucky guy who had been with the team since their salad days in Brooklyn, when they boasted one of the best lineups in the Major Leagues. He was there for their first World Series title in 1955, for their early glory days in the 1960’s, and every year since.

He was there during many historic times in our country’s history. From the Korean War to the Vietnam War to the two Iraqi Wars, Vin Scully saw it all. He saw many generations of baseball’s greatest play the game, like Jackie Robinson, Hank Aaron, Stan Musial, Pete Rose, Johnny Bench, Willie Mays, Nolan Ryan, Barry Bonds and Mike Piazza.

Growing up in Bakersfield, we got both Bakersfield TV stations and Los Angeles TV stations, so I was treated to watching Vin Scully on KTTV 11 telecasts. He, along with player interviewer Don Drysdale were for me the voices and personalities that made me excited to watch Dodger baseball every weekend on Channel 11. First WWF wrestling would come on at 11am, followed by Dodger baseball with Vin and Don.

It was good to be a kid.

So many great baseball moments of my youth involved Vin Scully, from the days of Fernandomania, to the 1988 World Series win over the Oakland A’s, to the perfect game of Dennis Martinez in 1991, to the debut of Mike Piazza in 1993, they all stick out in my mind as sports moments that I won’t forget, and Vin Scully called all of those great moments.

In my opinion, the best trait that Scully exhibited was the ability to talk to the viewer as one person, as you knew him personally. He also had a unique talent to call the game with amazing excitement (even into his late 80’s), and also educate the viewer on where the player came from, and their skills that made them stand out.

There have been many great play-by-play guys that made their mark in the annals of sports history, but no one with the longevity and durability that Vin Scully showed for 68 years. He will always remain not just a Dodger legend, but a legend throughout sports history.