SAN FRANCISCO (KCBS RADIO) – Vin Scully was part of many memorable rivalry games between his Los Angeles Dodgers and the San Francisco Giants over his six-plus decades with the team.
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Even though he wasn't in the booth, Scully was part of yet another game on Tuesday night as news of the 94-year-old's passing hit social media while the Dodgers took on the Giants in San Francisco.
KCBS Radio's Megan Goldsby caught up with fans outside Oracle Park.
"This is not just a loss for the Dodgers, this is a loss for everyone, this is a loss for baseball fans everywhere," Doug, a teary-eyed Dodgers fan, said shortly after hearing the news.
Scully – the longest tenured broadcaster with a single team in pro sports history – was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1982.
"For more than six decades, he provided the soundtrack for generations of baseball fans," Gov. Gavin Newsom said in a statement following Scully's death. "He was a master storyteller whose calls had an unparalleled musical quality that was a source of comfort for millions."
Steve Bitker, who retired from KCBS Radio in 2021, grew up a Giants fan in the Bay Area. He told KCBS Radio's Peter Finch on Tuesday night he has fond memories of listening to Scully calling Dodgers games.
"Like so many kids of my generation, we would say goodnight to our parents at bedtime and then very quietly we would turn on the radio next to our bed and we would listen to the Giants games," Bitker recalled late Tuesday. "But if the Giants weren't playing, I would turn on (the Dodgers station)...and I would love listening to Vin because nobody could paint a picture on the baseball field like Vin Scully."
Scully departed the booth for retirement in 2016.
"It's the toughest of all the major sports to announce because of all of the down time," Bitker said. "You have to be able to weave stories in and out of the broadcast in addition to describing to what's going on the field... and Vin Scully was the greatest ever."
Scully left his indelible mark on broadcasters across the country, including in the Bay Area. Longtime Oakland A's play-by-play broadcaster Ken Korach grew up in Southern California listening to Scully, who had a "profound influence" on his career.
"He linked the generations and he was a giant. He will really be missed for sure," Korach told KCBS Radio's Melissa Culross and Eric Thomas on Wednesday morning.
"He was a master of the language. He was lyrical, he was melodic, but he was also incredibly dedicated to his preparation," he said. "I didn't realize it at the time because you're just a kid listening to him, but I guess it was through osmosis that you learn someone like Scully went the extra yard to prepare for the game, he was diligent at that. He also made you feel like you were the only person listening... it was that special bond that he had, like you were his best friend as you were listening to his broadcast."
Giants color commentator Mike Krukow, who – in addition to calling games for the club since 1990 – pitched in the Major Leagues for 14 seasons, said Scully "made him fall in love with baseball" when he was a child.
"He was extraordinary," he told KCBS Radio's Holly Quan on Wednesday. "The pace with which he would tell his stories, he always had time. It just seemed like there was no such thing as a five pitch inning when he was behind a microphone. He just had a magic about him that would entertain you."
"In my life I was just so fortunate to call him a friend. Like I said, he was extraordinary. I don't know if we'll ever see another guy like him."
Scully passed away at his home in the Hidden Hills section of Los Angeles.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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