When the news of Vin Scully’s passing broke, baseball broadcasters across the country paid homage to the legendary announcer, including Don Orisllo.
On the Padres’ telecast, Orsillo said Scully was a mentor throughout his career, and even advised him during the most challenging time of his professional life: when the Red Sox ousted him from NESN.
Mike Mutnansky on his big Red Sox broadcast debut
Orillo says Scully ultimately convinced him to work in San Diego.
“He told me to go to San Diego,” said Orsillo. “After my experience in Boston had ended there, I had reached out to him because I needed advice. I was kind of at a crossroads personally in my career, not sure what to do. I had worked with one team in one city for 15 years and he said, ‘You need to go to San Diego, you’ll love it there.’ And he was 100 percent right. 100 percent.”
Orsillo started working for the Padres in 2016, just one year after he left NESN. It was a good landing spot for the beloved play-by-play man, who quickly received accolades for his irreverent banter with analyst Mark Grant.
Sully was a mentor for Orsillo throughout his career, dating back to when he was an intern on Saturday baseball for NBC.
“I remember going to him, he was doing Saturday baseball on NBC when I was an intern, 1989,” said Orsillo. “He was pumping me up then, he was like, ‘What do you want to do?’ And I said ‘I want to do this!’ I couldn’t have been further as an intern, I was 19. I told him what I wanted to do and he helped me then, he helped me after I got into the big leagues, and then helped me with the decision to come here.”
Scully passed away at the age of 94. He spent 67 years behind the microphone.
Orsillo was just one of his many proteges.