Readers no doubt know the love and respect we have for Los Angeles Dodgers announcer, Vin Scully While it may not quite fall under the heading of “fastpitch news”, it is big news in these parts, so we decided to share it with you.

Scully will return for 60th season
Dodgers broadcaster, 80, will continue with same workload
By Ken Gurnick / MLB.com

LOS ANGELES — Hall of Fame broadcaster Vin Scully said Friday he will return to the Dodgers for a 60th season at the microphone in 2009.
Scully, whose current three-year contract runs through 2008, said he decided to return after receiving clearance from his wife, Sandra.

“When you’re on the road as much as we are, it’s the loneliness of your wife that you consider,” Scully, 80, said. “But she said, ‘It’s been such a part of my life for so long, you might as well do it if you want to do it.’ And I still enjoy it. I still feel like I’m happy to be here, I still get goosebumps with an exciting play. So, I told Frank [McCourt, club chairman] that I’ll try it for another year.”

Scully said he will continue with the same broadcasting workload — calling virtually all home games, plus road games as far east as Colorado. He said he made no commitment beyond 2009.

“When I think of what has happened in my life, the only feeling I have is gratitude and thankfulness,” Scully said. “God has been good to me, allowing me at such a young age to start this job and allowing me to do it all these years. I’m overwhelmed, because I really don’t do anything but talk about the accomplishments of others.”

Yet, there is no other with the accomplishments of Scully.

The Dodgers are currently celebrating 50 years in Los Angeles and Scully has been the voice and the face of the organization since it arrived. He joined Red Barber and Connie Desmond on the Brooklyn Dodgers broadcast team in 1950, one year after graduating from Fordham University. In 1982, Scully was inducted into the broadcaster’s wing of Baseball’s Hall of Fame as winner of the Ford C. Frick Award and also had his star placed on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. In 2001, the Dodger Stadium press box was named in Scully’s honor.

Throughout his prestigious broadcasting career, Scully has received numerous awards, including being named the California Sports Broadcaster of the Year 29 times by the National Sportswriters & Sportscasters Association, and in 2000 was voted as the “Sportscaster of the 20th Century,” by more than 500 national members of the American Sportscasters Association.

According to the National Baseball Hall of Fame, his years of service are believed to be the longest tenure of any broadcaster in sports history.

Scully has been behind the microphone for some of baseball’s greatest moments, including Don Larsen’s perfect game in 1956 and Sandy Koufax’s in 1965, Hank Aaron’s 715th career home run, the scoreless innings streaks of Orel Hershiser and Don Drysdale, Barry Bonds’ record-breaking 71st, 72nd and 73rd home runs in 2001 and all six Dodgers World Series championships.

In 1976, Scully was voted by Dodgers fans as the most memorable personality in Los Angeles Dodgers history.

[McAllen, TX]

Order of Finish

Place M/R Team Name Hometown Record

1st CFD Kokomo Saints Kokomo, IN 4-0
2nd Team Pape Manteca, CA 3-2
3rd Adco/Henick-Lane Staten Island, NY 3-2
4th Geo-Per Houston, TX 2-2
5th Lifi-Mcallen McAllen, TX 0-3
5th Killeen Killeen, TX 0-3

Batting Champion: Dave Lohman
HR Champion: Dave Lohman

All Americans – First Team
Position Player Team

Pitcher Banush, Ron CFD Kokomo Saints
Pitcher Hunhoff, Tony Team Pape
Pitcher Fawcett, Rob ADCO/Henick-Lane
Catcher Douglas, Tim CFD Kokomo Saints
Outfield Rencural, Justin Geo-Per
Outfield Matos, Ysidro CFD Kokomo Saints
Outfield Connolly, Kevin CFD Kokomo Saints
Outfield Harsha, Eric Team Pape
Utility Lohman, Dave ADCO/Henick-Lane
Utility Olivo, Joe ADCO/Henick-Lane
Utility Moore, Ricky Team Pape
Infield Delgado, Mike ADCO/Henick-Lane
Infield Boots, Dustin Team Pape
Infield Grant, Ryan Team Pape
Infield Sullivan, Ross CFD Kokomo Saints

Ending the season with nationals

The Daily Courier

Ken Lindley Field will again host a fast-pitch national event when the men’s Class C bracket opens Thursday.

• Out-of-state teams include Santa Rosa, Calif., who placed fourth in the 2007 ASA Men’s Class C Fast-Pitch National Championship; Twin Pine of Adamstown, Pa., who placed ninth in 2007; and Wolf Pack of New Mexico who placed seventh at nationals and also won the New Mexico state championship this year.

PRESCOTT – Men’s fast-pitch softball wraps up its summer season with a bang – the Class C national championship in Prescott this week.

Arizona’s Amateur Softball Association (ASA) brings 50 teams to town to crown the Class C champion out of a pool of teams spanning 11 states. Action gets under way on Thursday before the championship game decides the title on Sunday at Ken Lindley Field.

The ASA, established in 1933, boasts more than 240,000 teams and 3 million members nationwide. Prescott has hosted seven ASA-sponsored events this summer, including an exhibition featuring the women’s U.S. Olympic softball team, which claimed the silver medal in Beijing this past week. This week’s men’s Class C national event is the city’s last of the summer.

Play starts on Thursday at Lindley, Bill Vallely and Pioneer Park fields. The tournament features some of the best teams in men’s fast-pitch from Arizona, California, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Utah, New Mexico, Georgia, Colorado, Alabama, Kansas, and Texas.

Two Arizona clubs – Tucson Hurricanes and Tucson Rattlers – will serve as host teams after placing first and second, respectively, in the state tournament held earlier this year. The Hurricanes have built a strong team expected to contend. Prescott teams in the bracket include Brennan Aire, Prescott Cool Arrows, Badger Roofing, Barros Roofing and Vandehey Builders.

Peoria Guns, Tucson Hawks, G2 of Willcox and Progressive Roofing of Peoria round out Arizona’s representatives.

After Thursday’s opener, games continue Friday, Saturday and Sunday, scheduled for every two hours at all three fields.

Championship play starts Sunday at 8 a.m. with the title game firing its first pitch at 7 p.m. An “if” game will follow at 8:30 p.m. if necessary.

All games are open to the public with no admission charge.

SCHEDULE

THURSDAY’S GAMES
(at Ken Lindley Field)

Rattlers (Tucson) vs. Vergedaal (Calif.), 4 p.m.
Eagle AA (Pa.) vs. Brennan Aire (Prescott), 6 p.m.
(at Bill Vallely Field)
Landis (Pa.) vs. Wolf Pack (N.M.), 4 p.m.
Sundevils (N.M.) vs. Panteras II (Calif.), 6 p.m.
Shockers (N.M.) vs. Tornados (S.C.), 8 p.m.
(at Pioneer Park #1)
Montgomery (Colo.) vs. Badger Roofing, 4 p.m.
Brewers (Window Rock) vs. Caribbean (Calif.), 6 p.m.
Hitmen (N.M.) vs. Flor De Cana (Calif.), 8 p.m.
(at Pioneer Park #2)
Amigos (Calif.) vs. Dirtbags (Texas), 4 p.m.
Magic (Utah) vs. Blue Lake (Pa.), 6 p.m.
Barros (Prescott) vs. Katman (Mass.), 8 p.m.
(at Pioneer Park #3)
G2 (Willcox) vs. Vipers (Ga.), 4 p.m.
Vandehey (Prescott) vs. Perfect Game (Calif.), 6 p.m.
Twin Pine (Pa.) vs. Silverhawks (Calif.), 8 p.m.
(at Pioneer Park #4)
Nor-Cal (Calif.) vs. Rage (Colo.), 4 p.m.
Risers (N.M.) vs. River Dogs (Idaho), 6 p.m.
Pumpers (Calif.) vs. Progressive (Prescott), 8 p.m.

FRIDAY’S GAMES
(at Pioneer Park #1)
Hustlers (Calif.) vs. TBA, 8 a.m.
Techna Glass (N.M.) vs. TBA, 10 a.m.
Cool Arrows (Prescott) vs. TBA, Noon
(at Pioneer Park #2)
Lumpy’s (Utah) vs. TBA, 8 a.m.
Da Bruddahs (Calif.) vs. TBA, 10 a.m.
Funky Monkey (Calif.) vs. TBA, Noon
(at Pioneer Park #3)
Hawks (Tucson) vs. TBA, 8 a.m.
Pipeline (Ore.) vs. TBA, 10 a.m.
(at Pioneer Park #4)
Bulls (N.M.) vs. TBA, 8 a.m.

Piper Lake (Kan.) vs. TBA, 10 a.m.
(at Ken Lindley Field)
Primetime (Calif.) vs. TBA, 8 a.m.
Guns (Peoria) vs. TBA, 10 a.m.
(at Bill Vallely Field)
Santa Rosa (Calif.) vs. TBA, 10 a.m.
Cedar Ridge (Utah) vs. TBA, Noon