Vin Scully began calling baseball games for the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1950 (the Dodgers moved to Los Angeles in 1957), and went on to put together 67 legendary years of broadcasting before retiring in 2016 at the age of 88.
Well, the contract Scully signed to join the Dodgers’ organization for the 1950 season is up for auction at SCP Auctions. Specifically, it’s a two-page letter written by a 22-year-old Scully to Brooklyn Dodgers president Branch Rickey on December 29, 1949.
The typed-up letter begins with Scully telling Rickey, “I am applying to you for a job in connection with your broadcasting and television programs and I offer to you my time and services as follows.”
Scully then explains how he’d like to be paid $100 per week for the 1950 season, and that Rickey has the right to exercise options of $6,000 for the 1951 season and $7,500 for the 1951 season.
More from Scully in the letter:
“It is further understood that during the so-called offseason… my time and services will be subject to employment other than broadcasting and telecasting as you may direct.
I understand that Mr. Walter Barber and Mr. Connie Desmond are presently employed in the broadcasting and telecasting field for your club and it is entirely satisfactory to me to be subject to directional assignment by either both of these gentlemen during the term of my contract or indeed, to directional assignment by any other employee of yours as you may direct.
If this proposition is satisfactory to you, please note your acceptance on this page and this letter together with your acceptance will form and constitute a contract between us.”
Scully’s proposition was indeed satisfactory to Rickey, and Rickey signed the acceptance line at the bottom of the letter/contract.
That’s certainly a move the Dodgers would never regret.
So far, there’s one bid listed at $4,000 for the Scully contract, but somebody figures to blow away that number with 17 days remaining in the auction.
About Matt Clapp
Matt is an editor/writer at The Comeback and Awful Announcing.
He can be reached by email at mclapp@thecomeback.com.