Scully Is Great, but He’s No Conin

Recently I was switching back and forth between stations to listen to both Dodger and Angel games on the radio. I was struck by the uncanny similarity in the announcing styles of the Dodgers’ Vin Scully and the Angels’ Al Conin. The voice quality, the phrasing, the inflections and the verbal mannerisms were so similar I could barely tell the difference.

It’s obvious what’s going on here and I’m greatly disappointed by it. Why a respected announcer like Vin Scully feels his play-by-play work is best served by imitating Al Conin is beyond me. If Vin expects to have a future as a broadcaster, I think he should drop the hokey Al Conin impersonation and develop a style of his own.

DOUG GAMBLE, Manhattan Beach