Vin Scully

Re “The Voice of Spring Blooms,” Commentary, April 4: Lacking Zev Yaroslavsky’s political clout, I’ve never had the opportunity to hang out with Vin Scully in the press box. But I did get to meet him once. A few years back, a few minutes before a crucial late-season game, a friend took me into the broadcast booth and introduced me to Vinny. Completely tongue-tied, though I’d diligently practiced what I wanted to say, I managed to choke out an awkward thank you for the decades of entertainment, enlightenment and pleasure he’d provided. His response was to thank me for coming in to see him. The greatest broadcaster in the history of baseball made me feel like I was doing him a favor by stopping by to say hello. He was just as warm, just as friendly, just as engaging in person as he is on the air.

I congratulate Vinny on his five decades of excellence and hope he’ll grace us with several more years of his brilliance so we can continue having pleasant days wherever we may be.

BARRY P. GOLD

Los Angeles

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How can anyone be excited over the return of broadcaster Scully, when he doesn’t even play baseball? I understand that he is a Los Angeles icon but is he getting paid a ridiculous salary to announce? Probably not. So why the hype?

With the money the Dodgers recently spent on Kevin Brown, a ridiculous $105 million for an aging 34-year-old, I would imagine that the ticket prices again will climb. Is Brown supposed to guarantee that the Dodgers will win the World Series? Even if they do, the Dodger organization will use this as a means to justify raising ticket prices. How will I justify to my kids that it’s too expensive to take them out to the ballgame?

JIM HARRIS

Corona

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Re “Players Should Pitch Fastballs, Not Cheeseburgers,” Commentary, April 7: George Will doesn’t seem to understand that not only is profit still the name of the game, but the game is no longer a game but strictly a business. Being swept away by nostalgia is no excuse for saying “baseball has a business interest in conserving the aura of being a bit more than a mere business.” How in the world can you call a business, where the average person’s salary has now exceeded $1.7 million, a game?

PETE ANDREAS

Cerritos