Vin Scully explains why he joined Twitter

Twitter users might have noticed a surprising new face on the platform on Wednesday: 92-year-old Vin Scully.

The longtime Dodgers announcer sent his first tweet Wednesday in the form of a video message. Scully said he would be interacting with fans and sharing baseball stories, and said he was eager to “serve you in any way, shape, or form.”

Hello everyone! This is Vin Scully here. Delighted to join you on twitter. Have a great day! #VinScully pic.twitter.com/RKbSzCiWwq

— Vin Scully (@TheVinScully) September 2, 2020

As of Wednesday afternoon, Scully had already accumulated over 58,000 followers on Twitter. He also gained over 28,000 followers on his newly-launched Instagram account.

Why now? Scully said he simply missed the fans and wanted to find a way to interact with them.

“I miss the fans, I really do,” Scully told Bill Plaschke of the Los Angeles Times. “I’ve always said I needed the fans more than they needed me. Some of the tragedies in my life, the fans have always helped me get through them, and I owe those fans a great deal. …

“I was told the fans would like to talk to me, and I said, well, that would be very nice.”

The idea came from Scully’s longtime friend Dennis Gilbert, who felt that Scully seemed isolated while recuperating from a fall at home in April. Scully will dictate his videos to a New York-based production company, which will edit and post them. There are also plans for a Facebook page and possibly even a YouTube channel.

Scully retired at the end of the 2016 season after 67 years of broadcasting Dodger games. He has repeatedly turned down offers to return to the booth for special occasions. Instead, he’s going to reach his fans via his new social media accounts.