With the 2016 season being Los Angeles Dodgers Hall of Fame broadcaster Vin Scully’s 67th and final in the booth, he’s been showered by several honors. Although the ever-so-humble Scully asked that he not be at the center of attention, he’s graciously accepted the various accolades.
Prior to the season beginning the Dodgers held a dedication ceremony to mark the formal renaming of Elysian Park Avenue to Vin Scully Avenue. When the club faced the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim on the road, Scully made the drive south.
He received multiple gifts and mementos from the Angels organization, and a special message was shown on the video board.
During a recent game against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field, Yasiel Puig donned specially-designed cleats in honor of Scully. According to Bill Plunkett of the OC Register, Major League Baseball informed Puig he would be fined if he wore the cleats again:
#Dodgers Yasiel Puig got letter from MLB warning him he would be fined $5K if he wore Vin Scully cleats again. Does not comply w/ uni rules
— Bill Plunkett (@billplunkettocr) July 26, 2016
That in turn has led to Puig being uncertain if he can wear custom cleats during the Dodgers’ series at Yankee Stadium later this season:
Puig showed me pair w/ Statue of Liberty on them. Wants to wear them when #Dodgers go to Yankee Stadium in Sept. Not sure if he'll be fined
— Bill Plunkett (@billplunkettocr) July 26, 2016
The cleats that honored Scully incorporated the Dodgers’ uniform colors, though the left shoe had Scully’s image superimposed, and the right featured “#ITFD,” short for Scully’s famed, “It’s time for Dodger baseball.”
Other non-traditional cleats Puig has worn this season included an American Flag-themed pair during the Dodgers’ home game on July 4.