LOS ANGELES -- Hall of Fame broadcaster Vin Scully thanked Los Angeles Dodgers fans for making him feel like an 8-year-old again every time they cheer. The crowd, in turn, saluted Scully with a loud roar and multiple standing ovations on his appreciation night Friday.Holding hands with wife Sandi, he walked slowly from the dugout along a blue carpet dotted with the teams logo to a stage set up in front of home plate for the pre-game ceremony honoring his 67 years in the teams broadcast booth.Smiling, laughing and waving to the crowd, Scully placed his left hand over his heart in a sign of gratitude. As the applause and cheers continued, he shook his head and mouthed OK to let the crowd know it could quiet down.They ignored him.Hi everybody and a very pleasant good evening to you, Scully said, his signature greeting drawing the first of several roars. I thought Id get that out of the way right away.The first 50,000 fans in attendance received a typed letter signed by Scully containing recollections from his 67-year career that began in Brooklyn with the Dodgers and continued when the team moved west for the 1958 season.You were simply always there for me, Scully wrote. I have always felt that I needed you more than you needed me and that holds true to this very day. I have been privileged to share in your passion and love for this great game.In his remarks, Scully thanked the fans for your enthusiasm, your passion for the game.When you roar, when you cheer, when you are thrilled for a brief moment Im 8 years old again, he said. You have allowed me to be young at heart. I owe you everything.Actor Kevin Costner, baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred, Hall of Fame pitcher Sandy Koufax and Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw were among the speakers paying tribute to the 88-year-old Scully, who is retiring next weekend after Los Angeles concludes its regular season in San Francisco.Obviously he is a Dodger at heart, but he called a lot of really important games and people regard him to be one of those rare treasures that are always going to be a part of baseball, Manfred said before the ceremony.Scully showed his sense of humor when explaining that he is often asked about his future. He turns 89 in November.Im going to try to live, he said, drawing laughs. Im looking for a much smaller house and a much larger medicine cabinet.Noting his five children, 16 grandchildren and three great grandchildren, Scully said, I guarantee you if I dont know what to do they will find something for me to do.Dodgers chairman Mark Walter, former owner Peter OMalley and former managers Tom Lasorda and Joe Torre, now an MLB executive, were among those on hand. OMalleys father, Walter, first owned the team and was instrumental in bringing the Bronx-born Scully west when the Dodgers relocated to the vast Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.It was a very strange phenomenon to be on the field and hear the broadcast coming out of the stands, Koufax said. The people of Los Angeles, even though they were at the game, didnt enjoy it without hearing Vin tell them about it. He entertained and he educated them.The ceremony began with Bob Costas narrating a video featuring vintage photos from Scullys career and memories from former Dodger Steve Garvey, actor Bryan Cranston, fellow announcers Joe Buck, Dick Enberg and Al Michaels, Kobe Bryant, Magic Johnson, and comedian George Lopez, among others.The Dodgers and Colorado players jammed their dugouts to watch.We just want to say thank you, Kershaw told Scully during his turn at the podium.Costner starred in the 1999 baseball movie For Love of the Game, in which Scully narrated the play-by-play of his characters perfect game.Were all taking deep breaths, Vin, Costner said. Were all struggling with our own emotions as we admit were down to our last three outs with you. Youre our George Bailey and it has been a wonderful life. You cant blame us for trying to hold on to you for as long as we can. And shame on us if you ever have to pay for another meal in public.Manfred announced a $50,000 donation from Major League Baseball to the Jackie Robinson Foundation in Scullys name. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts toted the oversized check on stage. Scully called Robinsons career when he broke the sports color barrier in 1947.After the speeches, both teams lined up on each side of home plate, removed their caps and listened to John Williams conduct the Los Angeles Philharmonic in the national anthem behind the mound.Scully stepped to the microphone and proclaimed, Its time for Dodger baseball.And then he was gone, hurrying upstairs to his fifth-floor booth to spin another nights worth of baseball lore for generations of Angelenos soothed by the sound of his voice. Air Max Plus Clearance . Catch all the action on TSN2 at 11pm et/8pm pt. 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LONDON -- The score was 3-3 in the second set of the Wimbledon final when Serena Williams ended yet another fierce rally with a backhand that sailed wide of the line. Angelique Kerber had her first break point of the match.It seemed a monumental achievement. The roar of Wimbledons Centre Court crowd sounded like a rogue wave crashing on a rocky beach.Williams turned to the ball kid, devoid of expression. Kerber made a fist, shook it like a person about to shoot dice and dropped to her receiving crouch in the ad-court. She clutched her racket handle with both hands, thrust her jaw forward and swayed gently, ready to pounce.Eyes downcast, Williams stepped to the line. She tossed the ball and exploded up, the racket a dark blur against the grassy lime-green background. There was nothing for Kerber to pounce on.A 117-mph ace flew by on Kerbers backhand side. As she crossed to the deuce court, Kerber tilted her head back and gazed deep into the sky, dispirited.At deuce, Williams dialed it up and cracked her fastest serve of the match, 124 mph. She saved the game, broke Kerber and closed out the match. She finally won that elusive 22nd Grand Slam singles title that equaled Steffi Grafs Open era record.This is how Serena is playing, Kerber marveled, after taking the 7-5, 6-3 loss in 1 hour, 21 minutes. I had one break point, and I couldnt do nothing. Serena was serving unbelievable today.The score and elapsed time might not suggest it, but the match was close and played at a high level by both women, particularly Williams.A pitch-perfect performance was certainly something she has earned. That 22nd title is such a shiny thing, such a pretty and unique thing. But it has cost Williams dearly, going all the way back to her puzzling loss to Roberta Vinci in the semifinals of the US Open. At that event, Williams was attempting to complete a calendar-year Grand Slam as well as secure title No. 22.Williams faltered and didnt find her secure champions footing again until she was back on Wimbledon turf. She was upset by Kerber in the Australian Open final, and a French Open title was stripped away by Garbine Muguruza.For a good part of the past year, Williams visibly struggled with her emotions. She seemed to forget how much bettter she has always been than anyone else.dddddddddddd She squandered an important psychological advantage. At Wimbledon this fortnight, she finally remembered. She projected an aura of calm assurance and reclaimed superiority all week.I have definitely had some sleepless nights, if Im just honest, with a lot of stuff, Williams said. Coming so close. Feeling it, not being able to quite get there. ... Ive just felt a lot of pressure, I guess. I put a lot of that pressure on myself. Obviously had some really tough losses.The cumulative effect of all those brushes with destiny was the gradual erosion of her confidence. She retreated a bit into herself during her long struggle. Her coach, Patrick Mouratoglou, noticed. He told anyone who asked, or was willing to listen, that Williams just wasnt herself. He waited for her to snap out of it.Sometime after the French Open, we were talking, talking about things and strategizing, Williams said. [Patrick] just said, Youre back. I guess he was right.Williams recovered her composure by taking a helicopter view of her recent past. She realized that she was still getting to finals, including the first two this year. She has been in the final of seven of the past eight majors.Its pretty impressive, Williams said. I had to start looking at the positives, not focusing on that one loss per tournament. Once I [did that], I realized that Im pretty good. I started playing better.Better is an inadequate word to describe the way Williams played her second-week matches at Wimbledon. She was superb. Shes in a different place now, mentally and emotionally. She isnt likely to get sucked into those black holes of anxiety in the future, even if her mission to win at least one Grand Slam title per year continues.And there is that hunt for the all-time singles title of 24, held by Margaret Court. Is Williams concerned that people will start asking about that now?No, no, she said. Ive learned a lot about 22. I learned not to get involved in those debates and conversations. I just learned to just play tennis. Thats what I do best.Better than anyone else, perhaps ever. ' ' '