Rick Monday's Near-Death Experience

The TV voice of the Los Angeles Dodgers, Vin Scully, plans to retire after this season and he will be sorely missed in the Rewers home.

The 82-year-old Scully, who has broadcast Dodgers games since 1950, is the best part of and a primary reason I subscribe to DirecTV's "Extra Innings" package. Scully, who is the only current TV announcer to call MLB games without the aid of a color analyst, is the voice of summer late nights in our house.

A perfect example of why came during Friday's Dodgers-Pirates broadcast when he shared a story from former Cubs outfielder

It seems that Monday was on third base with less than two outs and the third-base coach gave the sign for a suicide squeeze. The left-handed batter signaled back to the coach that he saw the sign and that the squeeze was on.

Monday took off down the third-base line at full speed upon the pitcher's delivery and feared for his life as the batter swung and whistled a line drive over his shoulder.

At the end of the inning, the coach confronted the batter.

"You saw the squeeze sign and you signaled back," the coach said. "Why did you signal back that the squeeze was on and then swing away?"

"I didn't think you were serious," the batter said.

Yup. Had to be a Cubs game.