“Perfect Eloquence An Appreciation of Vin Scully” book signing held before Foresters game

SANTA BARBARA, Calif.-Vin Scully fans had a chance to buy a book of essays about him at the Santa Barbara Foresters' winning game on Saturday at Santa Barbara High School.

The book entitled "Perfect Eloquence An Appreciation of Vin Scully" is a collection of 67 essays about the late, great, voice of the Dodgers.

Journalists involved in the publication of the book signed copies and spoke to fans before the game.

Tom Hoffarth edited the essays in the book and appeared honored to do so.

"It was such a treat to know Vin Scully, and get to understand him, more than just a broadcaster, what an empathetic person, he was a humanitarian, a great patriot," said Hoffarth.

Ron Rapoport wrote the Foreward that describes how Scully turned down repeated requests to write a book.

"This book brings Vinny back in the room for you, there are so many great essays, you can pick it up read anywhere you want, put it down and pick it up again anywhere you want," said Rapoport," and it will be like Vin Scully is back."

Paul Vercammen wrote an essay in a chapter about inspiration and influence.

"When I grew up in an all immigrant family here in Santa Barbara I found out quickly in first grade that there were huge holes in my vocabulary because you learn English from your parents, when I asked for a wash clothe in Flemish or Dutch everyone laughed I had some trouble, said Vercammen, " About the same time, my brother bought me this big, boxy radio and I listened to Vin Scully at night and I quickly learned that Vin Scully was teaching me better English, so instead of saying 'oh that was good, ' you could say 'marvelous' and you could use his descriptive technique to enhance whatever you were talking about."

The former CNN correspondent and KEYT News Director did just that.

"I wanted to be Vin Scully and what I did in my career is I took many of the things that I learned from Vin Scully himself and tried to apply them to describing sometimes a pretty harry situation, like a riot or a flood or a brush fire, he was very good at standing back and painting pictures."

Vercammen eventually interviewed Scully.

"Vin Scully ended up being my unwitting mentor and I got to interview him later in life and I did all kinds of silly things as a homage to Vin Scully maybe one of the funniest is I rode a one-speed bike down to City Hall in Los Angeles to celebrate Dodgers World Championship and there was Vin Scully as the emcee."

"Perfect Eloquence" is available at Telocote Books in Montecito and wherever books are sold.