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Legendary Dodgers broadcast/civic treasure Vin Scully on Friday began his final home series. He'll retire from broadcasting at the end of the regular season, but in many ways his final three games at Dodger Stadium will be his true farewell.

Before Friday's game, the Dodgers feted Scully with a pregame ceremony, and in advance of that Scully penned the following letter to his multitude of fans and admirers. Here's a look ...

First, that's an outstanding "Vin" logo. Second, here's the text of that letter ...

Dear Friends:

Many years ago, a little redhead boy was walking home from school, passing a Chinese laundry and stopped to see the score of a World Series Game posted in the window. The Yankees beat the Giants 18-4, on October 2, 1936. The boy's reaction was pity for the Giants and he became a rabid Giants' fan from that day forward, until the joyous moment when he was hired to broadcast Brooklyn Dodgers games in 1950. Ironically, October 2, 2016 will mark my final broadcast of a Giants-Dodgers game. It will also be exactly 80 years to the day since that little boy fell in love with baseball.

God has been very generous to that little boy, allowing him to fulfill a dream of becoming a broadcaster and to live it for 67 years. Since 1958, you and I have grown up together through the good times and the bad. The transistor radio is what bound us together. Were you at the Coliseum when we sang "Happy Birthday" to an umpire? Were you among the crowd that groaned at one of my puns? Did you kindly laugh at one of my little jokes? Did I put you to sleep with the transistor radio tucked under your pillow?

You were simply always there for me. 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.

My family means everything to me and I will now be able to share life's experiences with them. My wife, Sandi, our children, Kevin, Todd, Erin, Kelly, and Catherine, along with our entire family will join me in sharing God's blessings of that precious gift of time.

You folks have truly been "The Wind Beneath My Wings" and I thank you from the bottom of my heart for joining me on this incredible journey of 67 years of broadcasting Dodger baseball.

Heartfelt Thanks,

Vin Scully

Eighty years of loving the game of baseball and 67 years of telling us stories about it. The pleasure has been ours, Mr. Scully.