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Watch Vin Scully receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom from Barack Obama

By Eric Stephen
Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Vin Scully was one of 21 recipients of the Presidential Medal of Freedom on Tuesday at the White House, all honored for their contributions to the United States in some way or another.

"The game of baseball has a handful of signature sounds," President Barack Obama said in his introduction. "You have the crack of the bat, you've got the crowd singing in the seventh-inning stretch. And you've got the voice of Vin Scully."

Scully was one of three sports figures to be honored on Tuesday, along with basketball Hall of Famers Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Michael Jordan.

"Since Jackie Robinson started at second base, Vin taught us the game, and introduced us to its players. He narrated the improbable years, the impossible heroics, and turned contests into conversations," Obama said. "To Americans of all ages, you are an old friend.

"I thought about having him doing all these citations, which would have been very cool, but I thought we shouldn't make him sing for his supper like that."

There was a reception following the televised ceremony, and Scully led the orchestra in a rendition of 'Take Me Out to the Ballgame.'

You can watch video of the event here:

The ceremony will be replayed on CSPAN at 5 p.m. PT.

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