LOS ANGELES -- Vin Scully announced during the fifth inning of Friday night's telecast that he will return for a 63rd season as the Los Angeles Dodgers' primary play-by-play voice next year for all home games and road games against NL West opponents.

Scully, 83, began his announcement in typically unique fashion -- by holding up two chocolate-chip cookies in front of the camera so viewers could see them.

"Every year at this time of year, a nice lady in Woodland Hills named Mrs. Marti Squires sends me some chocolate-chip cookies," Scully said. "This year, when she sent them in the letter, it said, 'This is a bribe to get you to come back next year.' Well, I don't want to make a big deal out of it, you and I have been friends for a long time. But after a lot of soul-searching and a few prayers, and deciding that maybe we can do it, we have decided that we will come back with the Dodgers for next year."

A team spokesman said Scully wouldn't hold a news conference after the game to address his decision because he wanted the announcement he made directly to television viewers to stand on its own, but Scully ended up holding an impromptu session with reporters on the elevator.

"God has been awfully good to me, allowing me to do the things I've always wanted to do," Scully said. "I asked him one more year at least, and He said OK. Be quiet and eat your cookie. So I'll do the same thing. Now let's go back (to the game)."

Scully was inducted into the broadcasting wing of the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1982. His 62 years of service constitute the longest tenure of any broadcaster in sports history, according to a news release issued by the club.

Tony Jackson covers the Dodgers for ESPNLosAngeles.com.