For those of you who don’t know Larry, he has lived in Arcadia since 1978. He has forty years of combined service with the L.A. Herald Examiner and Los Angeles Times newspapers. He began writing for his high school paper and became a sports correspondent for the Times-Delta, Fresno Bee and Porterville Recorder local newspapers. Larry then went on to Cal State University Fresno and graduated with a degree in Journalism. Stewart joined the Los Angeles Herald Examiner in 1969 and became the assistant sports editor by 1974. He left that newspaper and joined the Los Angeles Times in 1978 where he worked as both an editor and sports reporter. He was best known for his sports column on television and radio, a column he began writing for the Herald Examiner in 1973 and wrote for 35 years. The Times assigned Stewart to the Horse Racing Beat in 2007. The following year he left the Los Angeles Times and became an independent writer.

As a friend of the legendary Dodger announcer Vin Scully, Larry has some great stories about their relationship. As you may know Vin Scully is in his 67th and final year as the Dodger announcer but there was a time when Mr. Scully, back around 1983, was thinking of leaving the Dodgers for a network job as announcer of NFL and Golf games. He approached Mr. O’Malley with the news and was immediately asked to stay or possibly work out a modified schedule to broadcast a block of Dodger games for their beloved fans. Mr. Scully was scheduled to work along side of Joe Garagiola as the NFL announcer/commentator, in that order. Since Mr. Scully prefers to work alone, Larry Stewart casually mentioned that to another sports writer off the cuff, word got out and all …. broke loose. Vin Scully called Larry Stewart and said he had insulted him and that this was their last conversation. Fortunately, time heals and things got back to normal years later and the fence was mended.

Stewart also was invited by the TNT PR person to join him and Charles Barkley in a limo that was going to transport Mr. Barkley. Larry rode along and had a thrill when the conversation turned to Martha Stewarts prison term and parole, and the subject of an ankle monitor which had to be worn as part of the parole while she was confined to her 5 acre country home. Barkley made the comment that, “what do they think she is going to do, make a break for Mexico”? Larry said Barkley has a PhD in common sense.

Larry Stewart is also one of the authors of a book entitled “Wednesdays with Wooden”, which chronicles a doctors house calls and unique bond with the legendary coach. Dr. Michael Levi, Podiatrist, made house calls every Wednesday to treat Coach Wooden and the two became close friends and shared several things in common. Our thanks to Larry Stewart for sharing some of his experiences with the Arcadia Rotary Club

(Pat Dolphin)