Vin Scully

I think if you want to know and understand someone, look at when he is happiest. And for me, I always felt that Walter O’Malley was happiest not wheeling and dealing, not sitting behind a big desk, not smoking a cigar, which he loved, but you would find him in Vero Beach.

He’d have a khaki shirt and a khaki pair of pants and a broad hat to protect him from the sun. And early in the morning, he would be out there digging in the soil. He loved the earth. He was an orchid grower, if you will, both on the east coast and in the west coast. He loved the earth.

And his idea of a great day would be to get up very early and tend to some flowers and things like that; play some golf – he would always use his own rules. He had hurricane rules where you could tee the ball up in the bunker. He had all kinds of rules. But, that was his fun! Then, have a steak dinner with a drink. And then, play poker with the writers and whatever. That was his ideal day. He was a very gregarious, happy, loving man who was – what’s the word, avuncular. He was everybody’s uncle. He was just a wonderful human being and like a second father to me. And maybe the great tribute to him was how well he brought up his daughter and his son. And Peter, of course, took over the reins of the father and did a remarkable job. So, you said it; it was a great family. And it’s different now, I mean it’s a corporate family and we’re trying very hard to be close and intimate, but I don’t know if it will ever be quite like the way it was.