Jim Murray ...

The Pacific Classic was run today at the Del Mar race track near San Diego. I don't know about others on SportsJournalists.com, but for me, whenever the race is run, the only thing I think about is Jim Murray. It was the last event he covered as a sportswriter.

I searched for his final column and found it via this link. Enjoy ...

http://www.alydar.com/03/jim-freehouse.html

 

I never shared a press box with Jim Murray, but he did sign his autobiography he put out in 1993 for me at a book signing and I did get to shake the man's hand.

I have that book, as well as a hard copy of his last column, the paper's story on A1 the following day about his death and the special section in which every L.A. Times sportswriter shared something about him. I also attended a special memorial service held at Dodger Stadium in which Jerry West, Chick Hearn, Vin Scully, Ann Meyers-Drysdale, Chris McCarron, Bill Dwyre, Al Michaels and even Al Davis shared a stage to reflect on Murray's life.

 

And while we're at it:

Dave Kindred's farewell to Murray: http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1208/is_n35_v222/ai_21082928

Jim's unforgettable column about his wife's passing: http://www.alydar.com/03/jim-gerry.html
(Myself and another SJer had the pleasure of hearing Bill Dwyre read this entire column aloud to a group of about 20 last month at an L.A. Historical Society gathering)

And a few more from the master: http://www.alydar.com/murray.html

 

Thanks, Claws... wow.

 

My senior year of high school in Indianapolis, my journalism advisor -- who actually laid a professional groundwork at a young age for me and others, bless her heart -- apparently wanted to surprise me without my knowledge during Indianapolis 500 month.

I was a typical senior who wanted to do nothing but fuck around, so on the day she was planning the surprise, I skipped school without knowing it.

Turns out that she had convinced Jim Murray to talk to my class and she wanted him to talk to me specifically because she thought I had talent. He was there, I wasn't.

One of the great regrets of my young life.

 

...Question: Who is the greatest sportswriter who ever lived?

 

Red Smith. Or maybe Slap Maxwell.

 

I happened to go to high school with Jim's daughter Pam. We knew each other but weren't exactly friends, her being a year or so ahead of me.
Another friend of mine lived next door to the Murray's in Malibu and was around when Jim's son OD'ed.
My senior year I stumbled into a Journalism class, and a couple of weeks later, I was sports editor of the school paper. One day, the teacher invited Jim to speak to our class and he did. He showed us how to do your own play-by-play when covering a football game, a system I used for more than 25 years. I reminded him of that many years later at the L.A. Open and he remembered doing it.
One year at the L.A. Open, my parking pass was not valid on Wednesday because of all the extra yahoos showing up for the pro-am. I was cussing to myself as I drove around the side streets looking for a place to park. Then I saw Jim, who was a member at Riviera and lived nearby at that point, also walking toward the entrance from a side street where he had to park.
Finally, I attended his funeral in Pacific Palisades when Mike Tyson showed up. Jim had ripped Tyson in his columns but Tyson said he was a great man and a fair man and he felt the need to attend his funeral service to pay his respects.

 

Jim Murray is the greatest columnist who ever lived.

I started my first full-time job just three months ago and before I left, my dad gave me an autographed collection of his columns...

greatest gift I've ever received...

 

I knew Jim Murray and considered it an honor.

I once sat next to Red Smith at Yankee Stadium. I was writing a story on a manual typewriter I lugged with me. (This was nearly 30 years ago.) He got up to go to the men's room or to get a cup of coffee, stopped for a minute to read what I was writing, put his hand on my shoulder and said, "Not a bad lead at all, son."

That's when I knew I wanted to do this the rest of my life.

If you have a chance to read Red Smith's "To Absent Friends," a compilation of farewell columns to sports personalities after their death, please do so. It's fantastic. Read the one he wrote about Connie Mack and you can virtually feel your presence inside the cathedral, seeing the reflection of the candles on the coffin.

Brilliant stuff.

 

Met him once at Dodgers stadium very early in my career. Our columnist knew him and I begged for an introduction. We talked for about 10 minutes and when he left, he came over to say goodbye...

Best day of my career by far...