He provided me my first real one on one interview. He didn’t have to. I wasn’t much of anything. Just a guy pounding out my thoughts on the computer each day. He didn’t know what a blog was. I didn’t feel it was important enough to explain to him. “Sir,” I said, “It’s an internet thing, and probably a passing fad, but I do have readers that are interested in you.” He told me he had a hard time believing that.

I knew he was an important man though, because so many respected persons had great things to say about him. On top of that, on the road, wherever Vin Scully was, so was Bill. When you are the trusted sidekick of the most revered man in the organization, if not all of baseball, that says a lot. And truth was, when Bill Delury spoke, everything he said was interesting.

(Photo credit – Jon SooHoo)

He witnessed baseball history during the golden age of the game. As a 16 year old kid in the Brooklyn locker room, there he was. A self describe “gofer.” The office boy hired when the Dodgers sought to find a teenage worker at the local high school. He was doing laundry, setting up equipment, stamping letters, preparing water bottles, prepping the press box with supplies. The good thing about being the gofer, is there wasn’t a section of the organization with which you didn’t have contact. The owner, front office, secretaries, players, ushers, clubhouse men, ticket sellers, press, organist, announcers, coaching staff. From top to bottom, Billy Delury was involved. Initially in a minor way, but the Dodgers were a first class organization, and when the 1955 World Series was won, a misty eyed Billy Delury was extremely touched when Walter O’Malley presented him with a World Series ring.

He told me the following when I asked him about that ring and what it meant to him: “You know as an organization, you’re on the bottom, and you get a World Series ring, which I still have today in a safe deposit box in the bank, and I don’t think I’ve worn it more than twelve times in my life…Every once in a while I take it out and I look at it and I always think the same thing. Remember where you came from. Never get to a point where you’re too big for people. Because you meet the same people coming up as you do coming down.”

He was humble about his beginnings in the organization. Not acknowledging the historical events of what he witnessed day in and day out. I’m sure he was aware of it, but Bill wasn’t the kind of guy that would ever make a big deal of anything. As I marveled at what he had witnessed and the enormity of it all, he just brushed all of that off. Duke, Pee Wee, Gil, Jackie, Roy “They were all pals of mine,” he said. “I didn’t know it at the time, but those guys, who are now in the hall of fame (except Hodges), were just good friends. No big egos. Normal guys, doing their jobs everyday.”

I was erasing things on my electronic recorder a few weeks ago in an effort to free up space on it and there it was. My June, 2011 interview with Bill Delury. I didn’t erase it. So glad I didn’t. To be honest, I thought the interview was a bit weak on my part, but I was nervous. Very nervous in fact. I looked at it as a historical piece and something that my readers would really savor. I didn’t want to blow it. Mr. Delury though, was wondering why I even cared to interview him.

“I don’t get it. Why would you want to interview me anyway? I’m not anything,” he said. But I begged to differ. And it was one of those times in my life where I was very right. In fact, when I arrived at Dodger Blogger’s night and introduced myself to Eric Stephen at TrueBlueLA.com, his first words to me were, “I loved the Billy Delury interview.”

So it was with extreme sadness that I read today the Dodger’s short announcement that Bill had passed away last night. He was a gentleman. He was a grateful man that appreciated what he had. He was a worker and he paid his dues. From office boy, to the minor leagues administration, to ticket manager, to traveling secretary.

Everyone recognized him and praised him. This was a man that not only competently did his job everyday, but was loved by those that worked with him. He was a faithful friend. He had your back. He was grateful for what God had given him, and that was a job with a baseball organization that treated him with fairness and civility.

When Bill was drafted into military service, the Dodgers held a spot for him when he returned. Not only did they hold a spot for him, but they asked him where he wanted to work,and when he said that he wanted to learn in the minors, they found a spot for him. Walter O’Malley immediately called Fresco Thompson and told him to find a place for him.

He toiled 63 years in the Dodger organization, with only 1957-58 (his military service years) away from the club. The second longest tenured employee, behind Vin Scully. Vin said the following about his old friend today, “A Dodger from head to toe. A respected baseball man. And a deeply religious husband and father. Anyone and everyone in baseball who knew Bill will mourn his passing and he will truly be missed.”

Billy Delury and Vin Scully were almost inseparable – where you found one, you usually found the other.
(Photo credit – Ron Cervenka)

I barely knew him, but I’m choked up. I wish I had asked him more questions, maybe even about his thoughts on family and spirituality. Who knows if he would have opened up. Probably not. I do know that he cared enough about me to give me some time and share his thoughts on the team we love and the history that he witnessed first hand. For that I am grateful. May God keep you Mr. Bill Delury. Together with your pals from Brooklyn. There must be a wonderful baseball reunion in heaven right now.

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(Editor’s Note: You can read Evan Bladh’s complete May 2011 interview with Bill Delury here.)