Book Signing Features Former Times Sportswriter at Matt Denny’s on Sept. 18

Arcadia resident Larry Stewart, longtime sportswriter for the L.A. Times, has co-written a book, “Wednesdays With Wooden,” about a doctor’s relationship with legendary UCLA basketball coach John Wooden. A book signing featuring the two authors, Stewart and Dr. Michael Levi, a Santa Monica podiatrist, is scheduled for Sunday, Sept. 18 at 6 p.m. at Matt Denny’s Ale House on Huntington Drive. The book is Dr. Levi’s first-person account of how, through a series of events, he became the Coach’s podiatrist in his later years and made periodic house calls to his home in Encino. Dr. Levi made the house calls mainly to ease the pain in his patient’s arthritic feet. At the same time, many topics were discussed and a special bond developed, much more than patient-doctor. Dr. Levi compiled notes from those visits, which Stewart used, along with his own personal stories, to write the book, which includes new anecdotes and insights while offering a fresh perspective of this iconic person. Says Kareem Abdul-Jabbar: “Coach Wooden never gave up his role as teacher. You can tell from his relationship with people from all walks of life that teaching was his life’s focus. Dr. Levi’s book will make it quite clear to anyone how strong Coach Wooden felt this calling.” The relationship that Dr. Levi had with the Coach was similar to the one he had with his father, Myron “Mike” Levi, who died of pancreatic cancer at age 82 in March of 2010. Coach Wooden died less than three months later at age 99. This book, produced by FriesenPress, serves as a tribute to both men. About the Authors Besides having a podiatric practice in Santa Monica, California, Dr. Michael Levi finds time to provide his services elsewhere as well. He is the team podiatrist for the Los Angeles Clippers of the NBA, the Loyola Marymount University athletic department and the Los Angeles Ballet Company. He also volunteers at the L.A. Zoo, taking care of the podiatric ailments of the primates. In addition, he holds teaching positions at the Western College of Podiatric Medicine in Pomona and Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles. Dr. Levi, who resides in West Los Angeles with his wife Lori, also participates in triathlons, including the Half-Ironman on the big island of Hawaii. Co-author Larry Stewart was a sportswriter and editor in Los Angeles for nearly 40 years — nine at the old L.A. Herald Examiner and 30-plus at the L.A. Times. Stewart also had a close relationship with Coach Wooden and remains close with his daughter Nan.

Rotary Appearance

For those of you who don’t know Larry, our guest speaker at our Aug. 5 luncheon, he has lived in Arcadia since 1978. He had 40 years of combined service with the L.A. Herald Examiner and L.A. Times newspapers. He began his career by writing for local newspapers while in high school in the San Joaquin Valley. Larry then went on to Cal State University Fresno and graduated with a degree in journalism. Stewart joined the Herald Examiner in 1969 and was promoted to assistant sports editor in 1974. He left that newspaper and joined the Los Angeles Times in 1978, where he worked as both an editor and sports columnist. He was best known for his on TV-Radio sports, a column he began writing for the Herald Examiner in 1973 and wrote for nearly 35 years. The Times assigned Stewart to horse racing in 2007. The following year he left the Times after taking a buyout, and is now an independent writer who also does public relations work. Larry regaled us with stories about some of the celebrities he dealt with during his career. 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 also worked for the networks, first CBS and then NBC. After signing with NBC in 1983 to announce baseball with Joe Garagiola, there was a mid-season press conference in L.A. where an out-of-town reporter asked Scully how he liked working with a commentator. After waxing poetic about the benefits, Stewart later approached Scully at Dodger Stadium to ask if he thought the Dodgers should go to a two-announcer format. He did not, and that was the subject of Stewart’s next column. The headline read “Scully Still Prefers Working Alone.” Scully did not like the headline, thinking it implied he couldn’t work with a partner. And he let Larry know he was upset in no uncertain terms, saying he would no longer be returning Larry’s phone calls. According to Stewart, Scully said, “We’ve had our last conversation.” But after the dust settled, Scully wrote a letter to Larry to mend the fence and clear the air. All was good after that. Stewart also talked about his run-ins with the cantankerous Howard Cosell and how, despite a rocky relationship, he got the national exclusive in 1984 that Cosell was quitting “Monday Night Football.” Cosell returned a phone call to Larry’s home while Larry was babysitting four kids — his two daughters and, coincidentally, the niece and nephew of Bob Harbicht, who introduced Larry at the luncheon. Larry said his all-time favorite person to interview was Charles Barkley. Larry would regularly ride with Charles in his limo whenever he was in town to appear on Jay Leno or Jimmy Kimmel. Larry said Barkley has PhD in common sense. One time the conversation turned to Martha Stewart and her prison term and subsequent probation period where she couldn’t leave her home and was required to wear an anklet. Barkley said, “She lives on a 150-acre estate with maids and butlers. What is she going to do, make a break for Mexico?” Larry Stewart is also the co-author of a new book titled “Wednesdays with Wooden,” which chronicles Dr. Michael Levi’s conversations with John Wooden while making house calls to the legendary UCLA coach’s condo in Encino to treat his arthritic feet. Dr. Levi is a Santa Monica podiatrist. Larry and Dr. Levi are scheduled to appear at a book signing at Matt Denny’s Ale House on Sept. 18 at 6 p.m. I’m sure Larry has many more stories to tell. Our thanks to Larry Stewart for sharing some of his experiences with the Arcadia Rotary Club.