It is a challenge to do justice in a memoriam to the best among us, yet Tom Hoffarth’s appreciation of Vin Scully in the Aug. 26 issue was easily the closest piece of writing I have read in a long time that portrayed a person as appropriately as possible.  

It was 40 years ago when I first met Vin. He was working for the Dodgers and already a Baseball Hall of Fame broadcaster; I was starting on my journey with the Chicago Cubs. It wasn’t until November 2005 that I began working closely with Vin for most of the next 16 years. I made a career from making decisions regarding who could play for baseball teams I worked for: who could be a leader, who could provide an example for those players, and who I could count on no matter the circumstances.

My scouting report on Vin: Besides my parents, the best person I have ever known. A gentleman. Kind. Class. Sharing a perspective on life few others could offer.

Hoffarth’s story was to that point. I have read many well-written stories about Vin through the years and many more in the days around his passing. The stories were all nice to read but, candidly, only Hoffarth’s taught me more about Vin than I had already known. When you have spent 40 years in one vocation and you have known someone for the same amount of time, it is not easy to learn even more. But I did, thanks to Hoffarth’s understanding of Vin and the depth and story-telling style of his writing.

— Ned Colletti, Los Angeles. Colletti is the former general manager of the Los Angeles Dodgers.