Notes on a Scorecard of an Extraordinary Life, Career. . . .

Los Angeles sports lost a great friend Monday. Nobody loved the games people play and the people who play them more than Allan Malamud. A gentle soul with a deft touch, he dealt in the joy of sports, not the downsides.

He lived alone in a downtown apartment, but his home was really a press box, a ringside, a locker room. You never went to one when Allan wasn’t already there. He preferred to deal in the heroic, the admirable, the worthwhile. He was a fan, not a critic. When he had to find fault with somebody or some thing, he did it regretfully. Also, gently. His columns were a tapestry of goodwill, informative and hopeful. It felt good reading them.

He had good sense and good taste and, while he was seldom judgmental, he had high standards.

He loved all sports, but hockey, boxing, horse racing and baseball were highest on his list.

They have all lost their No. 1 fan. We all have.