Photo: Dodgers Vice President Al Campanis, left, Major League Baseball Commissioner Bowie Kuhn, center, Dodgers Owner Peter O’Malley, right center, and Manager Tom Lasorda pose with the World Series championship trophy following the Dodgers World Series victory on Oct. 28, 1981. Credit: Associated Press

Al Campanis was the Dodgers General Manager who built several championship teams during the 60′s, 70′s, and 80′s. Unfortunately his career was tarnished towards the end of his life when we made some racial comments on “Nightline” with Ted Koppel.

Al lived in my hometown of Fullerton, California, but I had never met him. In June 1998 I remember reading Al Campanis’ obituary in the OC Register. It said that his funeral would be at our local mortuary so I called the mortuary and I asked for information about the service which they gave me. So on that day I put on my suit and crashed Al Campanis’ funeral.

I sat near the back and tried to not bring any attention to myself. The funeral was a virtual Who’s Who of Dodger history. Among the attendees were: Steve Garvey, Ron Cey, Bill Russell, Charlie Hough, Jerry Reuss, Fred Claire, Peter & Bill Bavasi, etc..

Tommy Lasorda delivered the eulogy and when the service ended row by row the attendees walked down the center aisle towards the casket. I figured it was less conspicuous to just follow everyone else instead of sneaking out the back way so I strolled down the chapel’s center aisle with the likes of Sparky Anderson, Sandy Koufax, and Vin Scully to shake hands with Al’s son Jim Campanis. Outside we all milled around the hearse, and the Seasame Street song, “One of these things is not like the others” played in my head.

Life Lesson: It’s easier to ask forgiveness than permission…. Go for it, the worst thing that can happen is you can’t get in.

How You Can Do It To: When a celebrity or other well-known people die the obituary usually says something about the services. Call the mortuary and get more information and go.