Valli, Bob

Bob Valli, the Oakland Tribune sports editor who oversaw coverage of the A's and Raiders during their glory seasons in the 1970s and '80s, has died Nov 2, 2011 of Parkinson's- and Alzheimer's-related causes. He was 80.

Mr. Valli, who died Wednesday in Vancouver, Wash., looked and sounded like a newspaperman, with a gravelly, authoritative voice that belied his kindness toward his employees.

A San Francisco native who graduated from UC Berkeley, Robert Louis Valli was a fixture in East Bay journalism until he retired in 1993, when the independent Oakland Tribune was sold to what then was called the Alameda Newspaper Group.

As a sportswriter, he covered the Raiders during their formative years in the 1960s, including their Super Bowl II loss in 1968.

As an assistant sports editor, then sports editor, Mr. Valli was integral in the Tribune's coverage of the A's World Series championship seasons of 1972-74 and 1989, as well as the Raiders' three Super Bowl wins, one after they moved to Los Angeles.

Mr. Valli also served on the writers' committee that selected members to the Pro Football Hall of Fame and is widely credited for securing Al Davis' induction.

Mr. Valli was dedicated to maintaining quality coverage of East Bay sports in the face of severe financial difficulties and cost-cutting that marked the Tribune's final days as an independent newspaper.

"Bob was one of my best bosses because he let you do your job without interfering," said longtime baseball writer Nick Peters, honored at the 2009 Hall of Fame ceremony as a J.G. Taylor Spink Award winner. "He was a huge Cal fan, but he never blocked negative coverage when it was deserved. He gave advice but was never overbearing."

After taking up golf late in his career, Mr. Valli created a series for the paper in which he played 18 courses and wrote 18 stories featuring his favorite hole on each. The series was extremely popular. At his retirement party, which Al Davis attended, Mr. Valli was presented a golf cart.

Upon his retirement, he split his time between homes in Arizona and California and ultimately settled in Auburn Placer County before moving to Washington to live with his son, David, and David's family. He is survived by his wife, Linda, sons Robert, David and Michael, and grandchildren Amanda, Matthew, Peyton and Jaden.