RIP Dave Anderson

Met him once. Was nothing but nice to me.

Rest easy.

 

RIP. A giant.

 

One of the finest gentlemen I ever had the privilege to meet. His writing speaks for itself beyond that, of course. The press box I knew keeps getting emptier. RIP, Dave. Save me a tee time.

 

Met him a few times, once in 2005 in a talk about a Gil Hodges book where he told the great story of how he was the last person to leave Ebbets Field. A really nice guy in the few times I met him.

 

Dave was a modest great, and a friend to every one of us. He will be sorely missed.

 

A titan. Wonderful thinker and writer. We could use more of him.

 

This was probably the late '80s. Dave and I were seated at the same table for the end-of-the-year LPGA Awards Luncheon that was always held in New York City. One year, as it was breaking up, Dave says to a group of us, "Let's go over to Mickey Mantle's for a drink." A group of five or six of us walked over, and as we're nearing the entrance, Robert Merrill, the famous opera singer, is on his way out. Dave and Robert stop to chat right there on the sidewalk outside the restaurant, introductions are made, etc.

After a few minutes, some passers-by recognize Robert Merrill and stop to ask for autographs. A few more minutes go by, a few more people stop, and pretty soon there's a group of 15 or so. A couple in their 60s that were probably from Iowa or Nebraska (he's wearing a jacket with the name of an animal feed company on it) stop to try to peer around the heads of the group to see what all the fuss is about. He elbows his wife and says, "Look, Mel Torme!"

Dave was first-class. RIP.

 

When you're talking class and talent, the name Dave Anderson quickly comes to mind. Always said nice things and didn't mind helping you out if he could. Michael Gee said it best, the press box is getting emptier. RIP

 

Part of my Air Lift trail notes ...

12/16/13: Dave Anderson, 84 and living in Tenafly, New Jersey, Pulitzer Prize-winning writer for the New York Times, called back. After a few minutes we started talking about Ross Newhan, my dad’s second cousin and longtime baseball writer for the L.A. Times. “Very often I would be with him at spring training -- he was one of the top baseball writers. He was a lovely guy.” … As for W.C. Heinz: “Everybody talks about Red Smith, but Bill Heinz was one of the great sportswriters. One of my greatest honors … I wrote 4 books with John Madden and when “Run to Daylight” went to paperback the publisher asked me to work with John and write an introduction and I thought ‘I’m finally on the same page as Heinz.’”

Cool to chat with a Pulitzer winner. Lovely guy. Still no photo.​

I talked to Dave a few more times. As noted 5 years ago, lovely guy.

 

As a young sportswriter I didn't get Dave Anderson. Other columnists, in New York and other major markets, were noisier, showier, quick to bludgeon their targets.
Took years to appreciate Anderson and his elegamt. understated style, and the skill to do more with a scalpel than with an ax.