There were few people whose work I enjoyed reading as much as Dean’s. It was always fresh, invariably witty, and never cruel or mean-spirited. But my favorite Dean readings were the dozens and dozens of emails I received from him over the last couple of years. We corresponded regularly, and it was always a delight to see Dean’s name or “Soxblog” in my inbox. Regardless of which publication we were each writing for, I always felt like he was a colleague down the hall, with whom I could commiserate and rely on for a sanity check.

We only actually spoke on Hugh Hewitt’s radio show, where he was as charming and witty as he was in print. I owe him a personal and professional debt for his many kindnesses and wise counsel. And in a world of whiners and complainers, he was neither, and remained a constant reminder to keep all of what we do in perspective. I will miss him terribly.