Joe McDonnell · @joeontheradio
31st Dec 2013 from TwitLonger
This is one of the toughest things I've ever written so please bear with me.
I first met Dave Stone in the mid '70's when we were both going for the job of operating the message board at Dodger Stadium. Dave beat me out....but it became a moment when I met one of the best friends I've ever had. Dave was also a radio reporter like myself and we would ride to almost every game together that didn't involve the Dodgers. And if there was a bigger Laker fan than me--it was Dave. We would spend hours talking about West..Baylor...Chamberlain...Darrell Imhoff....Archie Clark. If he was a Laker,,,,we knew about him!. Dave then got a job as the traveling voice of the Harlem Globetrotters and if the phone rang at 3 in the morning it might be Dave calling from Singapore to get the score of the Laker game. It was an amazing friendship that continued until yesterday when he passed away. I got home from dinner with Elizabeth and some friends and received the horrible news. I didn't even know he was sick...which was typical of Dave. Didn't want anyone to fuss over him--even when he was batting a terminal disease. Dave not only was a great friend to me....but he along with the late AS Doc Young...Chris Roberts and Steve Futterman were all mentors to me as I learned journalism from the ground up. I can't possibly put into words how much each of them taught me and helped me. Dave was my first hire when I was putting together ESPN 710 in 1999-2000 and he put his heart and soul into everything he did there. God bless you Dave. You have no idea how much I'm going to miss you. Happy trails. I love you.