1) For the 2nd time in three weeks, I'm breaking Twitter hiatus to tell a story of a great person we've lost. ESPN's Pedro Gomez: Sept. 18, 1993, I covered high schools for the Oakland Tribune, but the paper gave @JHickey3 a few days off, and sent 24-yo me to cover A's-CHW.

2) 1-1, 9th inning. @Eck43 gives up a 2-run homer to Robin Ventura. A's lose, 3-1. My story said Eck took the loss. The Tribune headline erroneously stated, "Eck Blows Another Save, A's Lose." The next game, two days later, the @Athletics are playing the Royals.

3) We're in the manager's office and @TonyLaRussa is fuming that the Trib says Eck blew a save when he didn't. In a group of beat writers and columnists, he looks at Frank Blackman of the Examiner and says, "You see the shit I have to put up with around here? Every day."

4) LaRussa goes on. "This is the type of shit I'm talking about, Frank." He looks around the room. "Where's Hickey?" Then LaRussa looks at the byline and says, "Howard Bryant? Howard Bryant? Who the FUCK is Howard Bryant?" I sheepishly raise my hand.

5) I cover preps. Never been in a big-league manager's office before. I say, "The story says it was tied." LaRussa ignores me, just rails about the bullshit media and the horseshit coverage, shaking his head, muttering for all to hear, "Howard Bryant."

6) A voice interrupts him. "Jesus Christ, Tony. You know we don't write the headlines. The story is right. Leave the kid alone. Why are you embarrassing him?" It was Pedro, whom I didn't know, never met, and worked for the San Jose Mercury News, a rival paper.

7) This was the kind of person he was. A room full of vets watched a rookie reporter get savaged by a Hall of Fame manager and one stood up. This was the beginning of nearly 30 years of friendship. He helped me with my Spanish. Introduced me to execs/players, opened his Rolodex.

8) Pedro did these things *14 years* before we were finally on the same team, when I joined @espn in 2007. He had no reason to do them except for the person he was, committed to the work, exceptionally giving to people who were, also.

9) It is often a nasty, competitive business and it is a custom for experienced reporters to be uncharitable to new reporters, but instead of leaving you hanging, Pedro once said in a scrum to Lou Piniella, "Lou, do you know Howard Bryant?" No insecurity. Class. Total pro.

10) It is his example I try to follow with young reporters, because I remember being in Tony's office, fodder for a hostile business. I talked to Pedro 3 days ago. He picked up as always with his energetic, "42! Como estas, hermano?" We lost a real one today. #RIPPedroGomez