Wish You Were Here, Joe D.

With the Mets amidst a long losing streak in a season with big expectations, multiple loyal readers reached out to say it was about the time Joe D. would write a fiery piece about why the team was stinking. The type of piece everyone was waiting for after the Mets got swept on Wednesday night.

Joe D. was the perfect person to write that piece, and it pains me dearly that he wasn’t here to do it. It’s been three years now, and not a day goes by that I don’t think about him.

Teddy Klein and Joe D. changed my life forever. I am typing this out today as the Editor-in-Chief of Metsmerized because of those two people.

Teddy and I were prospect nerds, and Joe D. would give folks a chance if they loved the Mets. I was a terrible writer, but Joe D. loved a good project, and he lived to help young, passionate, and driven Mets fans. My first couple of pieces were about topics I felt few discussed outside of message boards like NYFS —like the Rule 5 Draft —and how Mets players were doing in Winter Ball.

I kept plugging away on minor league content that I’m sure Joe D. and the other editors had plenty of fun reworking and rewriting.

Joe D. was a terrific writer, and I hoped to learn as much as possible from him, so I picked his brain whenever possible. He was always there to talk about what to write about, how to do it and how to get better. I asked about obscure baseball terms, random minor leaguers in A-Ball–pretty much anything I thought no one else was talking about, and I knew Joe D. probably had an answer.

As I gained more responsibility at the site, Joe D. and I talked more. He was becoming more than just a boss; he was a mentor. Then he became a great friend, and our conversations shifted to topics outside the Mets, whether it was family life, politics, or the Dallas Cowboys losing another critical game. He was there for me in a way few people ever had been.

The more we worked together, the more Joe D. became more than a friend, boss, or mentor; he was like a father figure to me. I know that I wasn’t the only person who felt this way about Joe. He had a way of making you feel better about yourself while he helped you improve, and that endeared him to many young writers.

What Joe D. did within the Mets fan base was help build a community of readers and writers, and a place for them to discuss their favorite team. He connected people who would have never talked to each other, and many of those I’m still close with today.

There are folks all over working in the game of baseball whom Joe D. helped, and there are other folks in careers outside of baseball that Joe D. helped them achieve, too. Joe D. was the most passionate about two things: the New York Mets and helping folks better themselves.

I can’t believe it’s been three years since he passed away. I still think about him all the time. I catch myself going to call him for help with an issue or to run an idea by him. Joe D. was a rock. If you needed anything, he was there for you. Money, advice, a new laptop, Mets swag, a virtual shoulder to spill your life on, it didn’t matter; Joe D. was there for you.

He was the first person I sent a message to in the morning and the last person I talked to at night. I miss you, Joe D.

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