Early on in his time with the Tigers, one of his close aides basically stopped talking to me, telling me, "I don't think you've been fair to Dave." Later, another aide told me that Dombrowski had made it a fireable offense to be found talking to me.
As time went on, I think Dombrowski gained a little more respect for my work. I know I gained more respect for his.
When the Tigers announced Tuesday that Dombrowski is done as their president and general manager, my friend and colleague Scott Miller tweeted his kudos to an era worthy of praise and admiration—even without capturing a championship ring.