Sad News: Bruce Dorskind Died

[barrysloate]

I opened the paper this morning to an obituary for Bruce Dorskind. I knew Bruce had been sick, so while I am very sad, this news does not come as a surprise. I believe he was 62. He struggled with heart problems for years and his situation only got worse.

I know Bruce was a polarizing figure on this board, but's let's try to keep this thread positive. He certainly was a character, but in person he was a good soul with a sense of humor and a generous spirit. I will miss him.

[seablaster]

I hope his commitment to work didn't exacerbate his health condition.

Life's too short as they say.

Rest in peace Bruce.

[HRBAKER]

RIP Bruce

[AndyG09]

RIP Mr. Dorskind. As recognized in Lipset's Encyclopedia of Baseball Cards, he contributed a lot to our hobby.

Best,

Andy

[benjulmag]

I am numb. I saw Bruce only a few weeks ago. He and I go back over 25 years and I have always respected his passion for and knowledge of the hobby. I will miss him tremendously. I extend my condolences to his family and friends.

[barrysloate]

Corey- it was you who introduced me to Bruce sometime around 1990. The three of us shared a lot of good memories.

[bijoem]

That is very sad news Barry.

I enjoyed his company in-person at our NYC dinners and wish he shared more of that image on the boards.

62 is too young. RIP Bruce.

My condolences to his friends and family.

[ullmandds]

RIP Bruces...I hope you have found your peace?!

[rjackson44]

barry sorry for your loss of friend your a class act best. octavio

[cyseymour]

R.I.P. Bruce. This comes as quite a surprise. My condolences. The hobby just got a little less interesting. Sad news.

[barrysloate]

Thanks Octavio, those are kind words.

[kkkkandp]

Being 62 myself, this resonates loudly with me.

RIP Bruce.

[MBMiller25]

RIP Bruce, far to young to leave this world.

[sportscardpete]

RIP.. Sad news. I found his posts funny and thought he brought up some really interesting topics.

[mr.ginter]

edited due to decency and respect.....

[Matthew H]

Tough news... I actually really liked when he stirred the pot and I was always bummed out when things went to far and he'd be suspended. After I saw a video interview of him I realized he was a normal guy, and that he had created this persona specifically for this board! He broke character a couple times, like when he offered copies of old publications to any one intrested.

Any way, the hobby lost a wealth of knowledge, this board probably lost its most intresting member, and I know many of you lost a friend.

Rest in peace, Bruce.

[slidekellyslide]

RIP Bruce

Condolences to his family and friends.

[Michael Peich]

As Barry noted, I rather liked Bruce's posts. I didn't agree with most of them, but he stirred the pot in interesting ways.

About five-six years ago I visited him in his New York apartment. It was an amazing experience as he pulled out all sorts of interesting cards and ephemera. I can still picture his baseball sheet music, much of it framed and hanging on his walls, as well as his Federal League material.

Visiting Bruce that day was among the highlights of my collecting experience. His collection displayed a knowledge and love of the early game that was impressive and inspiring.

RIP, Bruce.

Respectfully,
Mike

[asoriano]

Wow, very sad indeed! RIP Bruce.

[GrayGhost]

Dear God, I sold Bruce an item a few weeks ago and had issues being paid, even going as far as to mention the whole thing on a thread on here, and messaging Leon.

I feel like TOTAL CRAP Now...I had no idea he was sick...RIP Bruce...

[T206Collector]

A polarizing character. Always entertaining. Sometimes a little vindictive and vitriolic. I didn't know him personally, but I imagine he'd like to be remembered by his world class collection and his controversial approach to collecting.

[Northviewcats]

Very sorry to hear of Bruce's passing. He was an iconic figure on this board. I enjoyed reading his posts, though I never was the target of his sharp wit. 62 is far to young. I feel sad for his family and friends.

Joe

[Brian Van Horn]

My condolences.

[ErikV]

I haven't spoken to Bruce in quite some time. I personally
enjoyed reading his posts and his participation on the board.

Back in September 2010 he was working on his memoirs and
was hoping to have them published by March 2012. Does
anyone on the board know if they were ever published, and if
so, how I might get access to them?

ErikV

[botn]

Bruce and I never had a nice thing to say to one another but it is sad to hear of his passing. When I saw that he had consigned his Boston Garters piece to the last REA auction, my first thought was that he was sick.

[ScottFandango]

Condolences to those who called him a friend....

He had a passion for cards that not many could rival....RIP

[barrysloate]

Originally Posted by ErikV

I haven't spoken to Bruce in quite some time. I personally
enjoyed reading his posts and his participation on the board.

Back in September 2010 he was working on his memoirs and
was hoping to have them published by March 2012. Does
anyone on the board know if they were ever published, and if
so, how I might get access to them?

ErikV

Erik,
I'm pretty sure he never tackled that project. He had actually asked me to help him with it and we had a meeting, but either deteriorating health or a change of heart ended it abruptly.

[Jewish-collector]

Sad news. My deepest condolences.

[Leon]

I had a mixed, strange relationship with Bruce as the moderator of the board. Whenever the other 3 moderators and myself would discuss Bruce, and discuss his membership after an escapade, it was usually 3 to 1, with me being the 1 that wanted to keep him on the board. Yet, Bruce usually looked at me as a foe, I wasn't. I was usually on his side, though admittedly it was tough sometimes. I am happy to say Bruce was in good standing on the board up to his day of passing. What an interesting character he was. He was certainly one of the most knowledgeable people in the hobby pertaining to the history of the hobby. We'll miss you Bruce. My condolences to Barry, Corey, other friends and family. RIP Bruces

[JasonD08]

RIP Bruce.

[edhans]

Bruce and I had recently discussed a transaction that never came to fruition. The correspondence was always cordial and respectful. I wish I had the opportunity to meet him in person. The hobby will miss his passion and knowlwdge.

[slidekellyslide]

Originally Posted by Leon

I had a mixed, strange relationship with Bruce as the moderator of the board. Whenever the other 3 moderators and myself would discuss Bruce, and discuss his membership after an escapade, it was usually 3 to 1, with me being the 1 that wanted to keep him on the board. Yet, Bruce usually looked at me as a foe, I wasn't. I was usually on his side, though admittedly it was tough sometimes. I am happy to say Bruce was in good standing on the board up to his day of passing. What an interesting character he was. He was certainly one of the most knowledgeable people in the hobby pertaining to the history of the hobby. We'll miss you Bruce. My condolences to Barry, Corey, other friends and family. RIP Bruces

Ha! Yes, I can vouch for those votes...interesting talks those were. I'm glad that his last few posts to the board were not bomb throwing debacles.

Here's the Bruce I wish we all could have known

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nx4eV...KjP9w&index=79

[Al C.risafulli]

The only time I met Bruce in person was at a dinner at Rob Lifson's; I sat in a room with Bruce and Jay Miller and just quietly listened to their conversation, marveling at how much knowledge Bruce had about hobby history. He was a virtual encyclopedia of early collectors.

We corresponded via email several times and he was always cordial, despite the fact that we did not always see eye to eye on the board.

Sad news to read this morning, coming back from the National. Condolences to his family.

-Al

[jp1216]

Dan,
Nice youtube find. RIP Bruce.

[barrysloate]

Originally Posted by Al C.risafulli

The only time I met Bruce in person was at a dinner at Rob Lifson's; I sat in a room with Bruce and Jay Miller and just quietly listened to their conversation, marveling at how much knowledge Bruce had about hobby history. He was a virtual encyclopedia of early collectors.

We corresponded via email several times and he was always cordial, despite the fact that we did not always see eye to eye on the board.

Sad news to read this morning, coming back from the National. Condolences to his family.

-Al

That was a nice evening Al. I remember it well.

[canjond]

Very sad news. I had the pleasure of having lunch/dinner with Bruce on many occasions here in NYC. As others have mentioned, his real life persona was very different (IMO) than his online persona, and I always found him to be a nice guy with incredible baseball knowledge.

RIP

[sando69]

always felt that bruce was a much different individual than the persona he portrayed on this board.
i am truly sorry that i never got to meet nor speak with bruce.
my sincerest condolences for our loss.

[glchen]

RIP Bruce. Condolences to family and friends.

[Rich Klein]

that I can remember and he was nothing like he posted on the board. He was passionate and wanted the best items and nothing wrong with that such as Mr. Kendrick's collection.

But the funniest story I have on Bruce is I once posted, hey I miss Bruce's posts and it turned out at literally THAT Very minute I posted, he was being reinstated. Leon still thinks I talked to the other mods but no -- that was just a pure accident of timing

Will avoid anythikng negative, since he can not defend himself any more and anything bad to say would be a real cheap shot

Rich

[7nohitter]

Great youtube video...the Boston Garter story was very interesting!

RIP to Bruce.

[Runscott]

This is very sad news. I had some very strange conversations with Bruce over the years, but never met him. The Youtube that someone posted of him several months ago, made it obvious that he was another person whose internet persona did not match up well with who he really was. Condolences to his friends and family.

[joeadcock]

I also had no idea he was ill. Did one smooth transaction with him a few years back.
Sorry to hear of this. I also enjoyed his posts.

[GasHouseGang]

Originally Posted by slidekellyslide

Ha! Yes, I can vouch for those votes...interesting talks those were. I'm glad that his last few posts to the board were not bomb throwing debacles.

Here's the Bruce I wish we all could have known

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nx4eV...KjP9w&index=79

Thanks for posting that video Dan. It was interesting to finally see what Bruce looked like and to see part of his collection. RIP Bruce.

[philliesphan]

I'm really sad to hear of Bruce's passing. He was indeed a polarizing character, but his knowledge was amazing. He also was a key contributor to the hobby at a time when information was scarcer, and research and connections were laborious to establish.

I was fortunate to add a piece from Bruce's collection to my collection 2-3 years ago. It's one of those unique pieces that can be traced back to Tigar, and will likely remain in my collection until I stop collecting.

Rest in Peace, Bruce.

[oldjudge]

I have at tear in my eye this morning. Bruce was one of a kind. He believed what he believed and was not easily swayed from those views, but he was smart, and passionate, and I will miss him. One of the best cards in my collection came from Bruce and that is a card I will never get rid of and I will always think of Bruce when I see it. Rest in peace my friend.

[chris6net]

I met Bruce a few times and always considered him a friend. I already miss you but know you are in a better place.
RIP my friend!

[nolemmings]

RIP. Solace and calm to those he left behind.

[sbfinley]

It's interesting to hear about the other side of Bruce. I never met him nor did I have any dealings him so the only Bruce I knew was the cartoonish figure that he sometimes played here, and boy did he play it well. Honestly, to hear that it was more act than reality is fitting closure. 62 is too young. My condolences to his friends and family and R.I.P.

[ethicsprof]

my condolences to family and friends.
no matter what occurs here and there on this board, it is always sad
to lose one of our own.
rest in peace, bruce.

barry

[barrysloate]

I am really happy to see the outpouring of kind words on this thread. I posted it with a bit of trepidation this morning, knowing there were many who Bruce fought with on the board. But everyone is stepping up to the plate for him and I think that's great. He was a very bright person with a tremendous amount of hobby knowledge. He just didn't always seem to get along with everyone. What can you do.

Let me share a memory, hopefully others will have some too. Bruce was always very generous handing out tickets to baseball games, as he typically bought season tickets every year. In 1988 (I realize now I met him before 1990) he took me to one of the Mets-Dodgers playoff games at Shea Stadium. It was Game 4, a 12 inning contest that went well past four hours. And during nearly the whole game, it was pouring rain. So here were the two of us, in cold October weather, sitting under two umbrellas, still getting soaking wet for more than four hours, watching a playoff game, talking baseball, and having a great time. That is a day I won't easily forget.

I'll miss you Bruce.