Every year since Steve Repko left The Oakland Press because of serious illness, I made it a point to call him on Christmas Eve.

I was going to this past holiday season, too, but I worked that night relatively late and forgot to make the call.

The best copy editor I ever worked with, and a tremendous baseball writer as well, passed away a few days later.

I hadn't talked to him for several months. It had been awhile since I had told him how much we missed him at the paper, and how much I respected him.

If only I had made that call...

Steve's death came a couple days after former Tigers general manager Bill Lajoie died. Of all the people I have been associated with in sports, I liked and respected Lajoie the most. He had the greatest baseball mind I've ever encountered. He took me under his wing when I was a young baseball writer and literally made my career by teaching me so much about the game.

He wrote a book a year or so ago and sent me a signed copy. It was on my plate to write about the book, and to give him a long overdue call - and thank him for all he'd done for me.

I got "too busy" and never made that call.

If only I had made that call...

Thing is, I had no excuse. I had a similar feeling earlier in 2010 when Jody Headlee, a dear friend of mine at The Oakland Press, and Tigers manager Sparky Anderson died. These were also people who had a profound impact on my life.

And I never made that call.

We should never be too busy to stop and understand all we have to be grateful for - especially the precious few who have been true friends and mentors.

I failed miserably in this regard - and feel terrible about it.

I wished I could call Steve and Bill today so they could find it in their hearts to forgive me.