| Murry Dickson | |
|---|---|
 Dickson in 1957 | |
| Pitcher | |
| Born:(1916-08-21)August 21, 1916 Tracy, Missouri, U.S. | |
| Died: September 21, 1989(1989-09-21) (aged 73) Kansas City, Kansas, U.S. | |
Batted: Right Threw: Right | |
| MLB debut | |
| September 30, 1939, for the St. Louis Cardinals | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| September 14, 1959, for the Kansas City Athletics | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Win–loss record | 172–181 |
| Earned run average | 3.66 |
| Strikeouts | 1,281 |
Stats atBaseball Reference  | |
| Teams | |
| Career highlights and awards | |
Murry Monroe Dickson (August 21, 1916 – September 21, 1989) was an American professionalbaseballright-handedpitcher, who played inMajor League Baseball (MLB) during the 1940s and 1950s. He was known for his vast array of pitches and deliveries — one of hismanagers,Eddie Dyer, nicknamed him "Thomas Edison" for his inventiveness — and for the longevity of his career.
Although Dickson would lead theNational League (NL) in defeats for three successive seasons (1952–54), he pitched theSt. Louis Cardinals to the 1946 NL pennant by beating theBrooklyn Dodgers in the decisive Game 2 of the league playoffs. Then, during the1946 World Series, he started Game 7 against theBoston Red Sox, a game the Cards would ultimately win for the world championship.
Born inTracy, Missouri, Dickson graduated fromLeavenworth High School and entered professional baseball and the vast Cardinalfarm system in 1937. After three outstandingminor league seasons with the 1939Houston Buffaloes (winning 22 games to lead theTexas League) and the 1940–41Columbus Red Birds, Dickson joined the Cardinals for good in 1942. He compiled a 14–5 record for the Cards in 1942–43 (both clubs reaching theWorld Series) before joining theU.S. Army for military service during World War II. Stationed atFort Riley,Kansas,Fort George G. Meade,Maryland, andCamp Shanks,New York, he later served in theEuropean Theater of Operations where he was a jeep driver in the 35th Cavalry Reconnaissance Troop,35th Infantry Division.[1]
In 1946, Dickson returned to the Major Leagues and won 15 games for pennant- and world title-bound Cardinals, none bigger than his defeat of the Dodgers in the1946 National League tie-breaker series. The two teams had finished in a dead heat after the 154-game regular-season schedule; according to National League bylaws of the time, they would play a best-of-three series to determine the league champion. St. Louis won the opening game behindHowie Pollet, and in Game 2, inEbbets Field, Dickson shut down the home club until the ninth inning, and the Cards racked up an 8–4 victory and the league pennant.[2] He led the league inwinning percentage (.714) that season. Dickson lost Game 3 of the1946 World Series to the Red Sox, but pitched seven stronginnings in the Series' final game, withHarry Brecheen getting the win after St. Louis rallied in the eighth stanza.
Dickson compiled an over .500 won-loss record only once in the next eight years, but it was a notable effort. His contract was sold to thePittsburgh Pirates on January 29, 1949. In 1951, Dickson won 20 games (losing 16) for the seventh-place Pirates, who won only 64 contests for the entire season. He had 19complete games that season, and 21 in 1952, when he won 14 and lost 21 for a last-place Pittsburgh team that won only 42 games all year. (Thus Dickson accounted for 31 percent of Pirate victories in 1951, and a full one-third of the team's wins in 1952.) He then dropped 19 decisions in 1953 and 20 more in 1954, his first season as a member of thePhiladelphia Phillies.
Late in his career, however, Dickson experienced renewed success with a return to the Cardinals (1956–57) and as a relief pitcher in theAmerican League (AL) for theKansas City Athletics andNew York Yankees (1958–59). He retired from the game at age 43 with a career mark of 172 victories, 181 losses (.487) and anearned run average of 3.66 over 18 seasons, 625 appearances and 3,0521⁄3innings pitched.
Dickson was a better than average hitting pitcher in his big league career, posting a .231batting average (253-for-1095) with 81runs, 34doubles, 3home runs, and 82runs batted in (RBI).
On September 21, 1989, Dickson died at age 73 fromemphysema inKansas City, Kansas.