| R. A. Dickey | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
_(Cropped).jpg) Dickey with the Blue Jays in 2016 | |||||||||||||||
| Pitcher | |||||||||||||||
| Born: (1974-10-29)October 29, 1974 (age 50) Nashville, Tennessee, U.S. | |||||||||||||||
Batted: Right Threw: Right | |||||||||||||||
| MLB debut | |||||||||||||||
| April 22, 2001, for the Texas Rangers | |||||||||||||||
| Last MLB appearance | |||||||||||||||
| September 26, 2017, for the Atlanta Braves | |||||||||||||||
| MLB statistics | |||||||||||||||
| Win–loss record | 120–118 | ||||||||||||||
| Earned run average | 4.04 | ||||||||||||||
| Strikeouts | 1,477 | ||||||||||||||
Stats atBaseball Reference  | |||||||||||||||
| Teams | |||||||||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||||||
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Medals
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Robert Allen Dickey (born October 29, 1974) is an American former professionalbaseballpitcher. He played inMajor League Baseball (MLB) for theTexas Rangers,Seattle Mariners,Minnesota Twins,New York Mets,Toronto Blue Jays andAtlanta Braves.
After limited success in MLB as a conventionalstarting pitcher, Dickey learned to throw aknuckleball. In 2012, Dickey was selected to his firstAll-Star Game, won theSporting News Pitcher of the Year Award, and became the first knuckleball pitcher to win theCy Young Award after posting a 20–6record with a league-leading 230strikeouts. From 2013 to 2017, Dickey andBoston Red Sox pitcherSteven Wright were the only two activeknuckleballers in the Majors.[1]
Dickey attendedMontgomery Bell Academy inNashville, Tennessee, where he was named the state'sGatorade Player of the Year as a senior.[2] He was drafted by theDetroit Tigers in the 10th round (277th overall) of the1993 MLB draft, but did not sign.
Dickey attended theUniversity of Tennessee, where he playedcollege baseball for theTennessee Volunteers baseball team in theSoutheastern Conference. Dickey majored inEnglish literature at Tennessee, where he had a 3.35GPA and was namedAcademic All-American.[3] He was also named Academic All-SEC.[4]
Dickey was drafted by theTexas Rangers in the first round (18th overall) of the1996 MLB draft. After being drafted by the Rangers, Dickey was initially offered asigning bonus of $825,000, before a Rangers team physician saw Dickey's throwing (right) arm hanging oddly in a picture of him with other Team USA players inBaseball America. The Rangers subsequently did further evaluation of Dickey, leading to the discovery of a missingulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow joint, and reduced their offer to $75,000.[5][6] Dickey has been quoted as saying, "Doctors look at me and say I shouldn't be able to turn a doorknob without feeling pain,"[5] making his ability to pitch somewhat remarkable.
Dickey debuted with the Rangers in 2001. "His stuff was dime-a-dozen, though: a high-80'sfastball, an occasional fringybreaking ball, and aforkball he dubbed 'The Thing.'"[6] The start of the 2004 season was thought to be a turning point in Dickey's career, as he managed to compile a 4–1 record through his first five starts. This hot streak was short-lived, however, and he ended up finishing the season a disappointing 6–7 with a 5.61ERA.[7]
Throughout his career, Dickey did not know that his "forkball" pitch was actually a hard knuckleball, but by 2005, Dickey had realized that the best way to extend his career was to perfect the pitch.[5] At the beginning of the 2006 season, the Rangers gave Dickey a chance to try out his knuckleball at the major league level by naming him the fifth starter. However, after giving up sixhome runs in his first start on April 6, tying the modern era baseball record with another knuckleballer,Tim Wakefield, he was demoted to the Rangers' Triple-Aminor league affiliate, theOklahoma RedHawks.
On January 13, 2007, he signed a minor league deal with theMilwaukee Brewers and spent the 2007 season with the Triple-ANashville Sounds. After finishing the season with a 12–6 record and a 3.80 ERA, Dickey was named thePacific Coast League Pitcher of the Year.[8]
Dickey became a minor league free agent after the season. On November 28, 2007, he signed a minor league contract with theMinnesota Twins that included an invitation tospring training but was claimed in theRule 5 draft by the Seattle Mariners on December 6, 2007.
On March 29, 2008, the Mariners traded minor league catcher Jair Fernandez to the Twins to retain the rights for Dickey and initially optioned him to Triple-ATacoma, recalling him to the major league club on April 14.[9]
On August 17, 2008, Dickey tied the record for mostwild pitches in an inning, with four. This came against the Twins in the fifth inning. He joins four others, including Hall of FamersWalter Johnson andPhil Niekro, who have accomplished this feat.[10]
In 2008, he led the majors in games started with fewer than four days of rest, with six, two ahead of teammateMiguel Batista.[11] Dickey became a free agent after the season.[7]
On December 23, 2008, Dickey signed a minor league contract with the Twins that included an invitation to spring training.[12][13] He pitched 35 games for the Twins in 2009, starting once. He became a free agent after the season.[7]
On January 5, 2010, Dickey signed a minor league contract with theNew York Mets, receiving an invitation tospring training.[14] He was assigned to the Triple-ABuffalo Bisons to begin the season. While playing for the Bisons, Dickey threw a one-hitter on April 29. He gave up a single to the first batter, and then retired the next twenty-seven in a row.[15]
On May 19, 2010, theNew York Mets purchased Dickey's contract from the Buffalo Bisons, and he made his first appearance as a Met against theWashington Nationals on the same day. In his debut for the Mets, Dickey pitched well, going six innings, giving up five hits, two earned runs, and striking out two, but received ano-decision. His next start, May 25 against thePhiladelphia Phillies, he went six innings again, giving up 9 hits, walking 3 and striking out 7 in an 8–0 shutout for his first victory as a Met. On August 13, 2010, Dickey threw a complete game one-hit shutout of the Philadelphia Phillies — the only hit being a single surrendered to Phillies starting pitcherCole Hamels.[16] Dickey finished the 2010 season with a very strong ERA of 2.84, which was 7th best in the National League and 10th in all of baseball, and served as a rare bright spot on an otherwise disappointing season for the Mets.[17] In 2010, Dickey posted career highs in Games Started (26), wins (11), complete games (2), innings pitched (174.1), strikeouts (104), ERA (2.84), WHIP (1.19), and BAA (.252).
On January 29, 2011, Dickey agreed to a two-year contract with the Mets. Under the agreement, Dickey received a $1 million signing bonus, $2.25 million in 2011, and $4.25 million in 2012. In addition, the Mets had a $5 million option for 2013 with a $300,000 buyout.[18] During the 2011 season, Dickey posted career bests in game starts (32), innings pitched (208+2⁄3) and strikeouts (134). He finished the year with a record of only 8–13, despite a 3.28 ERA that was 12th best in the National League.[19]
Dickey's performance in the first half of 2012 drew comparisons to some of the most dominant pitching streaks of the last 50 years.[20] MetsManagerTerry Collins remarked, "I've never seen anything like this. Never. I've seen some dominant pitching, but nothing like what he's going through right now."[21] Hall of Fame pitcher and fellow knuckleballerPhil Niekro commented on Dickey, "I had a few streaks, but nothing like he's going through. I don't know if any other knuckleballer has ever been on a hot streak like he has been. He is just dynamite right now."[22]
Dickey recorded double-digit strikeouts in back-to-back games in May,[23][24] becoming the first Mets pitcher to do so sincePedro Martínez in 2006. Over the two games, Dickey allowed one run in14+1⁄3 innings for an ERA of 0.63, and he was namedNational League Player of the Week for the week ending May 27, 2012.[25]
In Dickey's next two starts, he pitched16+1⁄3 innings, allowing no runs. During his next outing on June 13, Dickey allowed onlyone hit, struck out a career-high 12 batters, and walked none, facing only 29 total batters to lead the Mets to a 9–1 victory over theTampa Bay Rays. The only hit was an infield single byB.J. Upton on a play where third basemanDavid Wright tried to barehand the ball but failed to field it cleanly. The Mets formally appealed the official scorekeeping of the only hit allowed to be changed to an error on Wright, but MLB denied the appeal.[26] Dickey was the first pitcher in the major leagues to reach 10 wins in 2012.[27]
In his next start, Dickey pitched a complete game one-hit shutout against the Orioles, becoming the first pitcher sinceDave Stieb in 1988 to throw two consecutive one-hitters.[28] He also became only the third pitcher, afterSandy Koufax andNolan Ryan, to have two complete game one-hitters with 12 or more strikeouts in one season, and the only pitcher to do it in back-to-back starts.[29]
During this streak, Dickey set a new Mets franchise record of32+2⁄3 consecutive scoreless innings, bestingJerry Koosman's31+2⁄3 in 1973.[30] On July 1, 2012, Dickey was named to the National LeagueAll-Star team. He was also honored with being theNational League Pitcher of the Month after going 5–0 with a 0.93 ERA for the month of June.[31] On August 31, Dickey pitched his third complete game shutout of the year. The win marked the first time a Met pitcher had reached 17 wins sinceAl Leiter in 1998.[32] Dickey won his 20th game of the season on September 27, 2012, tying his career high with 13 strikeouts.[33] For the 2012 season, Dickey set new career bests in games started (33), wins (20), complete games (5), shutouts (3), innings pitched (233+2⁄3), strikeouts (230), ERA (2.73), WHIP (1.05), and BAA (.226).
Dickey won the NLCy Young Award, beating outGio González of the Nationals andClayton Kershaw of the Dodgers. He became the first knuckleballer in MLB history to win the award.[34] He also became the third Met pitcher to win the award, joiningTom Seaver (1969,1973, and1975) andDwight Gooden (1985).[35]
On December 16, 2012, the Mets agreed to trade Dickey to theToronto Blue Jays (along withJosh Thole andMike Nickeas) in exchange forTravis d'Arnaud,John Buck,Noah Syndergaard and Wuilmer Becerra, contingent upon his agreeing to a contract extension with the Blue Jays.[36] The two sides agreed on December 17 to a two-year, $25 million extension with a club option for a third year in 2016 at $12 million; the deal became official once Dickey passed his physical.[37][38] On February 5, 2013, managerJohn Gibbons said Dickey would be the opening day starter for the Blue Jays.[39] Dickey lost his first start for his new team, giving up four runs and five hits in six innings in a loss to theCleveland Indians. Dickey pitched his first complete game andshutout as a Blue Jay in a game against theTampa Bay Rays on June 26.[40] Dickey would finish his first season as a Blue Jay with a record of 14–13, an ERA of 4.21, and 177 strikeouts over 2242⁄3 innings pitched.
On October 25, Dickey was announced as a finalist for theAL Pitcher's Gold Glove, along with teammateMark Buehrle andDetroit Tigers pitcherDoug Fister.[41] He was awarded the 2013 Pitcher'sFielding Bible on October 28, 2013,[42] and was announced as the AL Pitcher's Gold Glove Award winner on October 29. Dickey led all American League pitchers with 40 assists and 7 defensive runs saved, and yielded only 8 stolen bases.[43]
Dickey began the 2014 season with a 4–4 record and a 4.20 ERA through his first 10 starts. On May 24, he won his fifth game of the season, 5–2 over the AL West-leadingOakland Athletics. In doing so, he lowered his ERA to 3.95, the first time in his tenure as a Blue Jay in which his ERA had been below 4.[44] On June 27, Dickey recorded his 1,000th career strikeout, coming againstTyler Flowers of the Chicago White Sox. He would start the final game of the Blue Jays season on September 28, against the Baltimore Orioles, and would pitch 6 innings and yield only 1 run, but Toronto would lose 1–0. Dickey finished the season with a 14–13 record, 3.71 ERA, 173 strikeouts, and a 1.23 WHIP in 34 starts totaling 2152⁄3 innings.[7]
Dickey opened the 2015 season as the number two starter in the Jays rotation. On June 18, he made his first start against the Mets since being traded in 2012, and pitched 71⁄3 innings in a 7–1 win. Dickey was placed on the bereavement list the following day after it was revealed that his father, Harry Lee Dickey, had died on June 16.[45] At the All-Star break, Dickey had a 3–10 record and a 4.87 ERA.[46] He would turn his season around after the break, and earned his 100th career win on September 25.[47] Dickey pitched a little over 99 innings after the All-Star break, fourth most in the American League, resulting in eight wins with only one loss, 6th best in the AL. His ERA was a meager 2.80 over that period, which would have tied him for the best in the American League withJustin Verlander (50 inning minimum), had it not been for two other Jays starters,Marco Estrada, with a 2.78 ERA, andDavid Price, at 2.55. Overall Dickey finished the season with an 11–11 record, 3.91 ERA, and 126 strikeouts in 2141⁄3 innings pitched.[7] He made his postseason debut on October 12, starting game 4 of theALDS against theTexas Rangers. At 40 years of age, Dickey became the oldest player in MLB history to make his postseason debut, pitching 42⁄3 innings before he was relieved by David Price, who would go on to earn the win.[48] On November 3, Dickey's $12 million option for 2016 was exercised by the Blue Jays.[49] During the offseason, he underwent surgery to repair a tear in his rightmeniscus.[50]
Dickey closed the 2016 regular season with a 10–15 record, 4.46 ERA, and 126 strikeouts over 1692⁄3 innings.[7] Due to the acquisition ofFrancisco Liriano at the trade deadline, Dickey made only three pitching appearances in September.[51] With the Blue Jays only needing four starters for the playoffs, Dickey was left off of the postseason roster in favor ofMarcus Stroman,Aaron Sanchez, Marco Estrada, andJ. A. Happ. Dickey became a free agent at the conclusion of the 2016 season.[52] On October 27, Dickey was named a finalist for the Gold Glove Award, losing toDallas Keuchel.[53][54]
_(cropped).jpg)
On November 10, 2016, Dickey signed a one-year, $7.5 million contract with theAtlanta Braves that included an $8 million club option for the 2018 season, with a $500,000 buyout.[55]
In 31 starts for the Braves in the 2017 season, Dickey had a 10–10 record with a 4.26 ERA. The Braves declined the 2018 option on Dickey, leaving him a free agent. He retired in 2018 after not being signed in free agency.[56]
Dickey relied primarily on theknuckleball, using it around 80% of the time. His repertoire was rounded out bytwo-seam andfour-seam fastballs (82–85 mph) and a rarechangeup (76–78 mph).[57] Dickey's knuckleball came in two forms — a "slow" knuckler in the low-to-mid 70s that has been clocked as low as 54 mph, and a "fast" one in the upper 70s, sometimes reaching as fast as 83 mph. Dickey tended to use the slow knuckleball when he was behind in the count, and used the fast one when he was ahead.[58] However, he resorted to a fastball in most 3–0 and 3–1 counts.[57]
Dickey was a member of theTeam USA at the1996 Olympics that won a bronze medal inAtlanta. Dickey started two games, recording wins in both.[59] Seventeen years later, Dickey once again pitched for Team USA in the2013 World Baseball Classic. He started two games, going 0–1 after allowing 5 runs in 9 innings as the Americans finished in sixth place.[60]
_(cropped).jpg)
Dickey is married and has two daughters and two sons.[4] Aborn-again Christian, he helps operate theOcala, Florida-based Honoring the Father Ministries which provides medical supplies, powdered milk, and baseball equipment to the impoverished in Latin America.[67]
A 2010New York Times article reported that Dickey is an avid reader and that at the time. Dickey has said that if he had not become a professional athlete, he would have become an English professor.[68] Dickey named his bats for literary swords—Orcrist the Goblin Cleaver (fromThe Hobbit) andHrunting (fromBeowulf).[69] Dickey mixed upOrcrist andSting when explaining the origin of the name.[70][71] Dickey's at-bat introduction song was the theme fromGame of Thrones.[72]
In November 2011, Dickey announced that he would risk his 2012 season salary ($4.25 million) to attempt to climbMount Kilimanjaro. He credited this aspiration to his boyhood reading ofErnest Hemingway'sThe Snows of Kilimanjaro.[73] While climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro, he set out to raise awareness of the issue ofhuman trafficking in India. His climb was in support of an organization called "Bombay Teen Challenge" that ministers to victims of human trafficking and their children in the heart of thered-light districts. Dickey returned from this trip in January 2012 with Mets bullpen catcherDave Racaniello and theCleveland Indians starting pitcherKevin Slowey, and together raised over $100,000.
His 2011 season was followed in the documentary filmKnuckleball![74][75]
His autobiography,Wherever I Wind Up: My Quest for Truth, Authenticity and the Perfect Knuckleball, written along withNew York Daily News reporter Wayne Coffey, was released in 2012.[76] In the book Dickey wrote that, at the age of 8, a 13-year-old female babysittersexually abused him, and subsequently a teenage male sexually abused him. He also discussed his struggles withsuicidal thoughts as an adult.[77] In September 2012,Dial Press announced a deal with Dickey to publish three books, including a children's version of his memoir.[78]
On June 20, 2012, it was reported that Dickey was helping coach an 18-year-old knuckleball pitcher fromLong Island, helping him become a walk-on pitcher for theUniversity of Maryland Terrapins.[79][80]
In 2013, Dickey appeared in a video forI Am Second describing hissuicide attempt, history of abuse, and becoming a born-again Christian.[81]
...a run that ended Dickey's stretch of 44 2/3 innings without allowing an earned run, thereby leaving intact Dwight Gooden's franchise mark of 49 such innings in 1985.
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| Sporting positions | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Opening Day starting pitcher for the Toronto Blue Jays 2013–2014 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | National League Cy Young Award 2012 | Succeeded by |
| International | |
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| National | |