Happy birthday, R.A. Dickey

by Adam J. Morris on Oct 29, 2011 2:28 PM CDT

Happy birthday to R.A. Dickey, who turns 37 today.

R.A. Dickey

#43 / Pitcher / New York Mets

Height: 6-2

Weight: 220

Bats: R

Throws: R

Born: Oct 29, 1974

Dickey was the Rangers' first pick in the 1996 draft, a first rounder who went #18 overall out of the University of Tennessee. Kris Benson was the #1 overall pick in that draft, and Travis Lee went #2 overall. Billy Koch, Adam Eaton, and Eric Chavez were among those picked ahead of Dickey, and Eric Milton, Jake Westbrook, and Gil Meche went 20-21-22 behind Dickey.

Dickey, as folks know, didn't have an elbow ligament and thus got a signing bonus that is just a fraction of what he would have received otherwise. He looked like an organizational depth guy, making his major league debut at age 26 in 2001, then getting more time in the majors in 2003 and 2004 with Texas during a time when anyone with a functional arm was getting a look.

Dickey ended up becoming a knuckleballer, but didn't have much success with it in Texas, and Rangers fans probably most remember him from his last appearance with the Rangers. On April 6, 2006, he started the 4th game of the season for the Rangers at home against Detroit. The Tigers lit him up, hitting 6 home runs off of him in 3 1/3 innings, with former Rangers Marcus Thames and Craig Monroe each contributing one homer towards that total, and future Ranger Chris Shelton homering twice off of Dickey.

Dickey never gave up, though. He signed with Milwaukee as a free agent that offseason and spent 2007 pitching in their minor league system. He spent 2008 in the M's system and 2009 in the Twins' system, pitching in the majors for each team but having limited success.

And then, in the 2009-10 offseason, Dickey signed with the Mets. And something clicked for him. Since the start of the 2010 season, R.A. Dickey has been one of the best pitchers in the majors, allowing a 3.08 ERA in 383 innings for New York, good for a 124 ERA+. Only 16 pitchers have a higher bWAR since the start of the 2010 season than Dickey.

Its quite a remarkable story. And, as a 37 year old as of today, Dickey is pretty young for a knuckleballer. He may have another decade of production ahead of him.

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Of course his birthday is today

I hate The Angels so much, it's actually cramping my style. (See RevHaloFans SBN profile page)

by Gay For Feliz on Oct 29, 2011 2:33 PM CDT via mobile reply actions

Was it his changeup that they used to call "The Thing"?

You know, back before he was a knuckle-baller?

"Ok, post your favorite moment of the Tom Hicks era
Mine is today when he sold the team." - t ball

by Athos on Oct 29, 2011 2:33 PM CDT reply actions

That was...Ramerez maybe?

We’re not about sending messages. We’re about winning ballgames.-Wash, 04/03/11
Hell to the fucking no. -Wash, 10/07/11

by Rodney on Oct 29, 2011 2:54 PM CDT up reply actions

The Eraser.

Ever been in a boardroom, or a gang fight? Ever save a life? Ever won a court case against the odds? Ever held a dying buddy in your arms?.- jackanape on "perspective," 11/8/2010.

"do you a jet ski rental place would work here" - Mike E, 5/10/2011, in response to me saying I would rather face the Thunder than the Grizzlies in the WCF.

by Aqua on Oct 29, 2011 2:56 PM CDT up reply actions

Right!

We’re not about sending messages. We’re about winning ballgames.-Wash, 04/03/11
Hell to the fucking no. -Wash, 10/07/11

by Rodney on Oct 29, 2011 3:50 PM CDT up reply actions

Vosberg?

"Sometimes you just want to sit back and watch somebody throw 100." - Jeff Passan on Neftali Feliz

"Baseball's all that's real" - JB

by Ryin A on Oct 29, 2011 3:03 PM CDT up reply actions

Yes

by Adam J. Morris on Oct 29, 2011 3:52 PM CDT up reply actions

What did Ed Vosberg throw, The Vulcan?

"Sometimes you just want to sit back and watch somebody throw 100." - Jeff Passan on Neftali Feliz

"Baseball's all that's real" - JB

by Ryin A on Oct 29, 2011 3:59 PM CDT up reply actions

Wasn't that Danny Patterson?

"I wish I could tell you that TRangers fought the good fight, and the 2 strangers let him be. I wish I could tell you that - but Beaumont is no fairy-tale world." - bking

by TRanger on Oct 29, 2011 6:50 PM CDT up reply actions

Yeah, Ryno's obsessed w/ Ed Vosberg.

Vosberg is the guy who got arrested for trying to sell his All Star game tickets in ’95.

Que sera, sera.

by scoop16 on Oct 29, 2011 7:44 PM CDT up reply actions

I am.

"Sometimes you just want to sit back and watch somebody throw 100." - Jeff Passan on Neftali Feliz

"Baseball's all that's real" - JB

by Ryin A on Oct 29, 2011 9:28 PM CDT up reply actions

Danny Patterson had the Vulcan Changeup.

"the PGT isn’t about alerting drunk guys on their mobile as to what the score was." --goET 7-24-11

Pressure? If there’s any pressure it’s the pressure pressurizing the panty cannon.

by Atticus F on Oct 29, 2011 9:49 PM CDT up reply actions

I always wanted to be a knuckleballer.

"Sometimes you just want to sit back and watch somebody throw 100." - Jeff Passan on Neftali Feliz

"Baseball's all that's real" - JB

by Ryin A on Oct 29, 2011 2:34 PM CDT reply actions

didn't we all..

by VM on Oct 29, 2011 2:36 PM CDT up reply actions

I still could be one. He's only a year older than me.

Of course I’m a shitty baseball player so that doesn’t help.

Football can go to hell. The Rangers aren't ready for football season and neither am I.

by WyoRanger on Oct 29, 2011 3:45 PM CDT via mobile up reply actions

Back when I pitched in little league I practiced throwing a knuckleball.

But I threw really hard for a little leaguer so in game I could get through everything just going fastball change-up. So despite all the time I worked on it, I never once threw one to a live batter. Kinda weird looking back on it.

by Arson55 on Oct 29, 2011 3:54 PM CDT up reply actions

I did as well

I remember in college I took some theater history class where we had to write a play as a project. Anyway mine was about a unathletic nerd who perfected a knuckler and quickly made it to the big leagues.

I guess at 26 I’m way too young to give it a shot.

"I wish I could tell you that TRangers fought the good fight, and the 2 strangers let him be. I wish I could tell you that - but Beaumont is no fairy-tale world." - bking

by TRanger on Oct 29, 2011 7:04 PM CDT up reply actions