R. A. Dickey
Free Agent — No. --
Relief pitcher
Born: October 29, 1974 (1974-10-29) (age 35) Nashville, Tennessee
Bats: Right	Throws: Right
MLB debut
April 22, 2001 for the Texas Rangers
Career statistics (through August 24, 2009)
Win-Loss	22-28
Earned run average	5.43
Strikeouts	271
Teams
Texas Rangers (2001, 2003-2006) Seattle Mariners (2008) Minnesota Twins (2009)

Dickey pitching for the Seattle Mariners in 2008.

Robert Alan "R. A." Dickey (born October 29, 1974 in Nashville, Tennessee) is a right-handed Major League Baseball pitcher who is currently a Free Agent. He was previously with the Seattle Mariners and Milwaukee Brewers organizations. Prior to that, Dickey was with the Texas Rangers organization without interruption since being drafted in 1996. In the majors, Dickey has had limited success as a starting pitcher, and has since made the transition to becoming a knuckleball pitcher.

[edit] Professional career

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 5.61 ERA. ^[1]

Dickey was a member of the 1996 US Olympic Baseball team that won a Bronze medal in Atlanta. ^[2]

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 5th starter. However, after giving up 6 home 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-A minor league affiliate, the Oklahoma Redhawks. On January 13, 2007, he signed a minor league deal with the Brewers and spent the 2007 season with the Triple-A Nashville Sounds. After finishing the season with a 12-6 record and a 3.80 ERA, Dickey was named the Pacific Coast League Pitcher of the Year.

Dickey became a minor league free agent after the season. On November 28, 2007, he signed a minor league contract with the Minnesota Twins that included an invitation to spring training, but was claimed in the Rule 5 Draft by the Seattle Mariners on December 6, 2007.

On March 29, 2008, the Mariners traded catcher Jair Fernandez to the Twins to retain the rights for Dickey and initially optioned him to Triple-A Tacoma, recalling him to the major league club on April 14.[2]

On August 17, 2008, Dickey tied the record for most wild pitches in an inning, with 4. This came against the Minnesota Twins in the 6th inning. He joins four others including Hall of Famers Walter Johnson and Phil Niekro among others who have accomplished this feat. He became a free agent after the season after refusing a minor league assignment.

In 2008, he led the majors in games started with fewer than four days of rest, with six.[3]

On December 23, 2008, Dickey signed a minor league contract with an invitation to spring training with the Minnesota Twins. In October 2009 Dickey Was Granted Free Agency. ^[3]

[edit] Missing ligament

Dickey lacks the ulnar collateral ligament in his pitching arm, which is the one replaced during Tommy John surgery. Dickey has been quoted as saying "Doctors look at me and say I shouldn’t be able to turn a doorknob without feeling pain . . . " ^[4] making his ability to pitch somewhat remarkable. After being drafted by the Rangers, Dickey was initially offered a signing bonus of $810,000, before a Rangers team physician saw Dickey's arm hanging oddly in a picture. The Rangers subsequently did further evaluation of Dickey, leading to the discovery of the missing ligament, and reduced their offer to $75,000.^[4]

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Career statistics and player information from MLB, or ESPN, or Baseball-Reference, or Fangraphs, or The Baseball Cube
• Alan Schwarz, "New Twist Keeps Dickey’s Career Afloat" New York Times, February 27, 2008
• Minor League Splits and Situational Stats
• "R.A. Dickey Named PCL Pitcher-of-the-Year." Nashville Sounds. 29 August 2007. 22 September 2007.
• "Elusive Knuckleball Gives Pitcher Chance at Majors" NPR. February 28 2008.