27
2011
Mets Ask R.A. Dickey Not To Climb Mt. Kilimanjaro
An article by 
According to the Wall Street Journal, the Mets have now asked Dickey not to make his charity climb to the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro. Though the journey is not exactly a treacherous one, the Mets still sent him a letter telling him they would void his contract should he sustain any injuries on the journey.
“I don’t think there’s really any lethal risk to doing it,” said Dickey. “It’s not like it’s Everest.“
Sandy Alderson had this to say to the WSJ on the matter:
“If we thought it was a good idea, we wouldn’t have sent the letter, beyond that, have we tried to dissuade him from going? It seems to me that the letter is enough of an effort to dissuade him, and he intends to go on nonetheless.”
Dickey still intends to make the climb, and has been running with a special mask, a gift from teammate DJ Carrasco, to assist him in getting acclimated to less oxygen at high altitudes. As we learned in early November, Dickey will be accompanied by now-Rockies pitcher Kevin Slowey and Mets bullpen catcher Dave Racaniello.
About the Author: Clayton Collier
Clayton, a Long Island native and die-hard Mets fan, started writing online about three years ago. He is currently a Journalism major with a minor in Broadcasting at Seton Hall University. Although very disappointed with the current state of the team, Clayton remains hopeful that the young prospects in the farm system will bring the Mets back to a respected franchise in baseball once again. Besides writing for MMO, Clayton is also a staff member at 89.5 WSOU, Seton Hall's modern active rock radio station. You can contact Clayton by following him on Twitter: @Clayton_Collier or E-mailing him at MaybeNextYearMets@yahoo.com
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NL East Standings
| Team | W | L | Pct. | GB |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Braves | 42 | 28 | .600 | - |
| Nationals | 34 | 35 | .493 | 7.5 |
| Phillies | 34 | 37 | .479 | 8.5 |
| Mets | 25 | 40 | .385 | 14.5 |
| Marlins | 22 | 47 | .319 | 19.5 |
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Eh, I suppose they’re just covering their bases. If they didn’t send the letter, then Dickey gets hurt, then they voided the contract, everyone would be saying “Well they didn’t tell him not to do it.” Good luck to R.A., it will be the biggest accomplishment by a Met the entire year.
Ya, pretty much. I’m sure if they really wanted to stop him, they could.
Hopefully, he’ll have a safe trip and it will bring attention to a major issue.
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I’m with the Mets on this one. He can’t be allowed to do this, he can be charitable through many much safer and “down-to-earth” ways.
I’m sorry but your employer is paying you millions of dollars and if you are putting yourself in a situation where your life is jeopardized regardless of your intentions they have every right to order you not to do it.
Use a little common sense, RA. It’s also not fair to his team mates either.
legally (contractually) the Mets can’t stop him. Hence the letter requesting he not do it, and pointing out the downside (they can void the contract).
So really, if he does end his career doing the climb, the Mets won’t be paying him anything.
I support R.A., 110%. People, and men especially, are risk takers. This is what he wants to do, and it is for something worthwhile both to him and the cause for which he’s doing it.
The Mets have known about this for how long? And are just NOW asking him not to do it? If they had issues with it they should have taken it up with R.A. privately as soon as they found out about it instead of it going public just days before he goes on the trip.
Or maybe they’re hoping Mike Pelfrey goes instead?!
LOL
But seriously, this kinda makes the Mets look bad. But, hey, what’s new.
This more than kinda makes the Mets look bad. It just shows the world of baseball what a piece of garbage Alderson and the Wilpons are.
we certainly never had any kind of P.R. faux pas when Omar was in charge, right?
Mets or any employers shouldn’t stop employees from doing anything within the law during their free time. The fact that this is for a good cause shows the kind of guy Dickey is. He’s the one taking the risk. If he gets hurt the Mets dont owe him a red cent, but the choice should be his not his employers.
If this was 2009, nobody would care, but because the Mets suck so bad and Dickey is their top starting pitcher everyone is concerned. Two years ago when he was a washed up 35 year old minor leaguer that Minaya signed for AAA depth nobody had a good thing to say about Dickey.
Dickey is Da Man!.
pretty much does juts seem like a CYA formality. They are paying enough for non-performing assets, and don’t want to pay any more!
Couldn’t have said it better myself Joe.
I mean Bobby Ojeda cut off part of his finger gardening in ’88, you can’t put these guys in a padded cell in their free time, if he wants to take the $4 million risk; let him.
This was probably just a formality. It wouldn’t surprise me to find out players get the same letter if they bu ya motorcycle or something (or wash their cars).
Sorry guys, but I am with R.A. because he committed for this climb and the Mets should let him do it. No letter or threats would stop him.
Can see both sides on this. Yes, what R.A. is doing is wonderful and the fact that he is going ahead and knows hurting himself will void his contract and cost him dearly, considering only now is he reaping the benefits of a multi-million dollar contract (two years ago he was still on minor league bus trips).
But I understand the Mets point of view. Those old enough to remember Jim Lomberg will recall the ace of the Boston Red Sox 1967 Impossible Dream broke his ankle in an off-season skiing accident and was never the same – and neither were the BoSox. Any professional sports franchise has to be concerned. An unforeseen accident is one thing but putting one’s self at risk is another.
I just hope the matter went beyond the customary legal notification and that Sandy, still being the corporate guy, also wished him luck and to come back safe and sound. Otherwise, this could create wounds more than physical.
I bet they wish Bobby Bonilla climbed a mountain years ago.
By the way, did they also send a letter to the Mets bullpen catcher Dave Racaniello???
Here are your options:
1. Climb Mt. Kilimanjaro or
2. Bottom of the 7th, bases loaded , game tied. 2 out and Albert Pujols at the plate with a 3-2 count.
Are you crazy- climb Mt Kilimanjaro for sure!
He would rather face Pujols. Albert is 0 for 5 with one strike out.
This is what Albert saw when facing R.A., which is probably the reason why he switched to the American League LOL.
http://pitchfx.texasleaguers.com/matchup/285079/405395/?from=4/1/2010&to=4/20/2011
headline is misleading, they didnt ask him not to. they informed him that he was risking his contract.
If I was Dickey, I’d tell the front office to get a team behind me (I.e.,when I pitch), rather than worrying about my recreational/charitable off-season activites!!!
Ok you are a Met employee. What is the greater of these two options occurring:
a. You are R.A. Dickey and you could get hurt climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro or
b. Your paycheck signed by the New York Mets could bounce.
You hit the nail right on the head. If this is the issue upon which the front office wants to take a stand to show that they actually care about the team and the fans, it’s more screwed up than I could ever possibly imagine.
Dickey even stated a while back that it’s a relatively easy climb. So let’s see, no funds for the team to spend — no problem. Need a new loan every week from anyone with cash — no problem. Can’t pay back any loan — no problem. Turning the Mets into a baseball purgatory — no problem. No fans — no problem. One of the better performers on the team wants to do a climb??? Uh, oh. Now we have a situation to address. Gimme a break.
People, get a grip. They are not telling him not to climb.
They are reminding Dickey of a stipulation in his contract. Strangely enough, when millions of dollars are at stake, lawyers like to play CYA. Who knew?
Neither Dickey nor the Mets are the bad guys here. Dickey is doing something great for a terrific cause and the Mets just want to make sure it doesn’t blow up on them.
Right Donal.
This is a precaution that has to be taken and I’m sure R.A. understands the circumstances requiring such action and wasn’t the least bit caught off guard when receiving the legal notification. I think the ill will generated by the Wilpons is getting in the way of objectivity in this case only.
If Wheeler was doing this some here would be going ape****.
Is climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro hard to do? Some folks like R.A., say, “It’s not like it’s Everest,“ implying it’s not tremendously difficult. But there seems to be some mixed evidence. About one-third of the attempts fail to succeed. Even worse there are some deaths. In 2007, four deaths, including three porters, occurred in one week.
Read about it here:
http://www.climbmountkilimanjaro.com/2007/09/03/black-week-for-kilimanjaro-four-deaths-in-seven-days-2/index.html
Yeah God forbid R.A. should return and suddenly turn into a mediocre major league pitcher.
Yeah we don’t want our player climbing a mountain but if a few years ago he choose to inject himself with steroids, pop adrenaline pills, use cocaine or alcohol “we didn’t know nothin.
If I read one story about how R.A. Dickey left a Mets hat at the top of the mountain or read a friggin book with one of his children up there I am punching a hole through this computer screen I SWEAR TO gOD!
Here is a question to ponder…
What is More Dangerous?
Climbing Mount Kilimanjaro or letting the Mets medical Staff diagnose and treat an injury?
Get out your climbing boots it’s safer!
Kilamanjaro is a walk in the park. Properly guided, it’s probably safer. Much ado…
gene — I want to believe you. But why are 10-50 people killed yearly climbing Mount Kilimanjaro? It seems the staff there, which publishes the lower number of deaths, is guilty of doing what you’re implying the Mets doctors of doing — minimizing the gravity of injuries. (P.S.: Let’s remember that the Mets switched hospitals to avoid what some fans are still remembering.)
ARE THEY THAT DESPERATE TO TRY TO WEASEL OUT OF THEIR 4th HIGHEST GUARANTEED CONTRACT? HELL, MY CHURCH SPONSORED A KILAMANJARO CLIMB BY PARISHIONERS LAST SUMMER MY UNDERSTANDING IS IT’S BEST DESCRIBED AS A “HIKE” UP THER MOUNTAIN THAN AN ACTUAL CLIMB.
THIS FRANCHISE IS BECOMING TOO EMBARASSING TO ROOT FOR!
other teams do this too. Just a CYA $ thing. I bleive the “dangerous acts” clause is in every player contract and this is just a gentle reminder.
ANY, IT’S MY UNDERSTANDING THAT SHORTNESS OF BREATH CAUSED BY HIGH ALTITUDE EXERCISE IS THE BIGGEST PHYSICAL THREAT OF THIS ENDEAVOR SEVERLY LIMITING THE # WHO ACTUALLY COMPLETE THE TASK
IF THE NYM INTERPRET THIS CHARITABLE QUEST AS “DANGEROUS ACT” MATERIAL THEN HE’S LIKELY NOT ALLOWED OUT AS A NYC PEDESTRIAN WITHOUT JAY HOROWITZ BESIDE HIM HOLDING HIS HAND IN THE CROSSWALJK LMAO!
IT MAKES MOST SENSE THEY’RE ATTEMPTIN G TO VOID THE 4.5M GUARANTEE FOR ’12
The way I understand it, it’s not shortness of breath, it’s flat out lack of oxygen. He’s going to need to bring air tanks and certain medications.
Also, the lower air pressure messes with your blood flow.
There is a notable concern, otherwise, no one would care he is doing it.
I agree 62…
Seems any excuse to void a contract is being taken advantage of.
I think some people are also under the misimpression that this is some sort of clmb.
It’s not you actually just walk up the mountain! It’s a long walk and it takes days to acclimate but your never exerting yourself more than a slow walk (slow if your actually doing it correctly)
Is there anyone who is in fact familiar and experienced in climbing who can give us some facts?
Donal — The three porters who died in 2007 trekked in the pouring rain, then got soaking wet and froze to death when the night temperatures plummeted. I have little doubt that R.A.’s cardiovascular system is up to the challenge. He’s an athlete and he’s training. But if he slips and falls, causing him to injure a leg or his pitching wrist, arm or shoulder, he could be in a world of litigation.
There is a lot of literature available on the subject. It’s best to determine the agenda of those folks with strong views. For example, it’s probably best to discount those with financial motives one way or the other — personal injury lawyers, Kilmanjaro chambers of commerce, etc. My prior link is a good starting point:
http://www.climbmountkilimanjaro.com/2007/09/03/black-week-for-kilimanjaro-four-deaths-in-seven-days-2/index.html