17
2012
Let’s Do This For Dickey!
An article by 
I’ve been so down on this team lately. So much so that it’s even effected my outlook on non-baseball matters. Everything just feels so drab. Yesterday, I found myself trying to find ways to transcend my negativity into something positive – if only to spare myself from two more weeks of this agonizing final month of the Mets baseball season. The answer was right in front of me all along.
R.A. Dickey still gives us a reason to watch and something to rally around. His baseball career was fraught with many, many seasons full of turmoil and disappointment until it all finally came together for him at the age of 35 and in the most unlikely of places – the floundering New York Mets. Dickey is a testament to the power of patience and persistence – two important qualities one needs to survive as a Mets fan.
When Dickey takes the mound tonight against the Phillies at Citi Field, I’ll be watching and rooting for him to get that 19th victory of the season. His Cy Young quest has replaced any hopes I had for this team to win a wild card spot this season. For almost half a season we owned that spot, but like all teams the injuries soon followed and we had neither the depth to address them, or the willingness in our front office to get help from outside the organization. In a sense our season had come to an end on July 31st. One player who refused to go down without a fight was R.A. Dickey. While most of the team began to succumb to the non-response for help, Dickey kept forging ahead. In truth, Dickey should be searching for win number 23 tonight instead of 19, if not for an offense that scored just five runs for him in six of his no-decisions or losses.
John Harper of the Daily News wrote a wonderful column last week, so good in fact I’ve read it two more times this weekend. Harper is one of those 32 voters who will decide this year’s NL Cy Young Award winner and he had the opportunity to discuss Dickey’s candidacy with the others.
After two days of polling the voters who will decide the 2012 NL Cy Young Award, I can draw two conclusions — one should give R.A. Dickey encouragement; the other could give him extra incentive for his final four starts of the season.
Most significantly, the 12 voters I spoke to — out of 32 in all — were unanimous in saying the race is too close to call with nearly three weeks to go, and too close to even have a clear-cut favorite among four primary candidates: Dickey, Johnny Cueto, Gio Gonzalez and Clayton Kershaw.
As a result, the voters agree the last few starts for each pitcher could be crucial, perhaps coming down to the very last one.
The one thing often cited as a knock on Dickey has been his unorthodox pitch, the knuckleball. Many still seem unwilling to give it the respect it deserves. Even in this remarkable campaign Dickey is having, Tony La Russa saw fit to snub Dickey from participating in the All-Star Game. Harper says it goes beyond even that as at no time in baseball history has a knuckleballer ever won a Cy Young Award.
But according to Harper, some of those who will be casting their votes are not as neolithic as LaRussa regarding what Dickey has accomplished.
“It’s an absolute non-issue,” said Tim Brown of Yahoo.com. “For me, if he spit it out of his mouth and got big league hitters out, it wouldn’t matter. It’s all about performance.”
“If anything, it might help him,” said Jerry Crasnick of ESPN.com, “because he’s doing something out of the ordinary. I admire what he’s done with the knuckleball.”
“It’s about results, not velocity,” said Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. “If the Cy Young Award were just about who has the best pitch, wouldn’t Mariano Rivera have won it by now?”
Finally, another voter who preferred not to give his name said that anybody who has a knuckleball bias “is an idiot and should give up his right to vote.”
These comments give me hope that Dickey can bring the NL Cy Young Award home this season.
His strong efforts will not be disqualified, negated or ignored by some antiquated, unwritten rule that penalized knuckleballers and their solid performances in the past.
It seems baseball is evolving at least where the knucleball is concerned.
Good luck tonight, R.A.!
About the Author: Joe DeCaro
I'm a lifelong Mets fan who loves writing and talking about the Amazins' 24/7. From the Miracle in 1969 to the magic of 1986, and even the near misses in '73 and '00, I've experienced it all - the highs and the lows. I started Mets Merized Online in 2005 to feed my addiction. Follow me on Twitter @metsmerized.
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Dickey should be searching for win number 23 tonight instead of 19, if not for an offense that scored just five runs for him in six of his no-decisions or losses.
This is what really stinks more than anything else. The fact he should have secured the 20 wins a month ago. Team has let him down.
http://espn.go.com/mlb/features/cyyoung
The thing is and no one really talks about it, Dickey is far from just a “knuckleball pitcher”. Traditional knuckleball pitchers basically lob their offering towards the plate in hopes that the baseball gods can control it’s eventual outcome. Dickey is actually able to control his multiple pitches, changing speeds with his pitch, having it sink or rise on purpose, making it into both a cutter and a slider depending on the handedness of the batter. RA is the consummate pitcher. Actually to deny him the CY Young considering the team he has pitched on would be a travesty. Assuming he doesn’t give up 24 runs in his final 4 of course.
Well, Gio lost last night… I think once again it opened up the door for Dickey to win it.. had Gio won it last night i think he would’ve secure it.. Let’s hope this guy win tonight and secure yet again another cy young for the NY METS. he should since he’s not facing the yankees
I do have a question though. Will the Mets consider bringing Dickey back out on short rest to finish up the season if he hasn’t won 20? I have not looked to see how the schedule works out but lets say he pitches with 3 games left will they bring him back out to start the last game?
That’s a good question and I’ve given that some thought as well. I have a sneaky suspicion that if Dickey does not win his 19th tonight, that the Mets will change plans and pitch him on 3 days rest for remaining games in the season. It will give him 3 shots to win two more games instead of just 2 shots. Collins has already said back in early August I believe that he would pitch him on three days rest if it were to help him get to 20 wins.
That off day is screwing with me but they have 15 games after tonight’s game in 16 days. Based on my count they could actually get him 4 more starts if they pitched him on 3 days rest.
21st, 25th, 29th, and final game on the 3rd.
Oh yes, you’re actually right. That would be kind of Herculean if it goes down that way.
????? 3 days rest??? wouldn’t that show he’s desperate to get stats to win it? as of now he’s back again as the favorite… go accordingly, he’s got 3 more starts, let him be…
Well while true, it means more cash for the Wilpons, I mean Sandy
Lets not start the Reyes debate again Alex but personal achievements can throw logic and competition out the window. IF for some reason he doesn’t get that 19th win tonight it wouldn’t surprise me. The chance for 20 wins is something a pitcher now days doesn’t get the opportunity for very often. Especially not for a losing team. That wouldn’t be just about the CY Young as he could win 22 and still not get the vote.
Alex, if Dickey were to go 3 days to accomplish this personal but also an accomplishment for the team, what does the team have to lose? We are already mathematically eliminated from winning the east, so why not shoot for this considering how close we are to it? Dont compare it to Reyes it is two different things. I first thought the same thing when Collins mentioned the 3 days rest, but after some thought I realized I was wrong. Dickey is willing to play more to accomplish this goal while Reyes made the decision to take himself out of the game. It was also a game that was packed with fans wishing him good luck and possibly farewell on top of that.
Well, if you see it that way go ahead.. i think he should do his starts and that’s it… No need to look desperate.
Dickey going for number 19 tonight is enough incentive for me to tune in.
Also, I’m hoping for a sweep of the Phils to squash their WC hopes once and for all.
‘Finally, another voter who preferred not to give his name said that anybody who has a knuckleball bias “is an idiot and should give up his right to vote.”
Love it. Someone should tell that to some of those ‘analysts’ on MLB network.
But why does he prefer not to give up who his name is?
Could be one of the voters from Cincy or another team with a pitcher in the mix. So he commented anonymously so as not to stir up a hornets nest.
Or those idiots hold too much sway in the BBWAA.
I will be watching and praying tonight with all my fellow Mets fans. Dickey is probably the last reason we have to smile. And crushing the Phillies will help.
Just a tidbit – remember Felix Hernandez won the Cy Young with a 13-12 record……………..
for those who have mentioned felix hernandez, let me just say that Felix Hernandez is a household name. a superstar. Which automatically nets him some votes, a power pitcher who people love, a dominant guy. dickey is not. you cannot compare the 2.
Felix in 2010:
13-12 249 IP (Lead League) 2.27 (LL) 7 H/9IP (LL) 1001 Batters Faced (LL) 232 k 70 bb in 34 GS 6 CG 1 SHO
Dickey in 2012:
18-6 212 IP 2.67 (Leading League) 7.3 H/9IP 800 Batters Faced 200 k 51 bb in 30 GS 5 CG (LL) 3 SHO (LL)
However, i do think he’ll win it because cueto has come back down to earth and Gio has been more of an up and down pitcher. to be honest i want him to win so his leverage goes up and we can trade the guy for more “talented” prospects.
I have no idea how Dickey’s stats are less than Hernandez. Dickey leads in IP CG Shut Outs and ERA
He’s second in WHIP and Ks.
The fact that he’s not a traditional power pitcher makes it even more impressive. The fact that he isn’t a household name is irrelevant (and probably untrue).
“For those that mentioned”……………clearly, I mentioned him, and you know it, for once be a grown up.
I never ever once compared the two, NEVER. I just posted a tidbit, I know on a lousy rainy day, at the end of a lousy baseball season, God forbid anyone posts anything that even hints of something good.
Don’t you have another thread to go into, shake your head out, assume what people are going to say, make the assumption of here come “those people” before anyone even replies all the while calling me a baiter and instigator, complain about someone else’s opinion being shoved down your throat and posting the same regurgitated garbage and hypocrisy in every single thread every day, day in and day out, as if, your words are going to change a damn decision Sandy Alderson, Fred Wilpon, the Head Groundskeeper or Mickey Mouse make?
By the way you said “a power pitcher who people love,” have you not seen all the Press RA has gotten this year with his book release, and talking about her personal life? Tell me, how does a person’s “love” get measured throughout MLB and how does that factor?
Alex dont you ever tell another person to shut up, especially Kay who is one of the most respected people in our community.
Your comment has been deleted.
“Dickey is a knuckleballer which does not put too much effort into actually PITCHING. ”
Ya, OK.
Here’s your real baseball knowledge.
A traditional knuckleball pitcher may not put much effort into pitching however, as I said earlier:
“The thing is and no one really talks about it, Dickey is far from just a “knuckleball pitcher”. Traditional knuckleball pitchers basically lob their offering towards the plate in hopes that the baseball gods can control it’s eventual outcome. Dickey is actually able to control his multiple pitches, changing speeds with his pitch, having it sink or rise on purpose, making it into both a cutter and a slider depending on the handedness of the batter”
Stop with the name calling. If you can’t debate without name calling than don’t comment at all.
Hey, look… i am now in charge of deleting comment
Well then, I’m very impressed Alex with how you deleted your own comment as inappropriate.
That’s a step in the right direction. LOL
SRT, hey, i had to try it on me first and see if it works… Now, I HAVE THE POWEEEEEEEEER!!!!!!!!
So you and your buddy TRS along with a few others must be on the lookout
Ha! We shall see…..
Lmao, We won’t.. there’s no way i can get a power like that in here.. If so there’d be a lot of people’s comments deleted. ech article would have about 3 or 4 comments in them.. You know, kinda like other blogs out there
What the heck is going on here? LOL.
Lol, Careful TRS. i am now in charge…
Ah must be a test run before you come over for your visit.