14
2012
Mets On Dickey’s Cy Young Win, Knuckleballer Wants To Retire A Met
An article by 
New York Mets righthanded pitcher R.A. Dickey tonight was named the 2012 National League Cy Young Award recipient by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America (BBWAA).
Dickey, who received 209 points, including 27 first place votes, joins Tom Seaver (1969, 1973 and 1975) and Dwight Gooden (1985) as the only pitchers in team history to earn the NL Cy Young Award. He finished tied for second in the majors with 20 wins, led the NL in strikeouts (230) and was second in the NL in ERA (2.73). Dickey recorded 27 quality starts in 2012 to lead the majors and became the sixth 20-game winner in franchise history.
“I want to thank the BBWAA for this prestigious award,” said Dickey, who became the first knuckleballer to win the Cy Young Award. “I owe so much to my teammates for their support during the year, especially Josh Thole and Mike Nickeas, who did such a great job behind the plate all season. I’d like to thank the fans. They stood behind me every time I took the mound. I wouldn’t have won this award without them. To have my name linked to Tom Seaver and Dwight Gooden is quite humbling.”
Dickey was named to his first All-Star team in 2012 and established a franchise record with 32.2 consecutive scoreless innings from May 22-June 13. Dickey became the first NL pitcher since 1944 to toss back-to-back one-hitters when he one-hit the Rays on June 13 and the Orioles on June 18.
“All of us here at the Mets congratulate R.A. on winning the Cy Young Award,” said Mets COO Jeff Wilpon. “R.A.’s tremendous accomplishments this season were a thrill for everyone in the organization and our fans. This recognition is a tribute to his hard work and determination.”
Dickey also led the National League in innings pitched (233.2), shutouts (three) and complete games (five).
“This is fitting recognition for a remarkable season,” said Mets General Manager Sandy Alderson. “We are very proud of R.A. and what he achieved in 2012.”
“It was an honor to work with R.A. throughout the year and have a front-row seat to his historic season,” said Mets Manager Terry Collins. “R.A. is a great teammate, fierce competitor and even a better human being. No one deserves this award more than him.”
R.A. Dickey reiterated his desire to stay with the Mets as guest on SNY Hot Stove Report:
I love the Mets. And that hasn’t changed from the first opportunity I got against the Washington Nationals in 2010. There’s a part of me that really wants to be loyal to that.
I want to be part of the solution here. I love the fan base, my family loves being a New York Met, being in New York and all the stuff it has to offer outside of baseball. It’s given me the platform to do things that far transcend the game.
I like being a Met, and I wouldn’t mind finishing my career as a Met.”
It will be remain to be seen if Dickey gets his wish…
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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Let’s not misinterpret, “…I like being a Met, and I wouldn’t mind finishing my career as a Met.” as a statement of someone who “wants” or “desires” to stay and/or retire a Met. He wouldn’t mind finishing his career as a Met. He probably, also, wouldn’t mind playing for a team that could contend in the near future or one that may give him a $15 million/year salary. Let’s be realistic and not read more into his quote than is there. It’s not like he said, “I WANT to retire a Met and am willing to do anything possible to make that happen.” The guy simply said he wouldn’t mind it.
How about a congrats to a guy who get Mets fans lots to cheer about in a season that was rather bleak and lay off the attacks?
Attacks? What/who exactly did I attack? Simply stated that his quote appeared to have been misinterpreted. Congrats, Taskmaster4450. Feel better?
Considering how he was snubbed as the ASG starter it is so pleasing to see him get the recognition he rightly deserves on what was an incredible season. To do what he did at his age this season with how he just dominated with that knuckleball pitch like no knuckler has ever done and to be able to watch him do it in a Mets uniform was just awesome.
LaRussa should not have been managing that ASG. Once retired, stay retired.
Congratulations R.A…..
You made the 2012 season one to remember!
Amazing news in a season that had very little good news! I’m extremely happy for RA!!! Couldn’t have happened to a nicer guy! I would love to see him have a long an illustrious career with the Mets but I totally see how trading him now may help the Mets compete sooner.
Kiss Our Ass Tony LaRussa –
Sincerely,
Every Met Fan
Dickey always says the right thing and is taking the high road throughout this entire process.
Seaver, Gooden, Dickey….good company.
Having gone what he has gone through starting with Texas I understand, but would be un-happy, if he was traded and got the one, last, major deal he will ever get because his thoughts while with the fans, emotions aside, as a specialty pitcher he has to take care of his family going forward financially so while we may hope his thoughts on staying are genuine, economics are in play.
Who knows how much longer he will be able to pitch going forward?
He wants to pitch AND
provide security for his family so his leaving if he does for a better economic future will not impact what he did for fans this year.
Bring him back SA, sign him!
Hi Sarge,
I think R.A. puts things into perspective and appreciates that many of the most important things in life money just can’t buy. Whatever reasonable contract he is offered, added to the millions has already made the past two seasons would be more than ample to keep his family living quite well without financial want for life if handled properly and with prudence. With that in mind, he is also here in New York, both playing for the Mets (despite it being a losing club and playing in front of almost a half empty stadium) and living in the area which he says brings him and his family happiness, peace of mind and tranquility and he knows such happiness is hard to come by and is special to this time and place.
So I hope he is offered a reasonable contract and insists on a no trade clause so Sandy can’t pull a Loria on him.
Its nice to see a player say he likes being a met, his family likes being mets. thats really cool. I cant remeber seeing that too many times before. we have brought in too many players like Martinez and Beltran who didnt even want to be mets. Glavine also fits into that category. Good team chemisty starts with players who care about the team and arent just here because we paid the most.
Well said Ray………..He’s a throwback and as a fan you gotta love that………Lets hope the Mets do the right thing…….
Which is what???? Most of mets fans have agreed that trading him would be the best ideal, after all he’s a 38 year old pitcher and his value will never be as high as it it now.
Fair question Alex! Sentimentally speaking, I would love to sign him to a 2 year plus vesting option(s) at reasonable money but I understand that his value is extremely high now. Someone (I thought it was you) mentioned earlier (or in another post) that all negotiations now begin with “Cy Young Award Winner Robert Allen Dickey” and how that will increase the number he is signed for. I totally agree but I also think that mentality needs to be applied to any trade talks too. Any time someone asks about his availabilty via trade, I hope they are reminded of the fact that he is the reigning Cy Young Winner and it increases the bounty.
Sloats, it was me who said that about him being the cy young first.. also, in regards of what you said, i do believe that our best bet would be to trade him, while i like the guy he just like david wright and every other baseball player is looking to set himself up financially, of course they’ll all say it’s not about the money and yada yada, but at the end of the day IT IS ALL ABOUT THE MONEY. He’ll try to get paid as much as he can and i don’t think he’ll be looking to have a 2 year deal unless is like $20 million per season. His value is as high as it will ever be, now it’s the time to cash in on it, and for a team and a front office that is on rebuilding mode, this is the perfect opportunity to trade both he and david allen wright, as all we’ll be with both of them is a 4th place team at best.. Get as much as you can for 2014 and let’s finally move forward.
RA Dickey was rumored to say that signing him and firing Dan Warthen is a package deal
#RumorMill
Sure, let’s trade him.Than we can be the only team in the history of MLB to lose a batting champ and a Cy Young awinner in back to back seasons because the ownership was too cheap to sign them.There is a record that will never be broken.
Don’t blame the owners if that happens, you blame the man that was hired to tell the owners what players to spend the money on.
You people that keep blaming the owners for player moves have to get a grip already.
As said, there are many ways a team can re-build and trading a gem like R.A. doesn’t have to be one of them, no matter how logical it looks on paper. It will only further demoralize the players as we have already seen the past two years with second half lack-luster play, comments about the front office not believing in them being hard to swallow, the team feeling it was kicked in the teeth and perhaps most important of all – Ike Davis saying being a major league baseball player was just a job.
With those kind of actions damping the spirits of both the team and the fans, was making or not making the moves the last two seasons really worth it? Can all that we got in return, Zack Wheeler, undue all the ill will that the front office has caused for all concerned?
That’s what an analytical mind devoid of emotion when it comes to business misses. There are more steps to success than what is seen on paper.