22
2012
Dickey Writes A Farewell Message To Mets Fans
An article by 
R.A. Dickey wrote his own farewell message to Mets fans which was published him in the Daily News this evening. Here is his letter to Mets fans in its entirety:
A little over a year ago I was knocking around book titles with my publisher when we finally found a keeper. The minute I heard the words, “Wherever I Wind Up,” I liked the cadence of them. I liked the mystery of them.
Most of all, I liked the way they captured the essence of my nomadic pitching life — which has now taken another completely unforeseen turn.
I never expected to be writing a farewell “holiday card” to Mets fans. I never expected to be doing anything but celebrating the joy of the season with my wife and kids and looking toward to the spring, and the start of my fourth season with an organization that gave me maybe the greatest gift an athlete can get:
A chance.
A chance for a fresh start. A chance to prove that maybe I could be somebody on a big league mound, an authentic and trustworthy pitcher, not just a retread with a weird name and an even weirder pitch — a man who was so in need of financial stability that he had to get talked out of taking a guaranteed contract to go pitch in Korea.
The Mets gave me that chance almost exactly three years ago, and I will always be grateful to them for that. Only God could’ve written the narrative that has played out in the three years since. That is what I want to focus on, and what I want to hold in my heart.
I am not going to lie to you, though. The trade was hard for me at first. This is where my heart was, where I wanted to be, where I lived out a story of redemption and felt that every one of you shared it with me in some form or fashion. I loved pitching for you. I loved your passion, the way you embraced me from the start, and the way you seemed to appreciate the effort I was putting forth. Every time I’d walk off the mound after an outing, I’d look in your faces, the people behind the dugout, and felt as if all your energy and support was pouring right into me — even when I was lousy. It gives me chill bumps thinking about it even now.
Every organization has to do what it feels is in its best interest, and I have no doubt that that’s what the Mets did by trading Josh Thole, Mike Nickeas and me for two young players who, by all accounts, are terrific prospects. It doesn’t make saying goodbye any easier.
From the beginning of last season to the end — when you cheered with all you had that Thursday afternoon when I won my 20th game — I felt that this was a shared journey, that we were all in it together. What a great way for an athlete to feel.
There were so many special relationships I formed that made my time with the Mets so much richer. Not just in the clubhouse, either. I enjoyed talking with Bill Deacon, the head groundskeeper, about his craft, and all that went into it. The security people who helped my wife and kids get in and out of the family lounge, the policemen who helped me get out of the parking lot, the folks at the Hodges Gate — so many people went out of their way to be kind to me, and they should know how much it was, and is, appreciated.
I was going to take out an advertisement to express these thank yous, but decided in the end that there was too much I wanted to say. So I am writing this instead.
As I move beyond the sadness over leaving here, I know I have a tremendous amount to look forward to. The Blue Jays may need name tags on the first day of spring training, but once we get acquainted, well, this team could be something. I appreciate the welcome I’ve already gotten from them, and what they’re trying to build. We’ll see how it all unfolds.
God has blessed me in so many ways. His grace and mercy are at the center of my life. I may not pitch for the home team anymore (a friend told me I now have to start calling myself a Canuckleball pitcher ) but wherever I go from here — wherever I might wind up in the future — I hope you know that I will never forget my three years in New York, and never be able to adequately thank you for everything you’ve given me.
R.A. Dickey
I don’t usually post full content from any source, but this was an exception and a very special circumstance as R.A. wanted to get this message out to as many Mets fans as he could. As the ultimate Mets Fansite, we are happy to oblige him. Good luck to you, R.A. wherever your journey takes you. See you at the All Star Game in Citi Field. Good job by the Daily News to afford R.A. the opportunity to get his message out to his fans.
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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He is the man.
A more respectful and special person than Dickey will be tough to find. What a class act. Hope he wins another 20 next season.
A year from now you’ll be glad you were traded R.A., you belong with a winner. Best of luck to you in Toronto, they have a great team. Beat the Yankees!
The Canuckleball pitcher, lol, Adios Dickey went to five games last season and you won four of them including number 20 where I was with the 7 Line Army!
As one would expect from R.A. Dickey. Nicely done. Just saw his Knuckle ball film last night and I won’t spoil it for those that have yet to see it but the words expressed by Tim Wakefield near the end was fitting. Dickey has done knuckleball pitchers proud. It will be so much easier to root for him Thole, Reyes and even Nickeas success getting to a W.S. now that they are in the AL East. The storybook path Dickey’s life has taken on the diamond can only end best with him pitching Game 7 of the 2013 World Series vs the New York Mets.
Now that would be EPIC.
maybe the 2014 world series?
LoL sure, 2013, 2014, etc etc etc
he is a class act , no doubt . wish him and the blue jays the best for 2013
How sad. One of the rare players who said he loved the Mets and really meant it. God bless you and your beautiful family. You gave us the best three years since we had the Doctor in the house. We’ll all miss you.
I am making it a goal in life to meet RA Dickey at one point or another.
And maybe just to give him a personal thank you.
That was tough to read without tearing up.
We’ll always love you R.A.. What you did will always be a part of Mets history. You are now one of the all time great Mets pitchers. These two prospects better be worth it!
wish you only the best , truly a special guy
What a classy thing to do by Dickey. Meanwhile the Mets already have been busy trying to erase his memory. Classless.
Thanks for winning 20 games and a Cy Young…even more thanks for bringing back 2 stud prospects in a trade…they will be more important to the franchise in the long run (hopefully).
one bad call less and dickey would have given us a no-hitter . i will never forget this game
Hey R.A., while the majority of Mets fans wanted you gone, there were some of us who appreciated your talents and what you meant to this team and wanted to see you back. You were a true warrior and the real face of the franchise. Now we’ve taken a few steps backwards and who knows when we’ll ever see a player with your swagger and leadership ever come our way again. Thanks for all the memories.
I’m not saying they should retire his number, but I hope they dont give it out at least for the 2013 season. Sort of like a sign of respect. Good luck R.A. and keep those knuckleballs coming.
Class act. This organization is not worthy of him especially nowadays.
It’s easy to see why you are embraced by so many people. You’re truly an inspiration!
I hate what the Wilpons have done to the team we all love. First Reyes, now Dickey. I am happy they are reunited on a team that can win them a ring. They deserve it for how badly the organization screwed them both.
I was lucky to meet R.A when he came to my job before a book signing. It was the day before his first game this year. Friendly and more than happy to sign an autograph and take a picture with me, I had a strange feeling that he was gonna have a great year, and damn he sure did!! Class act all the way! The mets ass.. Ahh..I mean brass are such douche’s for they way they handled most of his accomplishments and its a shame he’s gone. I will be rooting for him all season as a mets fan and a Canadian dickey lover!!
Damn you RA…
For turning a baseball decision into like saying goodbye to a cherished friend. The Mets didn’t just loose a great pitcher, or 20 wins, or over 200 innings that they now need to replace. They lost the soul of this team and I just hope beyond words can express, that whatever 25 guys take the field next season, they can somehow produce just a portion of the heart you showed us every fifth day. You’ve done something so special it could hardly be put into words.
Usually players that have a mutual and unbreakable bond with the fans generally were a key figure in winning a championship like ’69 or ’86 mets. Or a guy like Piazza who hit that magical home run after 9/11. Yet somehow all of us saw something in you that we automatically rooted for.
Honesty. Integrity. Perseverance. A craftsman like mentality that went perfectly with your everyman appearance and your professor like demeanor. Knowing you now, it’s really no wonder why you grew on us so much and why we are all so united in our hatred for your contributions already being erased from highlight montages.
No matter what’s left out on the Mets produced highlight reels, nothing will ever take away the cherished memories we share, of one of the best pitchers, stories, and triumphs to ever throw a pitch in a Mets uniform. This was your team in 2012 and thank you for making it mean something for us.
Whoever tried to trash this man needs to go in the garbage can themselves. Dickey is absolutely nothing but a humble man humbled by the game and the talent he found. It was very clear from the start that New York was in his heart and it was there where he wanted to stay.
I am very sad to read that letter and see him go. But I will always cheer for him and I am glad he was traded to an organization where he can win.
with grace and dignity he should’ve been a yankee good luck ra
You will be missed my friend i hope that you inspired others to play with heart and inspiration. I so badly wanted to cheer for you on opening day. I wish you nothing but the best and hope you get the ring you deserve. God bless you and your family always i hope that you return in some shape or form in the future.
CLASS !!!! My hat is off to this gratious gentlemen. So many – myself included – have grown accustomed to the lipservice of how the players ‘care’ about their fans….. this is what it looks like when one actually does.
Dickey is one of my favorite Mets of all time and deserves a special thanks.
Good luck as a Canuckleball pitcher in Canada.
That said, some decisions need to be made emotions aside. And this was one of them.
What a class act. I was lucky enough to be in the stands at the Trop when he one hitted the Rays ( if David made a spectacular play on a roller which he does regularly a nono would’ve been in the books). We went behind the plate to view his pitches and were amazed at the sudden movement a yard in front of the flailing batter. Toronto hopefully will now become Yankee killers. Show ‘em what you got Mr. Dickey!
I’m not even a Mets fan and I got teary eyed. What a great guy. Wish him all the luck against
the American league, except the Yankees.
A class act.
Good Luck RA, may god grant you peace and happiness.
I too will miss R.A.. Feelings aside, this was a grand slam move. Circa 2015, a triumvirate of Wheeler, Harvey and Syndergaard can be dominating. This is the 1st time in many years that I am excited about the future of NY Mets.
R.A. Dickey…..What a CLASS act! It is moments like these that help to restore our faith as fans in the world of pro sports….knowing there are special players who don’t lose perspective in their lives and are thankful while playing a sport that many of us only dream of playing on such a national stage. As a fan, this is why we love our sports heroes and why we root for them. Good luck, R.A.
Signed….
Die-hard NYY fan.
My wife and I are Blue Jays fans now. I have to get a passport! We’re already looking at flights for Spring Training. The Mets have lost my respect (it was already wobbly after Reyes) and I am now a former Mets fan. Maybe if they trade for him they can win me back……maybe. He is my favorite player of all time. He would have been so much more than wins, ERA and trade bait for this franchise over the next 20 years. Foolish men making “business” decisions. R.A. Dickey’s presence is worth way more than his baseball salary, and now they don’t have it. Utterly the WORST decision since trading Tom Seaver…..
Thanks RA. For five or six years now I have been trying to give up on the Mets, but they were in my heart. Such decisions cannot be made in one’s head. However, they way they have treated you has finally given me the impetus to divorce such a classless organization and move on. You have modeled christian character at every step. God bless you. Go Blue Jays!
We have the Wilponzis on one side and Dickey on the other.The Wilponzis completely devoid of class or honor and R.A. who you just cannot dislike if you tried.The Wilponzis have reached a new low.My personal warning to D’arnuad is speak to an agent and find out how soon you can become a free agent and run from this organization of liars and thieves.They do not deserve an MLB franchise anymore.They are truly loathsome as is their hired gun Alderson. .
Man, Daivdoff was so spot on with his assessment of Dickey. I handful that needs to be more humble. This guy is such a class act and this trade though I feel was needed really ticks me off about the state of the team.
R.A. Dickey is a 100% CLASS ACT. I am not a Met fan (I am actually a dreaded Yankee fan) but I found myself rooting for him because of the great story and person he was. I wish him continues success in Toronto and wherever else “he winds up”. The sports world needs more R.A. Dickeys, God Bless him.
I note the absence of those who only spout the views of the Met front office. They can’t compliment RA because they would be admonished. This is proof theat they are just hired guns for Alderson and Wilpon.
Isn’t that disgraceful, Padilla? I read this morning that they have left R. A. Dickey out of the 21012 season highlights video. What cheesy, sleazy ownership and management this team has.
It’s getting harder and harder to root for them. I only hope they are bankrupt soon and are forced to sell.
Thank you, R. A., for acting like a Major Leaguer during your tenure with the Mets. God bless you and I am now rooting real hard for the Blue Jays!!!
My whole family is feeling the loss of Dickey. The kind of man/athlete you want your children to admire and respect…. and mine do.
We not only lost the first 20 game winner in 20 years, first CY winner since Gooden, we lost a universal fan favorite and one of the classiest and humble Mets ever to wear the uniform.
Prospects or not, I’m still bummed he’s not going to be on the mound at Citi come opening day.
Damn this franchise…..
Best of luck to RA. Hope he gets a WS ring to add to his incredible journey.
Never heard of him until, he was a Met; yet quickly became a fan favorite! Best of luck R.A; you deserve it.
RA Dickey is a gift of a man. He is authentic and imbued with integrity and depth of character rare in an age filled with shallow pools. My favorite Met of all time–because unlike a few who were equal to him ‘on the-field’, he surpasses all of them as a Man.
My crystal ball sees him leading the Jays to World Series Championships in ’13 & ’14. We beat the Jays in ’15. That crystal ball may be fringed with Canuck Ice, but that knuckleball ball dancing in the Toronto Night makes it as clear as a Blue Skied day.
I believe this trade will be a bounty for both teams. God Bless & Merry Christmas to you RA and your Family. And to ALL Mets Fans on this Site…Happy Christmas, Happy Holidays and have a great New Year.
Not much else to say about Dickey that hasn’t already been said on this thread. All the best, R.A.. You certainly left a lot of fans who loved you in your wake.
Take it easy R.A. and I hope we don’t have to wait another three decades to see another Met win a Cy.
the ownership of the mets are a bunch of SCUMBAGS…….JUST LIKE THEIR PAL MADOFF
We enjoyed every minute of watching you play. In our hearts you still belong to us! Good Luck and Best Wishes.
Sorry to see RA go, he was a real class act. But unfortunately in this business it’s about winning. So hats off to a great man and a great player!
Correct, it is about winning. The Blue Jays are very focused on that. The Mets not so much.
More money cut from the team’s payroll, more money into Fred’s silk lined pockets, more higher ticket prices for the fans, and more unfounded accolades for a GM who is the owners lapdog and one that has strung seven losing seasons in a row.
I never saw a Met win a Cy Young until R.A. Dickey did it. So to me and those in my generation, we just traded the best pitcher we’ve ever seen in a Mets uniform for a couple of prospects. This Syndergaard is supposed to be good but Cy Young good? Or Mike Pelfrey good? You were the man Dickey! You were so good you even overshadowed the Mets first no-hitter by Johan. That’s how good. Good luck.
The only good thing, and I do mean the only good thing about the trade is that at least I’ll still get to see Dickey pitch against the A’s and Angels in addition to any National broadcasts. Wait until the AL gets a look at that knuckleball, he’s sure going to make a lot of hitter look silly. Bet he has as good a season as 2012. Good luck to you.
Though I’ve never been a Mets fan (go Diamondbacks), I am a fan of individual players no matter what team they play for. What a class act Mr. Dickey is. A true gentleman and sportsman. Best of luck no matter what team you play with for you will be bringing them glory with just your shining attitude (not to mention your awesome knuckleball)…Go Dickey!
Wow, that actually got my eyes a bit watery.
Farewell R.A.
You’re a truly good and decent man.
How did such a classy guy wind up on the most dysfunctional team anyway?
Class act ,something the owners of the mets lack,Best of luck in toronto hated to see you go .
Seaver is still the best Pitcher this organization has ever seen and was the classiest guy ever to don a Met Uni…..
Until Dickey put one on….
What a great pitcher and even better person. I will miss RA, but I understand what Sandy is trying to accomplish. It’s all about rebuilding an organization to compete on a higher level than 4th place very year. While signing Dickey would have made everyone feel better, it was essentially working to bring back the same team that only won 74 games last year. Good luck, RA. May another Cy Young await down the road somewhere.
Great letter from a great pitcher who aknoledges it isn’t all about ‘me’. Good stuff. I hope, and believe, he will do well wherever he goes.
Shortly after reading this Jeff Wilpon responded: What a selfish D’Bag how dare him post a heartfelt article in the Daily News Thanking the Mets and the Fans….
And who’s “Bill Deacon”???
Im the Mets COO and I dont even know who plays in the Outfield for us…tell Sandy to trade Bill Deacon to Toronto too. And fire the whole security staff and the NYPD…What??? I cant fire the NYPD??? Daaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaad!!!!
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Good job MMO!
Class act. This is why we all loved him.
I got teary eyed reading R.A.’s letter. R.A. – you gave us hope when there wasn’t much there. You made the impossible possible. It was a pleasure watching you master your craft. I will truly miss you and I wish you and your family nothing but the best. It’s time for a new chapter in your life and I know, with God’s help, you will make the best of it. God bless you.
MLB’s top 45 breakout players for the 2012 season:
Trout deservedly was #1.
#2? None other than RA Dickey.
Nice, but out of curiosity who was #45?
I didn’t see the whole segment – only caught the top 10. I’m curious myself who all was on that list. I’m sure I’ll catch the whole thing sometime during this off season.
Hi Joe,
Thanks for posting that letter from R.A. Not a dry eye in this place.
I already mentioned things that go beyond business like integrity. Of the 65 posts prior to mine, only four mentioned the trade in positive terms. That’s roughly seven percent.
Of the 93 percent who didn’t, notice the words aimed against the Wilpons and Sandy for what they have done. In this case the majority seems to be rooting from the heart instead the head. And that is what makes a mench out of each of us. And no other word could be used to describe R.A.
When the Mets having gone from being menches to being people in the gray flannel suits, that’s when the meaning of the Mets was thrown out the window.
Go Blue Jays!
I have to say as a long time Mets fan, this is the first time I can feel sadness that a player is leaving. To you R. A. ….you’re a class act above all others, especially in todays world where we find anyone with 1/10th the talent you posess, they’re full of arrogence and immaturity. You’ve shown us something I haven’t sen in years and something anyone under the age of 40 hasn’t seen at all…. loyalty. I have gone through the painfull transformation of loving a sport to realizing its just another business.
As much as I hate to see you leave, I feel that it’s better for you, for you’ll have a much better opportunity to reach the post season in Toronto and we have gotten some talent to build with in return. If possible, I’d be honored to see you in a Mets uniform again, pitching in N.Y. on October.