R. A. Dickey

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Robert Alan Dickey (born October 29, 1974 in Nashville, Tennessee) is a right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball for the Texas Rangers. Dickey has had limited success as a starting pitcher and is currently attempting to become a knuckleball pitcher. He has been with the Rangers organization since he was drafted in 1996, without interruption. The most notable (though rather dubious) moment of his career was on April 6, 2006 when Dickey allowed 6 home runs in one game, tying the post-1900 record which is also shared by another knuckleballer, Tim Wakefield.

In 2003, R.A. Dickey adapted a pitch called "The Thang." Although credited with having invented the pitch himself, some claim that Dickey stole the pitch from Stoughton Black Knight Baseball Legend Paul "Boston" Snyder, who currently plays baseball for Lyndon State College in Vermont.

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, he was demoted to the Rangers' AAA minor league affiliate, the Oklahoma Redhawks, where he still remains.