Dickey mowing down foes with knuckleball
But that profile is changing in a hurry, as Dickey is plowing through National League lineups with stunning efficiency
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Remember the Phil Niekrolike floaters of yesteryear? Dickey throws that, at 62 mph, but he also supercharges his knuckler to the tune of 81 mph. That, coupled with a surprisingly respectable 85mph fourseam fastball
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The result has turned Dickey into a 10game winner and David Wright speaks the truth when he says, is at another level now. Over his last 45.2 innings, Dickey has allowed 25 hits, four earned runs, four walks while striking out an astounding 58.
Thing is, Dickey is getting better as the season progresses, and was next to perfect against Tampa Bay on Wednesday. Upton slow roller up the line in the first inning, Dickey would thrown the Mets second nohitter of the month.
The Mets have appealed the official scorer decision that awarded Upton a base hit. Manager Terry Collins, however, admits there virtually chance that Joe Torre, who has the power to overturn the ruling, will do so. And Dickey himself said
oakley military, of me would love a nohitter but part of me thinks it would be cheap.''
But none of this diminishes the fact that Dickey is experiencing a careersurge that borders on fantasy. Although most Mets fans have become aware of his long journey, outsiders still might not know that Dickey days as a professional nearly came to an end in the Rangers organization in 2005, when thenmanager Buck Showalter and pitching coach Charlie Hough summoned him to their office and told him: Learn the knuckleball, or else
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It was a longshot of Biblical proportions. The knuckler, after all, has historically been a weapon of last resort for older pitchers nearing the end of their careers. It a hard pitch to learn; mastering it requires feel and faith and, unlike conventional weapons, has nothing to do with arm strength.
That why scouts don even bother studying the rare knuckler, as there far more upside with power arms and 90plus velocity. Dickey is the only knuckleballer in the majors, with only a handful working on the pitch in the minors.
That, alone, puts Dickey in a class by himself
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It not like the knuckleball taxes his arm. And, remember
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That means there little risk for injury should the Mets decide to recalibrate the rotation even if there are talent evaluators who believe it be in the Mets best interests to go in exactly the opposite direction. Johan Santana, already having been stretched to a careerhigh pitch count in his nohitter against the Cardinals on June 1
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That unlikely to happen, though, just as the Mets probably won compress the alignment for Dickey
Pandora Charms, either. Still, it a tempting option, given that the divisionleading Nationals have made an airtight decision to shut down Stephen Strasburg at the 160inning threshold. That would create an enormous opportunity for a team like the Mets, who have the East best 12 punch in Dickey and Santana.
As it is, Dickey is striking out hitters at a higher rate than any other knuckleballer in history, and that includes the legendary Niekro. His work over the last 12 starts is Cooperstownbrilliant, although we a long way from saying Dickey looks like a Hall of Famer. He would have to continue pitching at this level for another five to six years to even start the conversation
ティファニー. And that assumes Dickey career lasts as long as Niekro who retired at age 48
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Still, Dickey has cracked the code on what makes the knuckleball unhittable that floating, zigzag signature while still managing to minimize bases on balls. Dickey can control the pitch to exploit both the upper and lower regions of the strike zone, which forces hitters to constantly change their eye level during the course of an atbat.
If you accept the idea that successful hitting is all about comfort and timing, then it easy to understand why Dickey is untouchable right now: everything he throws moves late and unpredictably. And he not cheating, either, by relying on the fastball when behind in the count or in a tight spot.
Dickey is smart enough to realize this alternate universe could disappear in a heartbeat; knuckleballs are that difficult to tame. But he certainly enjoying this run of prosperity which, if nothing else, will land him on the AllStar team. In fact, Dickey should be the National League starting pitcher
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