Bacardi Untameable - R.A. Dickey is wise enough to age gracefully
The violence that once characterized R.A. Dickey's signature pitch doesn't manifest as often these days as it did in years past. The lofty strikeout totals and unprecedented whiff rates that defined Dickey's final season with the New York Mets were detained at customs when he arrived in Toronto prior to the 2013 campaign.
Over the past two seasons with the Blue Jays, the 39-year-old's knuckleball has looked increasingly like a mere fluttering nuisance to opposing hitters, failing to inspire the kind of madness it did in 2012 when Dickey was handed the National League Cy Young award.
Dickey, the pièce de résistance of Alex Anthopoulos' roster overhaul from two winters ago, labored through a trying inaugural season with the Blue Jays, crafting a 4.21 ERA - his highest since 2009 - while proving tremendously vulnerable to the home run, surrendering 1.4 per nine innings. His production has been closer to the league average this season - he owns a 102 ERA+ through 30 starts - but Dickey may need to re-calibrate expectations for himself as he prepares for what could be his final season in Toronto.
"I never expected a Cy Young anyway so my expectations are not centered around an individual award, but just how I can personally grow as a pitcher," said Dickey, relaxing in the Blue Jays' clubhouse before Wednesday's 11-1 victory over the Chicago Cubs. "And I'm constantly trying to figure that out, so as far as my expectations go, personally, they haven't changed and won't change."
Dickey's past success is proving to be somewhat of a disservice in Toronto, where many fans remain unwilling to entertain the idea that he's not the pitcher he was in 2012, wherein he benefited from both his spacious home ballpark and the National League's tepid run-scoring environment. Though some fans bemoan his inconsistency, Dickey's performance from ages 38 to 39 is hardly inconsistent with the historical precedent established by past knuckleballers:
| Name | IP | ERA | WHIP | K% | BB% | HR/9 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Phil Niekro | 664.2 | 3.45 | 1.32 | 18.1 % | 9.4 % | 0.57 |
| Charlie Hough | 515.2 | 3.79 | 1.24 | 16.9 % | 9.7 % | 1.19 |
| R.A. Dickey | 414.1 | 4.04 | 1.25 | 19.0 % | 7.8 % | 1.26 |
| Tim Wakefield | 365.1 | 4.34 | 1.27 | 15.5 % | 7.7 % | 1.33 |
[Courtesy: Fangraphs]
Among his brethren, Dickey's propensity for the strikeout as he approaches his 40th birthday is unparalleled, though he has also proven the most susceptible to the home-run ball. All four pitchers, however, permit runs and baserunners at a comparable rate, with no glaring outlier in the knuckleball fraternity, one of baseball's most exclusive clubs. As the only member to earn a Cy Young award, Dickey feels indebted to those who came before him.
"I'm very grateful that I've been able to enjoy a modicum of success up here," Dickey said. "I feel like I've been entrusted with a lot of information through Phil and Charlie and Tim and others that have really poured into me and so to make good on that feels rewarding."
Though his role within baseball's rich tradition of knuckleballs carries a kind of historical significance, the veteran still cherishes memories of his younger days, when velocity - not his fickle floater - was enough to intimidate hitters.
"When I look out there and see some of those guys - and I remember what it was like to throw a fastball by somebody in college and stuff - a lot of times I'll find myself getting nostalgic about the times when I could throw a little bit harder, but you know what, I wouldn't trade it for anything," he said.
Just as he's no longer to able to scrape 90 miles per hour with his fastball, Dickey is similarly unable to convincingly wield the "ace" label he brought with him from New York. He remains the symbolic leader of the rotation, but youngsters like Marcus Stroman and Aaron Sanchez began to assert themselves this season, and the former has already established himself as the team's best starter.
That Dickey no longer resembles his former self, however, hardly diminishes the value afforded by 200-plus innings of league-average production from a pitcher earning a fair market wage. Dickey, a 12-year veteran, also hopes to serve as a mentor of sorts for his team's increasingly young staff, providing a kind of value that doesn't appear in a Fangraphs column.
"I hope that I'm approachable enough so that if they're curious about something or have a question that they would feel open enough and comfortable enough to come talk to me, I certainly would be available to whoever wants to have a chat," he said.
A knuckleballer is a natural confidante, armed with a stronger appreciation than most of just how volatile baseball can be. And just as it is incumbent upon the conscientious veteran to make himself available to his younger teammates, fans are equally responsible to adjust their expectations of a soon-to-be 40-year-old whose success is predicated on an inherently unpredictable pitch.
Toronto's pitching staff is very much on the precipice of a renaissance, one that will attempt to shove Dickey to the back of the rotation. His durability and baseline production suggest he'll fit comfortably in a less-prominent role, and Dickey isn't myopic enough to resist change. As his position lowers on the depth chart (and free agency nears), Dickey is smart enough to bend and twist to contort his role to make himself a more attractive asset.
What else would you expect from a knuckleballer?