He survived child sexual abuse. He nearly drowned in the Missouri River. He's the first knuckleballer—"the baseball equivalent of a carnival act"—ever to win the Cy Young. He's 38 years old, 14 years past the runner-up. He's missing a ligament in his throwing elbow. He labored years and years in the minor leagues. He set records for allowing the most home runs and the most wild pitches in a game.
He's also one of the most down-to-earth, grounded, decent guys anywhere, much less professional sports. He holds his prestige "lightly," because he knows baseball success and failure do not define him as a human being. He knows faith and family, not fortune and fame, are what matter in life.
And he's a humble, committed Christian who credits the Lord for saving him and redeeming his life.
If you love sports, particularly baseball, you're reveling in Dickey's award. Beyond that, if you love great stories, particularly about faithful people who persevere, you'll enjoy Dickey's award.
So, do yourself a favor and follow these links:
• Here's his Fresh Air radio interview, recorded last spring when his book, Wherever I Wind Up: My Quest for Truth, Authenticity and the Perfect Knuckleball, came out. It's about 40 minutes long (unless you download it and play it double speed) but worth your time.
• This is a much shorter news interview, recorded Nov. 15, after the Cy Young Award was announced.
• Here's the New York Daily News story on the award.
• Follow this link to the Orlando Sentinel story about his near-drowning incident.
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• And here's where you can buy the book.
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