Mets' R.A. Dickey still trying to master knuckler

Mar 15, 2010 - 10:20 AM PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla.(AP) -- R.A. Dickey's knuckleball continues to be a work in progress. Kind of like the revived career of Dickey himself.

The New York Mets signed the 35-year-old right-hander to a minor-league contract in December. He'll probably need to master the offbeat pitch to have a chance to make the major league roster.

"It's a real difficult thing to do," said Dickey on Sunday after pitching in a B game against the Marlins in Jupiter. "It's not easy. A lot of people think (it is) because they can throw one playing catch in their backyard.

Dickey was a hard-throwing pitcher at the University of Tennessee when he was selected 18th overall by the Texas Rangers in the first round of the 1996 draft.

In 2005, he developed a shoulder problem, and then noticed a loss of velocity, dropping his fastball from the low 90s down into the mid 80s.

Rangers pitching coach Orel Hershiser suggested he try tossing the dancing, slower-paced knuckleball to help revive his career.

"I had to commit to something full-time if I wanted to stay in the league and keep chasing my dream," Dickey said.

Dickey received help from knuckleball guru Charlie Hough, who used the pitch consistently over a 25-year major league career. He has also worked with Hall of Famer Phil Niekro and Boston Red Sox pitcher Tim Wakefield.

"To take spin off a baseball is something I could always do, but I couldn't do it eight out of 10 times," said Dickey. "I could maybe do it four out of 10. And mechanically, you have to put yourself in a position to do it eight out of 10 times.

"This is my fifth year of doing it, and it still has proven to be a difficult thing to try to master. It's almost a matter of me unlearning what I've learned as a conventional pitcher."

Dickey hopes to be able to provide value to the Mets with durability and reliability.

Knuckleballers rarely get fatigued, meaning they can pitch for longer and more often than most pitchers. The low-stress pitch can reduce injury risk, too.

"I could throw every day. That's no problem," he added.

While Dickey would probably be a middle reliever on the Mets, he could make an occasional spot start in a league that features no knuckleball pitchers.

A member of the 1996 U.S. Olympic baseball team that won a bronze medal, Dickey has played his entire seven-year Major League career in the AL with Texas, Seattle and Minnesota.

His only stint with a National League team occurred when he pitched for the Milwaukee Brewers' Triple-A affiliate in Nashville in 2007. He finished 13-6 with a 3.72 ERA, which earned him Pacific Coast League All-Star status.

"I think it will be a real asset to the Mets once I get going and can contribute," he said. "Hopefully, over the course of the spring I can prove that."