R.A. Dickey is 8-1 w/ a 2.69 ERA

[RyanLeafOfBets]

Is anyone else shocked by this?

He finished last year with a 3.28 ERA and the year before with a 2.84 ERA, but he just doesn't seem like he has impressive stuff to me. Every time he takes the mound, I feel like he will get rocked, because his pitch selection shouldn't be that hard to figure out.

[KingJD31]

You ever try to hit a 75 mph knuckle with location? I can't imagine how hard it is

[ZetaPsi808]

he is a beast

the mets are also in first place for the wild card lead and 1 game behind the nationals for first place

[boeing power]

I wonder if his success will inspire others to try the knuckler, maybe some minor leaguers.

[RyanLeafOfBets]

I imagine the knuckle is quite hard to hit, but after seeing it on film so many times, reading scouting reports, you'd think it'd get easy. There hasn't been a great knuckler since Phil Niekro, has there? Tim Wakefield was never anything real special...

[frizzelli]

You motherfukker

[thefonzo]

What makes a good knuckle special is the unpredictable LATE movement.

Shit, hitters know exactly what Mariano Rivera's cutter is going to do, but they still don't get good wood on it.

Similar situation in that it's really hard to get the sweet spot on the ball.

[CarpeDime]

i always wonder why there aren't any young knucklers and also why regular pitchers don't incorporate the knuckler into their arsenal. even if you are a hard thrower, it could probably be very useful against certain hitters or in certain situations to throw it

i mean dickey went from a fukin gas can to putting up halladay numbers in his late 30s

[LT Profits]

Dickey's knuckler is not easy to hit because not even Dickey knows how the ball will dance and it is thrown harder than other knuckleballers, and also his moves more as the weather gets more humid, which is why before this season his worst months with the Mets were generally April and September.

[broadway6]

have him on all of my fantasy teams

[Smogs]

Did you see how many guys swung and missed by hitting underneath it. Every batter was thinking sinker sinker sinker, and the dam ball just floated all the way to a strike. High in the zone, but lovely stuff

[will2survive]

R.A. has always been a good athlete. The knuckle ball pitch will lengthen his career at an advanced age. Omar Minaya was always criticized for his decisions but but bringing R.A. Dickey to the Mets was pure genius. He's like 37 years old but can't be considered your average 37 year old player

[Sdotbold]

dickey kills the phillies i know that, they make him look like cy young

[zoo youk]

like its been mentioned already the key to Dickeys success is he throws the knuckleball so hard. I believe he throws it around 75 where as regular knuckleballers are around 65. I disagree who said RA doesn't even know where the ball is going when he releases it. he has shown outstanding command, hardly ever behind in the count.

[zoo youk]

sick K:BB ratio 70 Ks and only 17 walks in 71 IP. so command is certainly not an issue.

[LT Profits]

like its been mentioned already the key to Dickeys success is he throws the knuckleball so hard. I believe he throws it around 75 where as regular knuckleballers are around 65. I disagree who said RA doesn't even know where the ball is going when he releases it. he has shown outstanding command, hardly ever behind in the count.

He mentioned after his last start (not yesterday but his previous one) that he had a tougher time than usual guiding the ball and that at times it did the opposite of his intention. I guess it depends on the atmosphere. He was still great that day regardless, and as mentioned he usually has great control over it.

[zoo youk]

whats funny about it R.A is he throws his fastball in 2-1 or 3-1 counts and its only around 82 mph and hitters still cant pick it up