Rangers' Dickey has plenty of stories

03/02/2006
SURPRISE, Ariz. -- R.A. Dickey is a survivor, the Richard Hatch of the Rangers.
He and reliever Joaquin Benoit have been with the Rangers since 1996, three years longer than any other player in camp.
He has been a No. 1 draft pick and the starting pitcher in the home opener. He had an $800,000 signing bonus revoked when a physical showed he did not have an ulna collateral ligament in his right elbow.
But he also owns the distinction of recording his first Major League shutout and first save in the course of two days, the shortest span in history.
An Academic All-American at the University of Tennessee and co-founder of Honoring Thy Father, a non-profit Christian organization, he also has a keen eye for observations.
Some of the better ones over the course of 11 years with the Rangers:
Best moment: "Believe it or not, it wasn't my first callup, but my second -- that and the complete-game shutout and save. The first callup, I didn't know what to expect. There was a lot of apprehension and excitement, the realization of a dream.
"When I went up the second time, I embraced it more. I knew more people and felt more comfortable."
Worst moment: "Sitting across from [former GM] Doug Melvin after I signed, and them taking the offer off the table, telling me they didn't know if they wanted to sign me. The whole two weeks -- discovering I didn't have a ligament and the reduction of the signing bonus. That was a pretty tough moment."
Biggest frustration: "Wanting to perform and be consistent, and when you're not, it's pretty frustrating. I'm the ultimate competitor, and I expect to perform at a high level, and when I don't, it's perpetually frustrating. That, and being pretty much free of injuries for eight years, and then going through obscure injuries the past two years with my back and triceps that didn't have anything to do with my arm."
Having six different Major League pitching coaches: "It's all about dealing with six different people, knowing what they expect from you and what you expect from yourself, and making it congruent. [Dick Bosman] was big on holding runners on, so you had to adhere to that, and Orel [Hershiser] was big on mechanics.
"Every one of the guys I was under had different things to offer. It's weird. They all weren't polar opposites, but from pitching coach to pitching coach, there were different philosophies. You could file away things you found useful and discard those that weren't."
Biggest influences: "Rusty Greer was real valuable to me, and so was Jay Powell, from being a young guy and having somebody to look up to. Jeff Brantley, my very first callup, he was really awesome. We were lockermates; he had a lot of experience and he was willing to share it."
Best story: "My first time in the big leagues, we were on a road trip to Toronto, and I didn't have much to wear. I was making $1,200 a month in the Minors. Jeff Brantley asked me out to lunch. I said, 'Great, but I need to buy some slacks and stuff.' He said, 'Good, I'll go with you.'
"So we go to the department store, and I pick out a couple of things, take them to the dressing room and try them on. When we're done, I've got a small pile of clothes by the cash register, and he's picked out this huge pile of clothes. My stuff came to $65, his came to $1,000.
"He turns to me and said, 'Here, [both piles] are yours. Don't thank me, don't make a big deal of it, just do it for somebody else when you get the opportunity."
Best place to play in the Minors: "You don't have to look much farther than Oklahoma City. I'm sort of the Crash Davis of Oklahoma City. You look in their record book, I'm all over it -- good and bad. If they make a movie about Oklahoma City baseball, I'm ready to help out Kevin Costner.
"One of the reasons that place was special is the fans were just dynamic."
Worst place in the Minors: "The Texas League has some places that are just tough. Little Rock was tough ... just everything, the condition of the field, the locker room. It's the essence of Minor League baseball, but it's tough."
Surprise vs. Port Charlotte: "How about Surprise in Port Charlotte? This facility and the amenities of this place, in Port Charlotte. A lot of people disagree, because Arizona has so much to offer. But being from the South, I love the humidity, taking the kids to the beach, fishing ... and the ball doesn't carry as much. I [would like] this facility -- in Port Charlotte.
One change baseball should make: "I know they're trying to do it, but I would like for the games to be quicker. Whether it's keeping the batter in the batter's box, a bigger strike zone or pitchers not taking so much time before pitches -- anything that would facilitate moving the game along would be good. I know rules have been implemented, but not enforced.
"That, and push all fences back!"
If he could do it all over again... "That's one thing that helps me sleep at night, is that I truly feel I go out and prepare so I can do everything I'm capable of. Coaches tell you the only person you are accountable to is yourself, and I know I wouldn't change anything. I've found value with adversity and success."

Source: http://texas.rangers.mlb.com/