Hooray for R.A. Dickey
6. R.A. DICKEY WINS CY YOUNG
Even in the year of Linsanity and Tebowmania, R.A. Dickey was the best individual sports story in New York, from climbing Mount Kilimanjaro in January to writing a revealing autobiography published in April to throwing back-to-back one-hitters in June to becoming the first knuckleballer to win a Cy Young Award in November.
Then by late December he was gone, dealt to the Blue Jays after he and the Mets were unable to agree on a contract extension.
There was some rancor at the end, including a report that the Mets had tired of Dickey’s alleged self-promotion. At least, unlike the majority of athletes who are far less compelling, Dickey usually had interesting things to say.
Credit: Jim McIsaac
I am a week behind on this, but I got sidetracked late in 2012 following the Knicks’ wild West road trip, then eating more chicken wings in Buffalo than anyone my age should.
Better late than never: Our sixth annual New York Sports Media Person of the Year Award goes to . . . R.A. Dickey. He was an easy choice, given his accessibility and his dogged insistence on being smart and interesting and climbing big mountains and stuff. He also starred in a documentary and wrote a candid autobiography.
Then, just like that, he was gone, like a knuckler in the wind. Sigh. Past winners: Hank Steinbrenner (2007), Jerry Manuel (2008), Rex Ryan (2009), Mikhail Prokhorov (2010), Amar’e Stoudemire. (2011).
