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Throwing Strikes: My Quest for Truth and the Perfect Knuckleball
The inspiring story of the 2012 National League Cy Young Award Winner
Adapted for young readers from his New York Times bestselling memoir Wherever I Wind Up , this is the inspiring story of how knuckleballer R. A. Dickey became one of the game’s best pitchers. He had humble beginnings, and as a child kept a terrible secret. But at a local prep school, coaches saw talent in him and fostered his skills as a player. Dickey went on to pitch in the Olympics while at the University of Tennessee, but his Major League hopes took a downturn when an X-ray revealed a major problem with his throwing arm. It would seem his future in baseball was over before it even began. But R.A. knew better. Through faith, hope, and determination, he achieved his dreams and made it into the major leagues. Now, he’s one of the most respected pitchers in the game, a Cy Young Award winner, and he's changed the way people view the knuckleball – and himself. An inspiring true story about beating the odds, R.A. is proof that with hard work and devotion, anyone can overcome whatever life throws at them.
Adapted for young readers from his New York Times bestselling memoir Wherever I Wind Up , this is the inspiring story of how knuckleballer R. A. Dickey became one of the game’s best pitchers. He had humble beginnings, and as a child kept a terrible secret. But at a local prep school, coaches saw talent in him and fostered his skills as a player. Dickey went on to pitch in the Olympics while at the University of Tennessee, but his Major League hopes took a downturn when an X-ray revealed a major problem with his throwing arm. It would seem his future in baseball was over before it even began. But R.A. knew better. Through faith, hope, and determination, he achieved his dreams and made it into the major leagues. Now, he’s one of the most respected pitchers in the game, a Cy Young Award winner, and he's changed the way people view the knuckleball – and himself. An inspiring true story about beating the odds, R.A. is proof that with hard work and devotion, anyone can overcome whatever life throws at them.
- GenresBaseballSportsNonfiction
320 pages, Hardcover
First published March 26, 2013
15 people are currently reading
152 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 59 reviews
October 23, 2019
I have a few teens I desperately wish I could get to read this book....WOW. What an overcomer!!! RA Dickey came from a really bad family life, school struggles, etc., got saved at age 12, and persevered through the ups and downs of both minor and major league baseball. This book is a GREAT example of no matter where you come from or what your life circumstances are, you CAN OVERCOME!!!!
September 30, 2013
Throwing Strikes
This book is an autobiography about R.A. Dickey, an MLB pitcher. This book had one message, and it was never to give up no matter what life throws at you.
Born in Nashville, Tennessee, he was not a planned child, but it was no accident that he is where he is now in baseball. His parents got married not because they were madly in love but only because his mother was pregnant with him. Their marriage only lasted about 5 years. This was not his only childhood difficulty. During school he was always getting into fights. In 8th grade his school buddy and sister (who later became R.A.’s wife on December 13, 1997) invited him to a church event; he later accepted Jesus as his Lord and Savior. Another serious relationship beginning in his middle school years was his love with sports.
He started playing sports because of his dad. His dad encouraged him to play because he was so good at them. Unfortunately, his dad started ignoring him and R.A. no longer wanted to be home. He started sleeping in vacant homes because his home life was no longer comfortable. In high school his varsity coach also inspired him to play sports by telling him to mainly focus on baseball because that was his best sport. He did. After high school in 1993, he went to school at the University of Tennessee on a baseball scholarship. During that time, he won a baseball championship for University of Tennessee. After graduation, Texas Rangers picked him on the first round draft. Then he joined the U.S. Baseball Olympic team, who ended by beating Nicaragua 10-3 for the bronze medal. Right after the Olympics the Rangers retracted their offer of $810,000 because they thought there was something wrong with his arm. A doctor investigated and realized the problem was that R.A. had no UCL, major ligament in the elbow that helps a pitcher control his throwing. He played in the minors for a while, but all of a sudden the Rangers called him back up to the majors. He played his first major league game; he came up in the ninth inning of the 4th game of a four game series against the Oakland A’s. He pitched a perfect inning for a win. Later in 2005, he was put on the injured list for a shoulder injury. Although his shoulder recovered, he was told to kiss his MLB career goodbye or go to Oklahoma to become a knuckleballer. So of course he went to Oklahoma to become one of the few knuckleball pitchers. It wasn’t easy for him. After he became a knuckleballer he was transferred to the Milwaukee Brewers, then to the New York Mets. To this day, he continues to play with two daughters, two sons and his wife at his side.
I, as a baseball fanatic, really enjoyed this book because of the way he mentions God and lists Bible verses throughout the book and how he used them in times of struggles, showing me there are some I could also use. Because of the way it was set up in chronological order from his childhood to his current career, it was easy to follow. RA’s struggles in life and how he overcame them inspire readers to do the same.
This book is an autobiography about R.A. Dickey, an MLB pitcher. This book had one message, and it was never to give up no matter what life throws at you.
Born in Nashville, Tennessee, he was not a planned child, but it was no accident that he is where he is now in baseball. His parents got married not because they were madly in love but only because his mother was pregnant with him. Their marriage only lasted about 5 years. This was not his only childhood difficulty. During school he was always getting into fights. In 8th grade his school buddy and sister (who later became R.A.’s wife on December 13, 1997) invited him to a church event; he later accepted Jesus as his Lord and Savior. Another serious relationship beginning in his middle school years was his love with sports.
He started playing sports because of his dad. His dad encouraged him to play because he was so good at them. Unfortunately, his dad started ignoring him and R.A. no longer wanted to be home. He started sleeping in vacant homes because his home life was no longer comfortable. In high school his varsity coach also inspired him to play sports by telling him to mainly focus on baseball because that was his best sport. He did. After high school in 1993, he went to school at the University of Tennessee on a baseball scholarship. During that time, he won a baseball championship for University of Tennessee. After graduation, Texas Rangers picked him on the first round draft. Then he joined the U.S. Baseball Olympic team, who ended by beating Nicaragua 10-3 for the bronze medal. Right after the Olympics the Rangers retracted their offer of $810,000 because they thought there was something wrong with his arm. A doctor investigated and realized the problem was that R.A. had no UCL, major ligament in the elbow that helps a pitcher control his throwing. He played in the minors for a while, but all of a sudden the Rangers called him back up to the majors. He played his first major league game; he came up in the ninth inning of the 4th game of a four game series against the Oakland A’s. He pitched a perfect inning for a win. Later in 2005, he was put on the injured list for a shoulder injury. Although his shoulder recovered, he was told to kiss his MLB career goodbye or go to Oklahoma to become a knuckleballer. So of course he went to Oklahoma to become one of the few knuckleball pitchers. It wasn’t easy for him. After he became a knuckleballer he was transferred to the Milwaukee Brewers, then to the New York Mets. To this day, he continues to play with two daughters, two sons and his wife at his side.
I, as a baseball fanatic, really enjoyed this book because of the way he mentions God and lists Bible verses throughout the book and how he used them in times of struggles, showing me there are some I could also use. Because of the way it was set up in chronological order from his childhood to his current career, it was easy to follow. RA’s struggles in life and how he overcame them inspire readers to do the same.
February 9, 2016
This R.A. Dickey novel is hands down the best book I have ever read. It is about R.A. Dickey's journey to the MLB. Throughout the book R.A. tells about his childhood and how his parents split up while he was at a young age and how he worked hard at many sports to get where he is now. I suggest this book to any person who appreciates sports or to be more specific baseball.
February 15, 2015
This is the Young Readers Edition. A great message for mature Middle Schoolers 7th & 8th graders - NEVER GIVE UP - Follow Your Dream. Warning: there is one part later in the book that deals with a mature topic (sexual abuse) but I felt it was handled appropriately.
March 27, 2014
great autobio. u never really know the pasts of these athletes. I really makes u realize life is not handed out on a silver platter.
May 17, 2017
Lucas Alfrey Jr
Sweet
May 16, 2017
Book Review
This book is called Throwing Strikes, written by R.A. Dicky, who is a CY Young Award. That is the highest award a pitcher can get. So when he was young he didn't have the best childhood, while both of his parents were both alcoholics. His mom tried but couldn't raise him how she wanted to. He grew up in a roach infested, small house. His first baseball glove was a $14 dollar special from Walmart. He didn't have a very good life growing up, but he talks about he overcame struggles and became one of the best pitchers in the MLB. Very good and inspirational book. It hasn't won any awards, but I feel like it will soon. I liked how he explained what he did and how he got through his hardships. I don't have any dislikes about this book. I felt a real connection. I’m not growing up with the “best equipment” but I will still try and face the problems. As a baseball players, I understood the problems he had. He also had helpful tips, that I plan to follow while practicing in the off-season. The type of person that would like this book, is a sports fan or an Athlete. Baseball is my favorite sport, so if you have any interest in baseball, this a very good book to read.
I give this book 5/5 stars. It's inspirational, and R.A. has a good way of showing us what was happening rather than telling us. The flow of this story is fast so it gets right into the action.
Sweet
May 16, 2017
Book Review
This book is called Throwing Strikes, written by R.A. Dicky, who is a CY Young Award. That is the highest award a pitcher can get. So when he was young he didn't have the best childhood, while both of his parents were both alcoholics. His mom tried but couldn't raise him how she wanted to. He grew up in a roach infested, small house. His first baseball glove was a $14 dollar special from Walmart. He didn't have a very good life growing up, but he talks about he overcame struggles and became one of the best pitchers in the MLB. Very good and inspirational book. It hasn't won any awards, but I feel like it will soon. I liked how he explained what he did and how he got through his hardships. I don't have any dislikes about this book. I felt a real connection. I’m not growing up with the “best equipment” but I will still try and face the problems. As a baseball players, I understood the problems he had. He also had helpful tips, that I plan to follow while practicing in the off-season. The type of person that would like this book, is a sports fan or an Athlete. Baseball is my favorite sport, so if you have any interest in baseball, this a very good book to read.
I give this book 5/5 stars. It's inspirational, and R.A. has a good way of showing us what was happening rather than telling us. The flow of this story is fast so it gets right into the action.
September 20, 2013
I loved reading this book, because it shows that things will always get better in life. R.A goes from living in a bad part of Nashville, to playing in the MLB. He has had to fight for everything he has. R.A has gone from getting kicked out of school, being sexually harassed as a kid, to sleeping on the ground every night, or even breaking into houses to sleep. This is the story of R.A Dickey.
As a child, R.A had gone through a lot. His parents got a divorce; he was never used to him and his parents going out as a family. R.A was sexually abused as kid, by his babysitter, and also a seventeen year old male. He always found himself getting in fights at school, which led to him getting kicked out of his school. He didn’t let his childhood get in his way of having a good future.
R.A played college baseball for Nashville, Tennessee. He was one of the starting pitchers for his team. His team was doing very well, good enough to take them to the College World Series. He pitched his team to victory after going into 12 innings. His coach wanted him to come out of the game after the 7th inning, but R.A was too stubborn to have another pitcher finish his game.
After winning, he was invited to play on Team USA for the Olympics. He did not get to start in that game, but he still got to pitch one inning. R.A was very happy with that because he was pitching with some of the best players in the world. After the Olympics is when R.A’s career really starts.
R.A was expected to be one of the first picks in the draft. He was a first round draft pick by the Texas Rangers. He was offered $800,000 and R.A was very happy with that. This amount of money was going to change his life. All he had to do was go and get his arm checked out to make sure he was healthy.
He was nervous about the doctor visit, but he felt healthy so he wasn’t too scared. What the doctor said changed his career. R.A got an MRI on his elbow. The doctor searched and searched for R.A’s UCL, but he couldn’t find it. So he had to get another MRI, again the doctor couldn’t locate his UCL. This was a very rare condition; R.A was the pitcher with no UCL. 99% of people have a UCL, R.A didn’t.
R.A didn’t know what to the rangers would think, but he was scared to know. The Rangers manager told him straight out that he was not worth the money. They did not want damaged goods that are what R.A was. His $800,000 was dropped. R.A was devastated.
Later in the week, R.A got a call from the Texas Rangers. The manager decided to offer him a contract, but it was a lot less. They offered a contract for $70,000 R.A accepted it, but was sent to the minor leagues instantly. He was just happy to have some way of an income to provide for his wife and daughter. He hoped to stay in the minors for as short as possible, but that is not what happened.
Most other players only stay in the minors for one to two years, for R.A it was completely different. He played in the minor league for seven years, jumping from team to team. It was hard to provide for a family with a minor league salary, but it would have to do till he got to the major league. R.A had gotten sent up to the majors a couple of times, but every time he did, he ended up getting sent back down.
R.A was starting to get older, and his fastball was starting to get slower. He was an older pitcher with no UCL. He was getting to the point where it looked like his career was going nowhere. He had a family now and was starting to think it was time to go back to school so he could get a better paying job.
R.A got a call one day from a very famous pitching coach. He said that if R.A wanted to have a career in baseball he was going to have to learn a new pitch. The pitch was the knuckleball. The knuckleball was easier for younger pitchers to throw because it put barely any strain on their arm, and it was a much slower pitch. He accepted the challenge and began to try out the knuckleball.
The pitch wasn’t going to be easy to learn, but R.A was ready for the challenge. If the knuckleball wasn’t thrown right, then it would just be batting practice for the hitter. If it was thrown right then it would be almost impossible to hit. R.A began by finding out how to pitch it. He struggled at first, but he practiced hard and started to get the hang of it. He asked other knuckleball pitchers for tips, and they happily helped him.
R.A finally got good enough with the pitch that he got a chance to pitch in the majors. He knew he only had one chance to prove himself. He gave up six homeruns in one inning. His knuckleball wasn’t moving at all, it was just easy hitting for the hitter. After the game, R.A was instantly put back in the minors.
After practicing even more, he began to get better and better. He was having the best year of his career in the minors. It had been two years since the game he gave up six homeruns, and he was going to be given another chance in the majors. R.A was nervous, but he knew he had to really focus and do well. This was going to be his last chance to prove he was good enough.
R.A did well, and was promoted and actually got to stay in the majors. His knuckleball really started to work, and he was doing good. R.A got a place to stay on the New York Mets and continued to do great. He was able to provide for his family and had a two million dollar contract. He did so good in the season that he won the CY award, a reward that was very hard to win. He now plays for the Toronto Blue Jays.
Overall I really enjoyed this book. It is a true story about someone who really started from the bottom. It gave me inspiration to keep on trying in everything I do. R.A never gave up on anything, even though he wanted to. This book will make you want to never stop reading it. It is a story of an underdog who has to work for everything he has. I recommend this book for anyone who loves sports, I think even if you don’t like baseball you will still love it. Me personally, I do not like reading, but this book made me want to never stop reading it.
As a child, R.A had gone through a lot. His parents got a divorce; he was never used to him and his parents going out as a family. R.A was sexually abused as kid, by his babysitter, and also a seventeen year old male. He always found himself getting in fights at school, which led to him getting kicked out of his school. He didn’t let his childhood get in his way of having a good future.
R.A played college baseball for Nashville, Tennessee. He was one of the starting pitchers for his team. His team was doing very well, good enough to take them to the College World Series. He pitched his team to victory after going into 12 innings. His coach wanted him to come out of the game after the 7th inning, but R.A was too stubborn to have another pitcher finish his game.
After winning, he was invited to play on Team USA for the Olympics. He did not get to start in that game, but he still got to pitch one inning. R.A was very happy with that because he was pitching with some of the best players in the world. After the Olympics is when R.A’s career really starts.
R.A was expected to be one of the first picks in the draft. He was a first round draft pick by the Texas Rangers. He was offered $800,000 and R.A was very happy with that. This amount of money was going to change his life. All he had to do was go and get his arm checked out to make sure he was healthy.
He was nervous about the doctor visit, but he felt healthy so he wasn’t too scared. What the doctor said changed his career. R.A got an MRI on his elbow. The doctor searched and searched for R.A’s UCL, but he couldn’t find it. So he had to get another MRI, again the doctor couldn’t locate his UCL. This was a very rare condition; R.A was the pitcher with no UCL. 99% of people have a UCL, R.A didn’t.
R.A didn’t know what to the rangers would think, but he was scared to know. The Rangers manager told him straight out that he was not worth the money. They did not want damaged goods that are what R.A was. His $800,000 was dropped. R.A was devastated.
Later in the week, R.A got a call from the Texas Rangers. The manager decided to offer him a contract, but it was a lot less. They offered a contract for $70,000 R.A accepted it, but was sent to the minor leagues instantly. He was just happy to have some way of an income to provide for his wife and daughter. He hoped to stay in the minors for as short as possible, but that is not what happened.
Most other players only stay in the minors for one to two years, for R.A it was completely different. He played in the minor league for seven years, jumping from team to team. It was hard to provide for a family with a minor league salary, but it would have to do till he got to the major league. R.A had gotten sent up to the majors a couple of times, but every time he did, he ended up getting sent back down.
R.A was starting to get older, and his fastball was starting to get slower. He was an older pitcher with no UCL. He was getting to the point where it looked like his career was going nowhere. He had a family now and was starting to think it was time to go back to school so he could get a better paying job.
R.A got a call one day from a very famous pitching coach. He said that if R.A wanted to have a career in baseball he was going to have to learn a new pitch. The pitch was the knuckleball. The knuckleball was easier for younger pitchers to throw because it put barely any strain on their arm, and it was a much slower pitch. He accepted the challenge and began to try out the knuckleball.
The pitch wasn’t going to be easy to learn, but R.A was ready for the challenge. If the knuckleball wasn’t thrown right, then it would just be batting practice for the hitter. If it was thrown right then it would be almost impossible to hit. R.A began by finding out how to pitch it. He struggled at first, but he practiced hard and started to get the hang of it. He asked other knuckleball pitchers for tips, and they happily helped him.
R.A finally got good enough with the pitch that he got a chance to pitch in the majors. He knew he only had one chance to prove himself. He gave up six homeruns in one inning. His knuckleball wasn’t moving at all, it was just easy hitting for the hitter. After the game, R.A was instantly put back in the minors.
After practicing even more, he began to get better and better. He was having the best year of his career in the minors. It had been two years since the game he gave up six homeruns, and he was going to be given another chance in the majors. R.A was nervous, but he knew he had to really focus and do well. This was going to be his last chance to prove he was good enough.
R.A did well, and was promoted and actually got to stay in the majors. His knuckleball really started to work, and he was doing good. R.A got a place to stay on the New York Mets and continued to do great. He was able to provide for his family and had a two million dollar contract. He did so good in the season that he won the CY award, a reward that was very hard to win. He now plays for the Toronto Blue Jays.
Overall I really enjoyed this book. It is a true story about someone who really started from the bottom. It gave me inspiration to keep on trying in everything I do. R.A never gave up on anything, even though he wanted to. This book will make you want to never stop reading it. It is a story of an underdog who has to work for everything he has. I recommend this book for anyone who loves sports, I think even if you don’t like baseball you will still love it. Me personally, I do not like reading, but this book made me want to never stop reading it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 24, 2017
This book is about the life of R.A Dickey and how he went from a kid with a big secret to a major league pitcher.. This book talks about how R.A Dickey's parents had him too young and divorced when he was 8. Later he would becone a pitcher in little league that was one of the top pitchers in the area. As a kid though, he was sexually abused and never told anyone this and this reflected in his behavior as a kid. Later he would get a scholorship to the University of Tennessee. He would go on and get drafted, but got drafted way later than anyone thought becuase during one of his physicals it showed that he needed Tommy John Surgery. Eventually he got the surgery but everyone told him that he would never recover, wouldn't be able to throw as hard as he could, and they were right. Eventually he works countless hours to become a knuckballer. Now he is still pitching in the MLB and won a CY Young award in 2012.
Tis is my favorite book of all time. Can't go wrong buying this book
Tis is my favorite book of all time. Can't go wrong buying this book
March 4, 2019
This book really gave me an incite into one of the best knuckleball pitchers in MLB history.
It is interesting how he writes it from a first person point of view, and how he explained the struggles he had gone through in his life.
It was inspirational as it echoed the idea of how working hard can make you successful, and survive in life. Just because you grow up on a farm, doesn't mean you can't become something big like a professional baseball player
Anyone that is interested in sports should read this, as there is nothing like it. Dickey adds his own touch to the autobiography, which you just can't get from some authors. The way he tells his life story is entertaining, making it a good read.
This shows the parts of the athlete that nobody would really know except close friends. It makes him more than just an athlete, but a whole person, that has gone through a lot just to make it to the MLB.
Read it, you won't regret it.
It is interesting how he writes it from a first person point of view, and how he explained the struggles he had gone through in his life.
It was inspirational as it echoed the idea of how working hard can make you successful, and survive in life. Just because you grow up on a farm, doesn't mean you can't become something big like a professional baseball player
Anyone that is interested in sports should read this, as there is nothing like it. Dickey adds his own touch to the autobiography, which you just can't get from some authors. The way he tells his life story is entertaining, making it a good read.
This shows the parts of the athlete that nobody would really know except close friends. It makes him more than just an athlete, but a whole person, that has gone through a lot just to make it to the MLB.
Read it, you won't regret it.
Read
October 10, 2023I thought that this book was very action packed because it was a book about the life and the ups and downs of the life of a professional baseball player. I thought it was also good because this player had a life that was good sometimes and bad other times. There were a lot of times in this book where you felt bad for the main character, but there were also a lot of times where you felt good for him and felt like what he just did was you. I also liked how this book was an autobiography so the life of this character was his actual life. Overall I really like this book because it had so many ups and downs and had a really uplifting end to it.
October 19, 2018
Throwing Strikes By R.A. Dickey was an alright book to say the least. I felt this book was very repetitive. This book dragged on very long, part were very interesting, some parts were endlessly boring. I would personally not recommend this book unless you are very into baseball or enjoy reading autobiography's. The beginning of the book was a lot better than the end im my opinion because his childhood was a lot more interesting and wild then his college and early pro baseball career. In general I would give this book a 2.5 or 3 out of 5 and would not recommend to most of my friends.
October 5, 2020
Overall this was a great book. How he was a child and then the transition to him going pro was great. One of the best parts about this book, is that he gives tips for young pitchers. This book is very inspirational, showing that even you have failed many times there is always a possibility to overcome what you have failed at. He is such a great author I love this book and would read it all over again. One thing I do wish that he would've talked more about is how he was outside of baseball
August 24, 2017
It was very well written by a professional athlete journey to the MLB
October 15, 2017
Amazing autobiography and story. One of the best books I’ve read in my life. The way he explains his journey extremely interestingly and he always leaves the grasping for every detail.
January 9, 2019
An enjoyable book talking of his troubles, faith in God, and helpful hints for youths trying to play sports.
September 7, 2021
I read the kid's edition (it's what we have). It's a very straightforward, easy read. But I enjoyed it. Uplifting, good little read, good messages.
March 12, 2017
I’d hate to be a minor league pitcher with high hopes and a so-so future. R.A. Dickey played in the minor leagues for 5 years ‘till he got the call from the Texas Rangers. He pitched just 4 games, setting a record in the 4th game for most home runs allowed in one game. The morning after the 4th game he sees a rookie with a great future drive a shiny, expensive Hummer into the players’ parking lot. Dickey knew he was about to be sent back to the minors. Just like that. One (very) bad game, and you’re history.
June 3, 2013
This quarter, I changed it up a little bit. I read an autobiography called “Throwing Strikes” by R.A. (Robert Allen) Dickey. It was a really inspiring book because of the fact that he started out being a poor kid from the ghetto of Nashville, to being an all-star pitcher. This book was great because it was a true underdog story. From his mother being an alcoholic to constant fist fights at school, R.A. was quite the delinquent as a kid. He slept on the floor every night from the time he was born to the age of twelve because his Dad couldn’t afford a new mattress and bed frame. So I think it’s safe to say he started from the bottom.
R.A. always seemed to be cheated, things wouldn’t always go as expected. A prime example of this is when he was drafted by the Texas Rangers in the first round of the 1996 MLB draft. He was given an $800,000 dollar contract depending on weather he passed his physical or not. At his physical, it was discovered that R.A. had not had a tendon in his right arm that 99% of people have. The doctor said “it should hurt to open a door.” So his offer was retracted all the way down to $70,000 and he was sent immediately to the minors.
R.A became quite accustom to a cheap lifestyle as a minor league pitcher.. Most ball players go through the minors with hopes to be there as short of an amount of time as possible. Most spend anywhere between one to three years there. R.A. was there for eight. With a minor leaguers salary, it’s quite hard to put food on the table for four kids and a wife. Somehow he managed to do it. His thoughts while there were that he would only be known as “the best minor league pitcher to ever live,” seeing as how he had all the minor league pitching records from being there so long. He was also traded and released numerous times in his years as a pitcher.
His big shot finally came with the New York Mets in 2011. You see, the Mets aren’t the greatest team in baseball per say, so it was thought that New York would be the perfect home for R.A. Well that was totally wrong. In his first year with the Mets, he recorded twenty one wins, which was the season high. His ERA (earned run average) was a staggering 2.73. He also won the Cy Young award, which signifies that your the best pitcher in baseball.
It’s quite hard to express my opinion on this book because it’s all about his life, and who am I to judge? Everyone lives their own life the way they want to. I’m not here to criticise him or his life decisions, but if theres one thing I will say, its that I admire him as a human being. Going through all the ups and the downs that he did, and now he’s one of the best pitchers in baseball. He always was, it’s just that no one ever gave him his shot.
R.A. always seemed to be cheated, things wouldn’t always go as expected. A prime example of this is when he was drafted by the Texas Rangers in the first round of the 1996 MLB draft. He was given an $800,000 dollar contract depending on weather he passed his physical or not. At his physical, it was discovered that R.A. had not had a tendon in his right arm that 99% of people have. The doctor said “it should hurt to open a door.” So his offer was retracted all the way down to $70,000 and he was sent immediately to the minors.
R.A became quite accustom to a cheap lifestyle as a minor league pitcher.. Most ball players go through the minors with hopes to be there as short of an amount of time as possible. Most spend anywhere between one to three years there. R.A. was there for eight. With a minor leaguers salary, it’s quite hard to put food on the table for four kids and a wife. Somehow he managed to do it. His thoughts while there were that he would only be known as “the best minor league pitcher to ever live,” seeing as how he had all the minor league pitching records from being there so long. He was also traded and released numerous times in his years as a pitcher.
His big shot finally came with the New York Mets in 2011. You see, the Mets aren’t the greatest team in baseball per say, so it was thought that New York would be the perfect home for R.A. Well that was totally wrong. In his first year with the Mets, he recorded twenty one wins, which was the season high. His ERA (earned run average) was a staggering 2.73. He also won the Cy Young award, which signifies that your the best pitcher in baseball.
It’s quite hard to express my opinion on this book because it’s all about his life, and who am I to judge? Everyone lives their own life the way they want to. I’m not here to criticise him or his life decisions, but if theres one thing I will say, its that I admire him as a human being. Going through all the ups and the downs that he did, and now he’s one of the best pitchers in baseball. He always was, it’s just that no one ever gave him his shot.
October 4, 2014
Throwing Strikes: My Quest for Truth and the Perfect Knuckleball by R.A Dickey is a nonfiction book and has a certain theme that many fiction books have. For example, the protagonists, in this case R.A Dickey, endures many struggles throughout his life but in the end, finds a way to overcome conflicts and get in touch with Christ and pursue his career dream and become a Major League pitcher. The book in my opinion, is a heartwarming and inspirational book that tells the tale of a poor boy, whose parents divorce, which leads to his mother turning to alcohol rather than Christ for help which ultimately hurts R.A Dickey who learns to deal with pain and struggles early on in his life. R.A Dickey deals with a great amount of setbacks and problems through ages eight to nineteen. R.A decided to accept Jesus Christ into his heart. That day something changed in him, he was more dedicated to school and baseball and developed good work ethics on and off the field and most importantly, people saw Christ through him.
This book is interesting, memorable, and instructive. The book is a good life lesson book, R.A, the author of the book injects good pointers into the book, some on baseball, some on just life itself. This book is interesting and memorable because it has a different type of hero vs conflict story-line and R.A Dickey really opens up in the book which is something he had trouble doing until he was twenty-five. I agree with all of R.A's and opinions and statements in the novel, he makes good points and makes you look at your own life and think about how YOU can make it better with the help of the Lord Jesus Christ. The book does not really raise any issues and it shouldn't, if you aren't a Christian or someone that doesn't want to learn about Christ then don't bother reading the book, (or at least skip the Christianity parts) But if you want to become more familiar with Christ and the miracles and challenges he presents to us, I highly suggest this book.
This book is interesting, memorable, and instructive. The book is a good life lesson book, R.A, the author of the book injects good pointers into the book, some on baseball, some on just life itself. This book is interesting and memorable because it has a different type of hero vs conflict story-line and R.A Dickey really opens up in the book which is something he had trouble doing until he was twenty-five. I agree with all of R.A's and opinions and statements in the novel, he makes good points and makes you look at your own life and think about how YOU can make it better with the help of the Lord Jesus Christ. The book does not really raise any issues and it shouldn't, if you aren't a Christian or someone that doesn't want to learn about Christ then don't bother reading the book, (or at least skip the Christianity parts) But if you want to become more familiar with Christ and the miracles and challenges he presents to us, I highly suggest this book.
April 6, 2014
The book, Throwing Strikes, is a biography on the story about defying all odds for Major League Baseball Pitcher R.A. Dickey. The book is about the life of R.A. Dickey, how he was an ace pitcher throughout his life and undoubtedly a very talented baseball player. However, once he finally reaches his goal of becoming a Major Leaguer, he discovers that he is missing a ligament in his throwing arm. This creates lots of confusion on how Dickey was still even able to throw, and everybody said that this would be the end of the road for him.
The book is told from R.A. Dickey's perspective. The story begins with his childhood, leading to when he got drafted to the Texas Rangers. However, when Dickey finally achieved his life goal to make it to the MLB, he finds out from doctors that a ligament is missing in his right arm, seemingly making it impossible for him to even use his arm. Despite all odds, Dickey learns a new, harmless pitch, called the knuckleball. It is a very rare pitch seen in the major leagues, but it is one of the hardest to hit, and also throw. Dickey overcame his ligament situation and abled himself to be able to do what he always dreamed of.
I do enjoy baseball, I also really enjoyed this book, but I do not think you need to enjoy baseball to enjoy this book. I was interested the whole time, and if you are a fan of remarkable life stories and overcoming all challenges, this is definitely a great book for you. Overall, great book and I loved reading it and hope you do to.
The book is told from R.A. Dickey's perspective. The story begins with his childhood, leading to when he got drafted to the Texas Rangers. However, when Dickey finally achieved his life goal to make it to the MLB, he finds out from doctors that a ligament is missing in his right arm, seemingly making it impossible for him to even use his arm. Despite all odds, Dickey learns a new, harmless pitch, called the knuckleball. It is a very rare pitch seen in the major leagues, but it is one of the hardest to hit, and also throw. Dickey overcame his ligament situation and abled himself to be able to do what he always dreamed of.
I do enjoy baseball, I also really enjoyed this book, but I do not think you need to enjoy baseball to enjoy this book. I was interested the whole time, and if you are a fan of remarkable life stories and overcoming all challenges, this is definitely a great book for you. Overall, great book and I loved reading it and hope you do to.
February 1, 2017
The book, Throwing Strikes, is an autobiography about a man named, R.A. Dickey. It’s about the life of R.A. Dickey (obviously), and it’s about the struggle that he had to master the knuckleball. This book is not part of a series, and it’s almost 300 pages long! The book covers struggles for R.A Dickey in childhood, and in later life. Some of the characters include, R.A. Dickey (again, obviously), Harry,and Leslie Dickey, who were his parents, Uncle Ricky, Jane Dickey, (little sister), unnamed teenage girl, unnamed teenage boy, baseball teammates, baseball coaches, and a therapist. All of these characters helped R.A. Dickey throughout his life, minus the unnamed teenagers. The setting of the book is in Nashville, Tennessee, somewhere along the Missouri River, and in New York. This is a true story, so it happened in the past. The book was published sometime in 2012. I think the book was a good book, and should be added to some libraries, such as elementary, and public libraries. It’s really hard to understand the ideas. If I met him in person, I could mabey, just mabey be friends with him. The theme is that you can do anything you set your mind to, (except have superpowers, and live forever, of course). Did he accomplish his dream? Will he succeed? The only way to find out, is to read the book, Throwing Strikes yourself.
February 13, 2015
I thought this was a great book and great experience to what it is like to know about a professional baseball career and life. One reason why I liked this book was because he gave tips for young pitchers like me on how go far in your pitching career.
The book starts out with Dickey as a teenager. He pitches for his high school. He also played shortstop occasionally. At that time in his life he threw pretty much fastballs. I mean of course he threw other different pitches, but he was not a full time throwing knuckleballer yet. When it was his senior year almost starting collage, he went to the Olympics to play for the U.S.A. He was also drafted by the New York Mets, but he did not take the offer, because he wanted to finish his education. Later in his life he gets drafted and cut on five teams in his past five years. Later the MLB wants Dickey to be an all time Knuckleballer. At first he has trouble controlling the ball. But he gets lessons from his old friend that used to be on e of the best knuckleballers in the MLB. He practices and practices, and practices, until he gets it right. He becomes one of the most successful knuckleballers in baseball.
I would recommend this book to anyone who loves the sport baseball, and especially pitchers.
The book starts out with Dickey as a teenager. He pitches for his high school. He also played shortstop occasionally. At that time in his life he threw pretty much fastballs. I mean of course he threw other different pitches, but he was not a full time throwing knuckleballer yet. When it was his senior year almost starting collage, he went to the Olympics to play for the U.S.A. He was also drafted by the New York Mets, but he did not take the offer, because he wanted to finish his education. Later in his life he gets drafted and cut on five teams in his past five years. Later the MLB wants Dickey to be an all time Knuckleballer. At first he has trouble controlling the ball. But he gets lessons from his old friend that used to be on e of the best knuckleballers in the MLB. He practices and practices, and practices, until he gets it right. He becomes one of the most successful knuckleballers in baseball.
I would recommend this book to anyone who loves the sport baseball, and especially pitchers.
April 2, 2015
Throwing Strikes by R.A. Dickey is an autobiography. R.A. Dickey's life was a roller coaster. When he was a child, his parents were poor. At age 8 his parents divorced and he stayed with his mom for a while until he got sick of all of her drinking and drugs. His mom was heartbroken when he left to go live with his dad for a while. Jumping to his pitching career, he played at the University of Tennessee. He was a stud pitcher and a top five round draft pick in the MLB by the Rangers. Right before Spring Training, they took an MRI in his elbow. The test results were that he was missing a UCL and ended up getting sent to the minors. The rest of the book is about his journey as a regular pitcher to a knuckleballer. His trip about learning and trying to get to the Major Leagues is very interesting.
I recommend this book to anybody who plays sports because then they can realize how hard baseball is, and what a journey of hard work it is to be good and make it as a pro.
I rate this book a five stars out of five because it was very interesting and now I know how long it takes and how hard it is to stay and became a major leaguer. This book is the best book I have ever read, I also know now that R.A. is an amazing author.
I recommend this book to anybody who plays sports because then they can realize how hard baseball is, and what a journey of hard work it is to be good and make it as a pro.
I rate this book a five stars out of five because it was very interesting and now I know how long it takes and how hard it is to stay and became a major leaguer. This book is the best book I have ever read, I also know now that R.A. is an amazing author.
January 9, 2016
This book was adapted from his memoir Wherever I Wind Up. The target audience is for young readers and the other is more for adults. It still includes the issues that has shaped his life but doesn't include the details. (Sometimes when I read autobiographies where abuse happens its more scary and horrifying because it was real.). It also omits issues that children may not be interested in like the difficulties of being a good husband. For those who are endeavouring to be athletes or baseball players Throwing Strikes also includes tips at the end of the chapters. Reading Throwing Strikes is probably appropriate for a mature eleven-year-old and up. Wherever I Wind Up dwells more into the darker time periods of Dickey's life. The adult version also includes more about his relationship with God. You do not have to read both because the content and time period is the same. This is a well-written honest autobiography. You can really see the man behind the superstar. A good book to read during baseball season.
October 10, 2014
This novel was about a young rising star by the name of R.A. Dickey who had struggles through his life that made him strive to greatness. Despite getting into fights at school and things like that, he always turned to sports when he was mad. He said, "It took my mind off things and helped me refocus." Then came the day, when he got drafted. He spent many years down in the minor leagues until he was called up to the majors, but they found something very wrong with his right elbow... Despite the issues he had in his right elbow, they converted the flamethrower to one of the hardest pitchers to face... A Knuckleballer.
I enjoyed this book very much, and it will be on the top of my list of all time favorites.I liked this book because it had to do with a baseball players dream and he never gave up, and conquered that dream. Look at him today, he's playing for the Toronto Blue Jays in the MLB.
I think anybody who is into sports especially baseball would enjoy reading this book, because it's about the life of a sports player.
I enjoyed this book very much, and it will be on the top of my list of all time favorites.I liked this book because it had to do with a baseball players dream and he never gave up, and conquered that dream. Look at him today, he's playing for the Toronto Blue Jays in the MLB.
I think anybody who is into sports especially baseball would enjoy reading this book, because it's about the life of a sports player.
October 30, 2014
R.A. Dickey grew up in a bad part of the town in Nashville tennessee. In his childhood he used to play baseball, and football games in the neighborhood all day long. He used to get into a lot of fight with many people as a little kid. R.A. Dickeys dad who died when he was a little kid, and his uncle all made it to the big leagues like he did, and they all where very good pitchers. Something I learned about reading the book that I am going to take into granted is that R.A. Dickey showed everyone even if he has elbow problems or grow up in a dad communities. If you put your mind to something you can do anything. R.A. Dickey said by the end of the season he wanted to start in some of the games, he put his mind to it and did it.
I would rate this book a 4 out of 5 because I love baseball and R.A. Dickey is my Favorite pitcher in the MLB. I didn't give it a 5 out of 5 because it wasn't a book that i wanted to go back and read again and again once is enough. Overall it was a great book and I think you should read it.
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December 16, 2015I really liked the book "Throwing Strikes" by R.A. Dickey because it was about baseball, and how his life was bad and good, and how he became an amazing baseball player.
Throwing Strikes by R.A. Dickey was a great book. When he was a child, his parents were poor. At age 8 his parents divorced and he stayed with his mom for a while until he got sick of all of her drinking and drugs. His mom was really sad when he left to go live with his dad for a while. In his pitching carrernhe played at the University of Tennessee. He was a stud pitcher and a top five round draft pick in the MLB by the Rangers. Right before Spring Training, they took an MRI in his elbow. The test results were that he was missing a UCL and ended up getting sent to the minors. The rest of the book is about his journey as a regular pitcher to a knuckleballer. His trip about learning and trying to get to the Major Leagues is very interesting.
I would recommend this book to anybody who plays sports is, and anybody who likes baseball.
Throwing Strikes by R.A. Dickey was a great book. When he was a child, his parents were poor. At age 8 his parents divorced and he stayed with his mom for a while until he got sick of all of her drinking and drugs. His mom was really sad when he left to go live with his dad for a while. In his pitching carrernhe played at the University of Tennessee. He was a stud pitcher and a top five round draft pick in the MLB by the Rangers. Right before Spring Training, they took an MRI in his elbow. The test results were that he was missing a UCL and ended up getting sent to the minors. The rest of the book is about his journey as a regular pitcher to a knuckleballer. His trip about learning and trying to get to the Major Leagues is very interesting.
I would recommend this book to anybody who plays sports is, and anybody who likes baseball.
February 28, 2017
January
Throwing strikes: My Quest for Truth and the Perfect Knuckleball
R.A. Dickey
The book Throwing Strikes, is about R.A. Dickey and his long road to the baseball majors. R.A. struggled on his path to the majors. He had is ups and downs while pitching. He even had to switch to throwing a knuckleball. R.A. had to figure out how to throw the perfect knuckleball. So, R.A. Dickey has a really tough journey in this book while trying to figure out his knuckleball.
The theme of this story is to never give up and the main idea is to trust yourself. The theme is never to give up because R.A. Dickey never gave up on his dream of being a great major league baseball player(pg.296). He always believed that someday he would become one. Also, the main idea of this book is to trust yourself because R.A. always trusted himself. He trusted himself on making it to major league baseball and he trusted himself that he would do good in life. Obviously the theme of this story is to never give up, and the main idea is to trust yourself.
Throwing strikes: My Quest for Truth and the Perfect Knuckleball
R.A. Dickey
The book Throwing Strikes, is about R.A. Dickey and his long road to the baseball majors. R.A. struggled on his path to the majors. He had is ups and downs while pitching. He even had to switch to throwing a knuckleball. R.A. had to figure out how to throw the perfect knuckleball. So, R.A. Dickey has a really tough journey in this book while trying to figure out his knuckleball.
The theme of this story is to never give up and the main idea is to trust yourself. The theme is never to give up because R.A. Dickey never gave up on his dream of being a great major league baseball player(pg.296). He always believed that someday he would become one. Also, the main idea of this book is to trust yourself because R.A. always trusted himself. He trusted himself on making it to major league baseball and he trusted himself that he would do good in life. Obviously the theme of this story is to never give up, and the main idea is to trust yourself.
November 2, 2015
This book is about a pitcher that works hard and gets rewarded for it. Throwing Strikes is the first and only book to the series, the book had 296 pages but it is an easy read this author is a first time author too. This book is good because it tells the advantages and disadvantages of being a MLB pitcher. The style of writing is just a normal writing style. This book is about a baseball pitcher that had a lot of success in his life time but when he got to playing with College teams he was having trouble. Because the people he was playing were much more experienced then him but he got used to it and moved on the play for the USA. He played for the USA for a while then he moved on to be a MLB pitcher. When he played In the MLB he started to understand the game even more than he already knew. When he was on the Mets he got 20 wins by him pitching for the Mets
August 7, 2015
Great book for baseball fans! I love that someone (R.A. himself?) actually thought of KIDS when this adaption was made from his more adult-version memoir.
I'd heard R.A. talking about his book on NPR, and the interviewer kept probing the "secret" that he revealed...but the book is so much more than that. Part self-help, part inspirational, part baseball how-to techniques; it's really a good book for both kids and adults, without all that endless ego-stroking that most athletes/celebrities dish out. R.A. seems to be a truly likable, down-to-earth person, a guy that you'd love to have as your friend.
Not that he's reading this simple review, but...Best of everything in the rest of your MLB career, R.A.!
I'd heard R.A. talking about his book on NPR, and the interviewer kept probing the "secret" that he revealed...but the book is so much more than that. Part self-help, part inspirational, part baseball how-to techniques; it's really a good book for both kids and adults, without all that endless ego-stroking that most athletes/celebrities dish out. R.A. seems to be a truly likable, down-to-earth person, a guy that you'd love to have as your friend.
Not that he's reading this simple review, but...Best of everything in the rest of your MLB career, R.A.!
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