By Brad Lefton
Over the span of two seasons, Brandon
Dickson went from the top of the baseball
world to what looked like the end of the
road. One year, he was making his major
league debut for the 2011 Cardinals’
World Series-bound team; the next, he was
making his way through the cloud of an
uncertain future after being released.
He’d gotten a final major league look
during two call-ups in 2012, amid his
third year at Triple-A. But after pitching
just 6^1 ⁄ 3 innings that season with St. Louis,
the 6-foot-5 righty sensed his shot with
the organization had run its course.
“I always had hopes that things would
work out for me with the Cardinals,” says
Dickson, who was twice a minor league
all-star in the system. “But when they
didn’t call me up in September (2012)
with the other guys when the roster
expanded, I knew my time there was
probably finished.”
His desire to pitch wasn’t. And then
came an offer from a place that seemed
galaxies away.Back in 2010, when Dickson first
reached Triple-A, his roommate was
lefthander Evan MacLane, a veteran of
eight minor league seasons. “All he ever
talked about,” Dickson remembers, “was
wanting to play in Japan.”
MacLane followed his dream, pitching
for the Orix Buffaloes for two years, until
the club decided not to renew his contract
after the 2012 season – and offered his
spot in the rotation to Dickson.
As much as he wanted to continue
his career, Dickson was a kid from ruralLong a destination to extend careers or reignite them fora return trip to the U.S., Japan provided former Cardinalsfarmhand Brandon Dickson one of the most sought-aftersituations in the game – a long-term baseball homeLAND OF
OPPORTU NITY
CARDINALS MAGAZINE 59