LA N D OF OPPORTU NITY
66 CARDINALS MAGAZINE
he discovered a different style of baseball.
Off-speed pitches are held in higher regard,
so when his catchers got a glimpse of his
knuckle curve, they recognized it as a pivotal
weapon and called for it – continually.
“It was a good pitch back in the States,
too, when I threw it. I just didn’t use it as
much because the game is different between
here and there,” Dickson says. “Now that
I’m asked to throw more off-speed pitches
here, I’ve had to learn how to control them
better. From that standpoint, I think I’ve
improved as a pitcher because my control is
better.”
While Dickson’s knuckle curve may be
the envy of many Japanese pitchers, he’s
fascinated by a pitch that’s popular in their
own repertoires.
“I watch their forkballs,” he says, smiling
in reverence. “That’s a pitch I don’t throw,
but you see some really good ones here.
Sometimes, I think, ‘Man, I wish I could
throw that pitch.’ I won’t try it, though,
because I’m afraid it might cause me arm
problems.”
Forkballs aside, Dickson has shown a
propensity for beating baseball’s odds, no
matter the country. Of the 1,502 players
drafted by major league teams in 2006, he
did what the large majority could not – reach
the major leagues. The fact he was passed
over in that draft – he later signed after
a bullpen workout – and is still pitching
professionally is quite remarkable.
Just as surprising as what five solid seasons
in Japan can do to redefine a player’s baseball
priorities.
“I just turned 33, so I no longer think
it’s realistic that I’d go back to play in the
States,” Dickson says. “I’d probably get a
split contract and there’s no point in me
grinding it out in the minor leagues again
when my family and I enjoy it so much in
Japan. If they’re willing to keep me, we’re
happy to stay right here.”
In the Land of the Rising Sun, Dickson is
keeping his dream alive.Brad Lefton is a St. Louis-based, bilingual
journalist who covers baseball in America and
Japan.Adapting to the nuances of baseball in Japan brought its own learning curve, but Dickson
armed himself with the resources to succeed. Gaining control of his off-speed pitches, he
realized, was a necessity for surviving – and thriving.
One of the reasons for Dickson’s staying power overseas, he believes, is that he’s “likable.”
Another, says Orix minor league manager and former Cardinal So Taguchi: “He loves Japan.”