"Wherever I Wind Up -- My Search for Truth, Authenticity, and the Perfect Knuckleball" by R.A. Dickey -- My Review

A busy season has led to busy off-season and now our summer schedule in the Cooper League.  The Astros are falling back, so my focus on all things MLB has been a little, let's say, unfocused of late.  I had the TV on in my office Monday night when I heard the crew of my favorite show -- "Baseball Tonight" on ESPN -- talking about who they believed was the best pitcher in baseball right now.  The consensus was that baseball's best pitcher at the present is the guy who had just thrown his second consecutive one-hitter.  That would be R. A. Dickey of the N.Y. Mets.


For those who don't know, R.A. Dickey's main pitch (he throws it 85% of the time) is the knuckleball.  So, yes, baseball players and fans, the best pitcher going right now is R.A. Dickey, the knuckleballer.  His fastball, which he occasionally uses to surprise hitters or disrupt their timing, tops out at about 86 MPH. That would be a big enough story itself.


But there is more.  Actually, there is much more.


While perusing Facebook the morning after Dickey's latest one-hitter, I come across a book review by Eric Metaxas, the author of Bonhoffer, Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy.  My wife is reading Metaxas's book, and I recently watched the video of his amazing keynote at the National Prayer Breakfast.  So, I am an instant fan.  Metaxas is an authentic Christian, a real man with a sense of humor.  He is an English major from Yale, too, and he knows good books.  Metaxas's review that catches my eye is of the autobiography of R.A. Dickey:  "Wherever I Wind Up."  This post is Tuesday morning, June 19, the day after Dickey's one-hitter.


I am intrigued, and now I feel compelled to read this book.  So, I adjust my lunch plans and go get it at Barnes and Noble.  I read through the lunch hour, pick it up again at night.  Then,  I read some more the next morning and the lunch break on June 20.  By 6:30 p.m. on June 20, I am finished with this 325-page book.  I have finished it in 36 hours.  And I am a slow reader.


I stopped to underline in a few places, too.  I underlined less than I usually do when digging into a book, though, because frankly a lot of the book was so consequential that it seemed to be writing notes in my mind ... and heart.


Wherever I Wind Up is one of the most powerful books I have read.  Note, I didn't say most powerful baseball  books. I said most powerful books. The two works that come to mind that are close are The Shack by William P. Young and So You Don't Want to Go to Church Anymore by Wayne Jacobsen.  But this book is different that those two for two key reasons.  First, it is non-fiction, and two, it is a baseball book. Thus, this book -- the compelling story of R.A. Dickey's incredible journey to the top of the baseball pitching heap in New York, New York -- deeply resonates with me.


Wherever I Wind Up masterfully chronicles Dickey's journey from the risk-taking son of an alcoholic mother and aloof father to a remade, top of the rotation guy (and probable NL starter in the 2012 All-Star game) for the Mets.


A number of readers may already be familiar with Dickey's remarkable journey.  The twists, turns, staggering adversity, and serial setbacks are amazing.  But more stunning still are Dickey's perseverance, the love of his wife and family, and ultimately God's grace and plan for his life.


As one reads how Dickey's journey unfolds, the fingerprints of God are everywhere, down to the smallest detail.  For instance, while he was a 95-MPH fireballer leading the University of Tennessee to its first College World Series berth in more than 50 years, Dickey majored in English Literature and developed a love for the printed word and communicating well.  And so ... the story-teller was trained and prepared along the journey before he even knew there was a story to tell.


The climax of the book occurs when Dickey, while on a road trip with his teammates five years ago near the end of his minor-league career (Note: 2012 is Dickey's 16th professional season, and he has spent all or part of 14 of those seasons in the minors), decides to swim the mighty Missouri River.  This effort, though, turns into a metaphorical baptism of sorts.  Indeed, when Dickey emerges from the river, he is humbled to the point where he can turn the corner both personally and professionally.


I have been going over the various things that make this book so meaningful to me.  It's hard to nail down entirely, but I think that it particularly meant so much because I know the feeling of being doubted (both by myself and others), of being knocked down and struggling to get up, of working through my parents divorce when I was seven, and of experiencing tremendous pain and loneliness as a kid.  And I know the power and joy of God's grace, of redemption, and of finding His purpose in my life.


Also, as a coach, I really enjoyed learning how this great pitcher became great.  Here is what I saw:  A willingness to be honest with himself and do whatever it takes to succeed (Dickey was remade as a knuckleballer in the middle of his minor-league career); support from his friends and family, especially his godly wife;  a deliberate, uncommon work ethic and a competitive fire; the help of mentors along the way (knuckleballing greats Charlie Hough, Tim Wakefield, and Phil Niekro all helped Dickey's development); a tried and true routine, plan, and solid stay-in-the-moment approach; teammates who were willing to go the extra mile and work with him; and also coaches and managers who believed in him when others had given up.  Buck Showalter and Orel Hershiser are notable in this regard.


Ultimately, though, it is Dickey's authentic faith -- his honesty with God and others -- that becomes his greatest asset to take his game and life to the next level.  He sees his development as a player and man as connected.  He writes, "... [I]f I have it in me to be fully present in one realm of my life, it will overflow into the other realms."


My principal takeaways from this book are:  1) Keep believing in what God is doing in your life and never let go of what He has placed before you as your calling; 2) Be open to do whatever is necessary to get the best that God has for you because His plan is greater than any fiction book you could imagine; and 3) God's grace is more powerful than the mighty Missouri River and any other force in the universe. 


And really, there is a fourth takeaway, and that is, "A righteous man may fall seven times ... but he rises again." Prov. 24:16.  R.A. Dickey would probably quibble with the description of him as a "righteous" man, but indeed, the core of the true pursuit of God is to keep at it ... always ... keep striving ... to get up.  As much as any figure in sports today, R.A. exemplifies this.  


So, who is this book for?  Baseball people, people who know baseball people, Christians, people who are not Christians but might need or want a reason to believe, people who wonder how one deals with dark secrets and the worst adversity imaginable, people who think they have blown it so bad that there is no hope for them, people who want to hope again that something good can happen after so many things have gone wrong, and people who have been deeply hurt and want to get better, to name a few.


I give it my highest recommendation and look forward to hearing your reviews.


See you on the field ...