The Cy Young Award winners will be announced on Wednesday, and there is a decent chance that R.A. Dickey will get his name on the plaque. But on Saturday night, he was honored for his exploits off the field. Thomas Harding of mlb.com reports that Dickey received the Branch Rickey Award, which is given for humanitarian service.
R.A. Dickey honored with Branch Rickey Award
New York Mets’ pitcher and Cy Young Award finalist R.A. Dickey received the Branch Rickey Award on Saturday night. The Branch Rickey Award is given for exemplary humanitarian service in baseball.
Anthony Gruppuso-US PRESSWIRE
Dickey is well-known around baseball for his giving nature and big heart. Last year, he climbed Mount Kilimanjaro to help raise over $100,000 for victims of human trafficking in India. He also helped found Honoring the Father ministries, an organization that distributes medical supplies to impoverished areas in Central and South America.
Dickey is the 21st recipient of the Rickey Award, which was created by the Rotary Club of Denver, Colorado. The award works to help at-risk kids in the Denver area.
“If the kids just walk away with just one nugget, one point that they can hold on to that will make them different than when they walked in that door ...” Dickey said. “They might not get everything. Of course, they’re not going to get everything. But if I send them out the door with something they didn’t have when they came in here, I’ve succeeded.”
Dickey also spoke about the ongoing contract negotiations he is having with the Mets. The Mets recently picked up Dickey’s option for the 2013 season worth $5 million, but the 38-year-old would like more security than that.
"I don't want to go, let's put it that way. I like being a Met. That being said, I understand the business that I'm in. I've always understood it's a possibility and there would be no acrimony. It's not an acrimonious situation. (Mets' general manager) Sandy (Alderson) is doing his due diligence because that's what he's paid to do for the New York Mets. I can hold it the way it's supposed to be held. I don't take it personally."
If the Mets and Dickey cannot reach an agreement, there is speculation that they could look to trade him.
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