Dickey Robert Allen - Wherever I wind up: my quest for truth, authenticity, and the perfect knuckleball

A PLUME BOOK

WHEREVER I WIND UP

R. A. DICKEY of the Toronto Blue Jays is one of the premier pitchers in baseball. In 2012 while playing for the New York Mets, he became the first knuckleballer to win the National League Cy Young Award, major league baseballs highest honor for a pitcher. He has also written for the New York Times and is working on a young adult version of Wherever I Wind Up as well as two childrens books. When not on the road with his team, Dickey lives in Tennessee with his wife and children.

WAYNE COFFEY is an award-winning journalist for the New York Daily News and the author of more than thirty books, including The Boys of Winter, a New YorkTimes bestselling chronicle of the 1980 U.S. Olympic hockey team. A three-time Pulitzer nominee, he has long been regarded as one of best sports feature writers in the nation.

Praise forWherever I Wind Up

It might be the finest piece of nonfiction baseball writing since Ball Four. Perhaps above all, its a classic epic quest, a flawed heros unlikely odyssey to the major leagues and to discovering the mystical pitch that helped him get there.

L. Jon Wertheim, Sports Illustrated

An astounding memoirhaunting and touching, courageous and wise.

Jeremy Schaap, bestselling author,

Emmy Awardwinning journalist, ESPN

Gripping... Searingly personal... To know Dickey is to root for him.

Tyler Kepner, The New York Times

Compelling... Dickey credits his faith with overcoming myriad trials both personal and professional, but it never feels as if hes preaching.... The author emerges as one of baseballs good guys, and someone who can write as well as he pitches. Dickey has set a new standard for athlete autobiographies.

Publishers Weekly (starred review)

R. A. Dickeys book is unlike any other professional athletes autobiography you have ever read. And that is a very good thing.

Mike Bauman, MLB.com

A wonderful and powerful new memoir.

Jim Caple, ESPN

Nobody in baseball has overcome more obstacles than R.A. Dickey, and nobody writes about them with more honesty and insight. R. A. doesnt want to be called a hero, but he is exactly that, and when you read about his lifes journey and his courage, you will agree with me. This is an awesome book by an awesome man.

Orel Hershiser, ESPN Sunday Night Baseball analyst, former MLB All-Star

I cant recommend Wherever I Wind Up enough.

Gary Cohen, SportsNet New York (SNY)

A baseball story that is unlike anybody elses.

Buck Showalter, manager of the Baltimore Orioles

PLUME

Published by the Penguin Group

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First published in the United States of America by Blue Rider Press, a member of Penguin Group (USA) Inc., 2012

First Plume Printing, 2013

Copyright R. A. Dickey, 2012

All rights reserved. No part of this product may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the authors rights.

Purchase only authorized editions.

REGISTERED TRADEMARKMARCA REGISTRADA

THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS HAS CATALOGUED THE BLUE RIDER PRESS EDITION AS FOLLOWS:

Dickey, R.A.

Wherever I wind up : my quest for truth, authenticity and the perfect knuckleball /R.A. Dickey, Wayne Coffey.

p. cm.

Summary: A memoir written by baseball pitcher R.A. Dickey Provided by publisher.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN 978-1-101-56114-0

1. Dickey, R.A. 2. Baseball playersUnited StatesBiography. 3. Pitchers (Baseball)United StatesBiography. I. Coffey, Wayne R. II. Title.

GV865.D46A3 2012

796.357092dc23

[B] 2012001700

PUBLISHERS NOTE

While the author has made every effort to provide accurate telephone numbers, Internet addresses, and other contact information at the time of publication, neither the publisher nor the author assumes any responsibility for errors, or for changes that occur after publication. Further, publisher does not have any control over and does not assume any responsibility for author or third-party Web sites or their content.

Penguin is committed to publishing works of quality and integrity. In that spirit, we are proud to offer this book to our readers; however, the story, the experiences, and the words are the authors alone.