Life throws a knuckleball – on Fresh Air

Un-hittable, un-catchable, and un-explainable. That was the major league knuckleball before R.A. Dickey’s appearance on Fresh Air today.

I exaggerate, of course, but I heartily recommend my interview with this well-spoken, insightful athlete on Tuesday’s show.

Dickey has a memoir about his strange baseball career and how he learned this wacky pitch that dips and dives in unpredictable ways.

But it’s more than a baseball story. Dickey reveals painful details about a troubled childhood, including sexual abuse at the hands of two different teenagers. And he explains how getting help with his life helped him master this pitch, which requires that you let it do its thing, rather trying to overpower it.

At 37, Dickey is finally a respected major league starter and the only knuckleballer in the big leagues. I promise you’ll enjoy this one.

You can hear Fresh Air at 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. on 91FM. If you’re listening outside the Philadelphia area, you can find a station here. And you can listen, download a podcast or get more information at the Fresh Air  website.

Dickey’s memoir with Wayne Coffey is called “Wherever I Wind Up – My Quest for Truth, Authenticity and The Perfect Knuckleball.”