William Malcolm Dickey (June 6, 1907 – November 12, 1993) was an American professional baseball catcher and manager. He played in Major League Baseball with the New York Yankees for 17 seasons. Dickey managed the Yankees as a player-manager in 1946 in his last season as a player.

Dickey played with the Yankees from 1928 through 1943. After serving in the United States Navy during World War II, Dickey returned to the Yankees in 1946 as a player and manager. He retired after the 1946 season, but returned in 1949 as a coach, in which capacity he taught Yogi Berra the finer points of catching.

During Dickey's playing career, the Yankees went to the World Series nine times, winning eight championships. He was named to 11 All-Star Games. He went on to briefly manage the Yankees as a player-manager, then contribute to another six Yankee World Series titles as a coach. Dickey was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1954.

Early life

Dickey was born in Bastrop, Louisiana, on June 6, 1907. He was one of seven children born to John and Laura Dickey. The Dickeys moved to Kensett, Arkansas, where John Dickey worked as a brakeman for the Missouri Pacific Railroad. John Dickey had played baseball for a semi-professional team based in Memphis, Tennessee. Bill's older brother, Gus, was a second baseman and pitcher in the East Arkansas Semipro League, while his younger brother, George, would go on to play in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a catcher.

Dickey attended Searcy High School in Searcy, Arkansas. At Searcy, Dickey played for the school's baseball team as a pitcher and second baseman. The Yankees purchased Dickey from Jackson for $12,500 ($ in current dollar terms). Though he suffered from influenza during spring training in 1928, Dickey impressed Yankees manager Miller Huggins. Dickey hit .300 in 60 games for Little Rock, receiving a promotion to the Buffalo Bisons of the Class AA International League. and Dickey outperformed Bengough and Johnny Grabowski. As a rookie, Dickey hit .324 with 10 home runs and 65 runs batted in (RBI). Dickey posted some of the finest offensive seasons ever by a catcher during the late 1930s, hitting over 20 home runs with 100 RBI in four consecutive seasons from 1936 through 1939.

In 1932, Dickey broke the jaw of Carl Reynolds with one punch in a game after they collided at home plate, and received a 30-day suspension and $1,000 fine as punishment. That year, he hit .310, with 15 home runs and 84 RBI. In the 1932 World Series, he batted 7-for-16, with three walks, 4 RBI, and scored two runs. Dickey earned $18,000 in 1939.

On July 26, 1939, Dickey hit three home runs against the St. Louis Browns in a 14-1 rout at Yankee Stadium.

The 1941 season marked Dickey's thirteenth year in which he caught at least 100 games, an MLB record. He also set a double play record and led AL catchers with a .994 fielding percentage.

Dickey suffered a shoulder injury in 1942, ending his streak of catching at least 100 games in a season. When Dickey's backup, Buddy Rosar, left the team without permission to take examinations to join the Buffalo police force and to be with his wife who was about to have a baby, Yankees manager Joe McCarthy signed Rollie Hemsley to be the second string catcher, relegating Rosar to the third string position. Dickey saw his playing time decrease with the addition of Hemsley.

Dickey had a terrific season in 1943, batting .351 in 85 games and hitting the title-clinching home run in the 1943 World Series. After the season, the 36 year-old Dickey was honored as the player of the year by the New York chapter of the Baseball Writers' Association of America.

Manager and coach

Dickey was rumored to be a candidate for the managerial position with the Philadelphia Phillies after the 1943 season.

Dickey entered the United States Navy on March 15, 1944, as he was categorized in Class 1-A, meaning fit for service, by the Selective Service System. He served at the Navy Hospital Area in Hawaii. He was discharged in January 1946 as a lieutenant senior grade; one of his main tasks had been to organize recreational activities in the Pacific.

Returning to the Yankees in 1946, Dickey became the player-manager of the Yankees in the middle of the season after Joe McCarthy resigned. The Yankees did fairly well under Dickey's watch, going 57–48. However, owner Larry MacPhail refused to give Dickey a new contract until after the season. Rather than face the possibility of being a lame-duck manager, the 39 year-old Dickey resigned on September 12, but remained as a player. He retired after the season, having compiled 202 home runs, 1,209 RBIs and a .313 batting average over his career.

In 1947, Dickey managed the Travelers. The team finished with a 51–103 record, last in the Southern Association. Already a good hitter, Berra became an excellent defensive catcher. With Berra having inherited his uniform number 8, Dickey wore number 33 until the 1960 season. Dickey later instructed Elston Howard on catching, when Berra moved to the outfield.

Personal life

thumb|upright|Bill Dickey's plaque in the [[National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum|Baseball Hall of Fame]]

On October 5, 1932, Dickey married Violet Arnold, a New York showgirl, at St. Mark's Church in Jackson Heights, New York. The couple had one child, Lorraine, born in 1935.

Dickey was an excellent quail hunter. In 1972, the Yankees retired the number 8 in honor of Dickey and Berra. Like those catchers, Dickey was a nominee for the Major League Baseball All-Century Team, but the fan balloting chose Berra and Bench as the two catchers on the team.

In 2007, Dickey-Stephens Park opened in North Little Rock, Arkansas. The ballpark was named after Bill; his brother George; and two famous Arkansas businessmen, Jackson and Witt Stephens.

In 2013, the Bob Feller Act of Valor Award honored Dickey as one of 37 Baseball Hall of Fame members for his service in the United States Navy during World War II.

See also

  • List of Major League Baseball career runs batted in leaders
  • List of Major League Baseball player-managers
  • List of Major League Baseball players who spent their entire career with one franchise

References

  • Bill Dickey Oral History Interview - National Baseball Hall of Fame Digital Collection