Wherever I Wind Up

The Glass Castle meets Ball Four as MLB knuckleballer R.A. Dickey weaves searing honesty and baseball insight in this memoir about his unlikely journey to the big leagues.

Fourteen years ago, Mets pitcher R.A. Dickey was a heralded No. 1 draft choice of the Texas Rangers, only to have an $810,000 signing bonus, and his lifelong dream, ripped away by an x-ray-and the discovery that he did not have an ulna collateral ligament in his right elbow. Five years ago, he gave up a record six home runs in three innings to the Detroit Tigers in a humiliating performance-and was effectively consigned to the baseball scrap heap, spending a dozen years in an array of minor league outposts.

In WHEREVER I WIND UP the immensely likeable Dickey details his transformation from a reckless, risk-taking loner to a grounded, life-affirming big leaguer. 2010 was a seminal year for Dickey-at the age of 35 he emerged as one of the premier pitchers in the National League thanks to his wholehearted determination, profound faith and success in perfecting a supremely effective knuckleball pitch. How he arrived there will surprise many readers.