He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Texas Rangers, Seattle Mariners, Minnesota Twins, New York Mets, Toronto Blue Jays and Atlanta Braves.

[1] Dickey attended Montgomery Bell Academy in Nashville, Tennessee, where he was named the state's Gatorade Player of the Year as a senior.

The Rangers subsequently did further evaluation of Dickey, leading to the discovery of a missing ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow joint, and reduced their offer to $75,000.

[5][6] Dickey has been quoted as saying, "Doctors look at me and say I shouldn't be able to turn a doorknob without feeling pain,"[5] making his ability to pitch somewhat remarkable.

[5] At the beginning of the 2006 season, the Rangers gave Dickey a chance to try out his knuckleball at the major league level by naming him the fifth starter.

However, after giving up six home runs in his first start on April 6, tying the modern era baseball record with another knuckleballer, Tim Wakefield, he was demoted to the Rangers' Triple-A minor league affiliate, the Oklahoma RedHawks.

On January 13, 2007, he signed a minor league deal with the Milwaukee Brewers and spent the 2007 season with the Triple-A Nashville Sounds.

On November 28, 2007, he signed a minor league contract with the Minnesota Twins that included an invitation to spring training, but was claimed in the Rule 5 draft by the Seattle Mariners on December 6, 2007.

On December 23, 2008, Dickey signed a minor league contract with an invitation to spring training with the Minnesota Twins.

On January 5, 2010, Dickey signed a minor league contract with the New York Mets, receiving an invitation to spring training.

In his debut for the Mets, Dickey pitched well, going six innings, giving up five hits, two earned runs, and striking out two, but received a no-decision.

[26] In his next start, Dickey pitched a complete game one-hit shutout against the Orioles, becoming the first pitcher since Dave Stieb in 1988 to throw two consecutive one-hitters.

[28] During this streak, Dickey set a new Mets franchise record of 32+2⁄3 consecutive scoreless innings, besting Jerry Koosman's 31+2⁄3 in 1973.

Dickey won the NL Cy Young Award, beating out Gio González of the Nationals and Clayton Kershaw of the Dodgers.

[34] On December 16, 2012, the Mets agreed to trade Dickey to the Toronto Blue Jays (along with Josh Thole and Mike Nickeas) in exchange for Travis d'Arnaud, John Buck, Noah Syndergaard and Wuilmer Becerra, contingent upon his agreeing to a contract extension with the Blue Jays.

Dickey led all American League pitchers with 40 assists and 7 defensive runs saved, and yielded only 8 stolen bases.

[43] On June 27, Dickey recorded his 1,000th career strikeout, coming against Tyler Flowers of the Chicago White Sox.

He would start the final game of the Blue Jays season on September 28, against the Baltimore Orioles, and would pitch 6 innings and yield only 1 run, but Toronto would lose 1–0.

[46] Dickey pitched a little over 99 innings after the All-Star break, fourth most in the American League, resulting in eight wins with only one loss, 6th best in the AL. His ERA was a meager 2.80 over that period, which would have tied him for the best in the American League with Justin Verlander (50 inning minimum), had it not been for two other Jays starters, Marco Estrada, with a 2.78 ERA, and David Price, at 2.55.

At 40 years of age, Dickey became the oldest player in MLB history to make his postseason debut, pitching 42⁄3 innings before he was relieved by David Price, who would go on to earn the win.

[7] Due to the acquisition of Francisco Liriano at the trade deadline, Dickey made only three pitching appearances in September.

[50] With the Blue Jays only needing four starters for the playoffs, Dickey was left off of the postseason roster in favor of Marcus Stroman, Aaron Sanchez, Marco Estrada, and J.

[51] On October 27, Dickey was named a finalist for the pitchers Gold Glove Award, along with Justin Verlander and Dallas Keuchel.

[4] A born-again Christian, he helps operate the Ocala, Florida-based Honoring the Father Ministries which provides medical supplies, powdered milk, and baseball equipment to the impoverished in Latin America.

His climb was in support of an organization called "Bombay Teen Challenge" that ministers to victims of human trafficking and their children in the heart of the red-light districts.

Dickey returned from this trip in January 2012 with Mets bullpen catcher Dave Racaniello and the Cleveland Indians starting pitcher Kevin Slowey, and together raised over $100,000.

[71][72] His autobiography, Wherever I Wind Up: My Quest for Truth, Authenticity and the Perfect Knuckleball, written along with New York Daily News reporter Wayne Coffey, was released in 2012.

[74] In September 2012, Dial Press announced a deal with Dickey to publish three books, including a children's version of his memoir.