Murry Monroe Dickson (August 21, 1916 - September 21, 1989) built an excellent pitching career in the Major Leagues over 18 years, and during that time endured a litany of events that could have potentially ended his career (and life), but certainly made for a number of great stories. Pitching for Leavenworth, Kansas’ American Legion team in 1933, Dickson was on the mound at the state prison in nearby Lansing when convicts stormed the stands and took the warden hostage in an attempt to escape. Armed guards with machine guns surrounded the stands and defended the players from the attack and the uprising was quashed without injury to any player. Three years later, Murry signed with the St. Louis Cardinals. He pitched three solid seasons in the minor leagues including a 22-win season with the Houston Buffaloes of the Texas League in 1939. That same year he debuted for the Redbirds in the blink of an eye pitching 3.2 innings with two strikeouts. In 1942, Dickson pitched for St. Louis in a relief role and helped the Cardinals win the 1942 National League pennant in a battle with the Brooklyn Dodgers. They then took the World Series from the New York Yankees in five games, though he didn’t pitch. The Yankees avenged the loss the following year, beating St. Louis in five games in the 1943 World Series. That year, he was drafted into the United States Army. While serving in Europe, General George S. Patton sought to have Dickson serve as his personal driver, but Murry pleaded with his commanding officer to help him out of that assignment due for fear that the “crazy” general might get him killed. Dickson returned from World War II in time to once again pitch for St. Louis, going 15-6 as they marched to the NL pennant for the third time in his career. Manager Eddie Dyer, who dubbed Murry, “Tom Edison Jr. – due to his penchant for experimenting on the mound, tapped Dickson to pitch Game 7 of the World Series. He threw five innings and despite not earning the win, was a happy recipient of a World Series ring due to Enos Slaughter’s “Mad Dash” in the bottom of the eighth to win the game and the Series.
Murry pitched nine years with the St. Louis Cardinals (1939-1940, 1942-1943, 1946-1948, 1956-1957) before being sold to the Pittsburgh Pirates for cash. Selling Dickson was a necessity for Cardinals owners in the midst of dissolving their partnership. Pittsburgh owner later stated that future Hall of Famer and beloved Cardinal Stan Musial was originally offered for sale, but owners changed their minds. From 1946 to 1956, he won 10 or more games each season with his best year coming in 1951 when he went 20-16. He pitched five years in Pittsburgh (1949-1953) and despite playing on an awful Pirates club in 1953 he earned a trip to the MLB All-Star Game even though he led the league with 19 losses. Murry pitched for the Philadelphia Phillies (1954-1956), the Kansas City Athletics (1958, 1959) and the New York Yankees (1958). Dickson appeared in two games for the Yankees in the 1958 World Series as the Yanks beat the Milwaukee Braves in seven games, giving Dickson his third championship. Murry Dickson’s career endured for 18 years and he went 172-181 with 1,281 strikeouts, 149 complete games, 27 shutouts, 23 saves and a 3.66 ERA. Throughout his playing career, Murry worked as a carpenter during each offseason, and upon his retirement returned to carpentry.
