Duh.

Dickey will be the last Mets-related entry in the TedQuarters Top 10 Things of 2010. I considered including the hiring of Sandy Alderson somewhere, but it seems inappropriate to bestow such a weighty honor upon the decision (and the general manager) until we see the team Alderson constructs play some ballgames and everything.

And R.A. Dickey, certainly the shiniest bright spot in a mostly dark season for the Mets, deserves recognition here. A 35-year-old journeyman with no ulnar collateral ligament, Dickey harnessed the mesmerizing powers of the knuckleball and enjoyed a career season: He posted a 138 ERA+ in 174 1/3 innings, induced a ton of groundballs and kept runners off base. Mixing speeds with his signature pitch, He flummoxed Major League hitters from May to September.

Dickey’s on-field contributions didn’t end there. A ferocious competitor, he swiftly established himself as an excellent defensive pitcher. And at the plate, Dickey posted a .296 on-base percentage, equaling or bettering the season line of five position players in the Mets’ Opening Day lineup (!). Got the bunts down when he had to, put the ball in play when he had to, even smacked a couple of doubles. Just a good baseball player.

All of that, in sum, probably would have been enough to help Dickey crack the Top 10 Things of 2010. We like redemption stories, after all, and in a purely baseball sense his is a great one. Former first-round draft pick develops a knuckleball late in his baseball life, figures it out, dominates.

But then on top of all that, there’s R.A. Dickey the dude. Turns out the Mets’ knuckleballer himself recognizes the universal appeal of the knuckleball. He loves literature and poetry, and he reads before games. His last name is “Dickey.” He would like to be a ball boy at the U.S. Open, but he’s unwilling to part with his beard. He makes an awesome face when he throws. He is accessible to blogger and Burkhardt alike. The guy is a fan’s dream; great story, obvious dedication, interesting fellow.

Still, I’m certain that the most endearing thing about Dickey, to fans, is the outstanding performance in 2010. Moving forward, if Dickey regresses a little bit as the league catches up to him, it will be interesting to see how fans react. Naturally some of us will always have a soft spot in our hearts for a pitcher/poet, but I wonder if, at some point after two lousy starts happen to fall on consecutive outings for Dickey, we’ll have to suffer WFAN callers and incensed Tweeters demanding Dickey take his head out of his Dumas and start watching more game film, or something stupid like that.

For now, though, we can hope that never happens, and that Dickey only continues to baffle opposing hitters and enthrall adoring fans.