Bill Dickey
| Birthdate | 6/6/1907 |
| Death Date | 11/12/1993 |
| Debut Year | 1928 |
| Year of Induction | 1954 |
| Teams | Yankees |
| Position | Catcher |
As a player and a Yankee manager and coach, 11-time All Star Bill Dickey helped teams win fourteen World Series Championships.
In the collection:
Bill Dickey responds to 1970 Old Timer's Day invite
Bill Dickey responds to 1970 Old Timer's Day invite
A catcher in 11 of the first 12 All Star games, Bill Dickey enjoyed a 17-year big league career. With seven World Series rings as a player, Dickey was a mainstay in the Yankee lineup during the 1930s and early 40s. In this letter Dickey responds to fellow Hall of Famer Lee MacPhail and his invitation to the Yankee Old Timer’s game MacPhail, the Yankees Executive VP and general manager was in charge of assembling the roster of the event for the retired players. Dickey writes, “Thank you for your letter and invitation. I am really going to try to be there this year.” The 1970 Yankee team finished second in the American League East and Dickey was rooting for more as evidenced by his closing line in the letter dated April 27, 1970. “Hope the boys get started and win some ball games.” Dickey has added his somewhat ornate signature to the bottom of the letter.
Original 1933 Goudey autogarphed by Bill Dickey
Original 1933 Goudey autogarphed by Bill Dickey
Bill Dickey had just completed his 1932 season before Goudey Gum Company came out with their 1933 set. Dickey won the first of his seven World Series rings with New York in ’32, hitting .438 — 7-for-16 with 4 runs batted in — in the four-game sweep of the Chicago Cubs. Dickey has signed this decades-old cardboard.
They Yankee catcher from 1928-1943 and again in 1946, Dickey is in the discussion for best backstop ever. Especially significant is his run from 1936-1939 in which he posted at least 20 homers, 100 RBI, and a .300 average each season for the New York teams that won four straight World Series titles.
Chisty Walsh writes to his assistant about Bill Dickey and Babe Ruth appearing in Pride of the Yankees
Chisty Walsh writes to his assistant about Bill Dickey and Babe Ruth appearing in Pride of the Yankees
Bill Dickey and Lou Gehrig were Yankee teammates for 12 years. It was natural that the producers of Pride of the Yankees would enlist Dickey’s help to give the movie an authentic feel. To do so, the moviemakers employed sports agent Christy Walsh as a liaison to gain the cooperation of many baseball figures, among them the Yankee catcher.
In this letter dated January 27, 1942, Walsh writes that he is, “very happy to say that Bill Dickey has finally agreed to come out and appear in the Lou Gehrig picture. This is not yet to be announced.”
“…also consult Mrs. Gehrig by telephone to see if she if she has any reminiscence or suggestions regarding Dickey, particularly regarding his friendship and relationship with Lou.”
Walsh also writes of the arrival of Babe Ruth. “We are trying to have Bill arrive in Hollywood a few days before Babe arrives because, naturally Babe carries more news importance and we don’t want him to take the edge off of Dickey’s arrival story. This, of course, has to be handled tactfully because I don’t want to offend Bill Dickey.”
Dickey first appears on the film in a speaking part, trading laughs with the Bambino. Pride of the Yankees holds up well still today.
Bill Dickey signs on with MGM to appear in Academy Award-winning film "The Stratton Story"
Bill Dickey signs on with MGM to appear in Academy Award-winning film "The Stratton Story"
Bill Dickey had a speaking part in The Pride of the Yankees, appearing as himself in the Academy Award-wining Lou Gehrig biopic. In 1948 he he appeared in another Oscar winning film, The Stratton Story.
Based on the life and times of former American League All Star, White Sox pitcher Monty Stratton, the film was a box-office success, earning more than $1 million.
In the collection is this contract between MGM and Dickey concerning the Yankee catcher’s appearance in Oscar-winning film. The Hall of Fame catcher has signed the bottom left portion of the contract.
1939 Lifetime Membership to Little Rock Boys Club
1939 Lifetime Membership to Little Rock Boys Club
Yankee great Bill Dickey was active with his hometown Boys Club of Little Rock, Arkansas. This plaque reads, “Little Rock boys Club Honorary Life Membership Issue to Bill Dickey on behalf of the Boys of Little Rock as a token of their esteem and admiration Febraury 8th, 1939.” The 1939 season would be kind to Dickey as he hit .302 with 24 homers and 105 RBI for baseball’s champions.
