Dickie Noles

Dickie Ray Noles

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 6' 2", Weight 190 lb.
• High School Harding University High School
• Debut July 5, 1979
• Final Game May 8, 1990
• Born November 19, 1956 in Charlotte, NC USA

BR page

Biographical Information

Dickie Noles pitched 11 years in the majors. As a young player, he first came up with the Philadelphia Phillies in 1979 and pitched for them in the 1980 World Series against the Kansas City Royals. In a famous moment, he threw a brushback pitch at George Brett in the 4th inning of Game 4, sending him sprawling to the ground, and somehow managing not to get ejected from the game. He spent part of the 1984 season on the division-winning Chicago Cubs before being traded, but came back to the team in 1987. Towards the end of that season, he was traded to the division-winning Detroit Tigers for a player to be named later. When the teams could not agree on whom that player would be, Noles was sent back to the Cubs, thus some sites mention him as a player who was "traded for himself" (alongside Harry Chiti and Brad Gulden).

Noles was also in the minors for all or part of 12 seasons. Overall, he was a journeyman pitcher in the majors, going 36-53, 4.56 in 11 seasons. In his best season, he was 10-13, 4.42 as a regular starting pitcher for the Cubs in 1982.

Noles has been an active speaker for the Phillies about drug and alcohol abuse, and serves the team as an employee assistance counselor. In fact, he had spent time in jail during the 1983 season after punching a police officer outside a Cincinnati bar while drunk on April 9th [1]. He entered rehab in April [2]. In July, he was then ordered to serve a maximum 180 days in jail, of which all but 30 of which were suspended, and given 14 days credit for his stint in rehab [3]. The judge said he wanted to make an example of Noles.

Notable Achievement

• Won a World Series with the Philadelphia Phillies in 1980