Background
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Ken Dixon was born on October 17, 1960, in Monroe, Virginia (USA). He is a retired professional bass player and pitcher in the Major League Baseball from 1984 to 1987. He abandoned his major league career because of an unusual shoulder injury. Otherwise, he would have continued the promise he built under the name “Dr. Longball”.
Professional career
The right-handed pitcher began his career in 1984 with the Baltimore Orioles. He was used as a starter or a pitcher in relief, a position where he managed five saves in his final season with the team. The Orioles drafted the promising player from the Amherst County High School in Virginia, where he has played since 1980.
His contract with the Orioles landed him a $140,000 deal on 1986 and a $155,000 salary on 1987, according to a survey by the Society for American Baseball Research. His career reached a quick halt on 1987 when he was merely 28 years old. He was playing with the Seattle Mariners when he discovered he had a bum right shoulder, although it took him three additional years to understand what was really going on.
After several diagnostic tests, a hand-cranked-X-ray machine in the Venezuelan Winter League to undercover a dangerous calcium deposit in his pitching shoulder, something no doctor had ever seen before.
He went under surgery when he was 30 years old, but he never recovers from the surgery in time to return to the field. Now, with over 50 years old, the former baseball player admits he has had a difficult time leaving his playing days behind.
Pitcher stats
His pitcher stats according to Fangraphs accumulate 105 games, 26 wins, 28 losses, 377 strikeouts, 482.3 innings pitched, and 4.66 ERA. He allowed a total of 480 hits and 85 home runs in his five years career, while his overall WHIP stat is 1.364.
He earned the nickname of “Mr. Longball” for his tendency of gifting home runs. He gave 33 of them in the first season and 31 more in the second. The media also often called him “Boom Boom” because of the sound of the rival’s bats swinging on the ball. Even so, he was considered as a very talented player with a promising start of his career. Fans still remember him as an exceptional pitcher who could bat with both hands.
Post-baseball days
After he ended his baseball career, Dixon co.founded Diamond Dream Foundation with Bob Duff, a nonprofit organization helping spread baseball to young children in Washington D.C. Unwilling to leave the baseball in the past, Dixon became a sport’s teacher and lives his day working with younger talents.
The foundation also runs clinics and provides equipment for kids coming from low-income families, and it plays charity games and organizes an annual fundraising golf tournament. Other ex-Orioles have been recruited by Dixon to join the foundation, including Al Bumbry, Bill Swaggerty, Mike Young, Don Buford, Paul Blair, Scott McGregor, and John Stefero.
Personal life
As Dixon’s career was very short, his personal life has been kept away from the media. He is living in the United States, but it is unclear if he is married, has a wife or any children. Likewise, his net worth is unclear.
Last Modified: Aug 16, 2021
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