The Mets Are Trying To Stop R.A. Dickey From Climbing Mount Kilimanjaro

Dickey, the Mets' knuckleballing ace, wrote on NYTimes.com that Hemingway inspired him to climb Kilimanjaro, the 19,341-foot Tanzanian peak. He's taking the climb to raise awareness of teenage prostitution in Mumbai.

But the Mets are not enthused.

Reports the Wall Street Journal:

But on a team perpetually beset by injuries, Dickey's planned expedition has also caused some consternation in the front office. A few months ago, the Mets sent a letter to Dickey's agent warning him that they reserve the right to void the remaining year on his contract if he is injured on the mountain. They can't stop him from going, but they clearly would prefer he did not.

"If we thought it was a good idea, we wouldn't have sent the letter," Mets general manager Sandy Alderson said. "Beyond that, have we tried to dissuade him from going? It seems to me that the letter is enough of an effort to dissuade him, and he intends to go on nonetheless."

Dickey tells the Journal, "It's not like it's Everest." Ha. Wow. Meanwhile, other Dickeys are still trying to muster the strength to climb up the stairs out of their mothers' basements.

Knuckleballs of Kilimanjaro: Dickey Plots Ascent [WSJ]