On the afternoon of Oct. 1, grey clouds covered Boston, shrouding the tall downtown buildings normally visible from Fenway Park. Wearing a Blue Jays tuque and short-sleeved windbreaker as he sat in the visitors’ dugout, R.A. Dickey stared into the light rain falling on the infield tarp. He and I had come to discuss his leaving.



That evening, and the following afternoon, the Blue Jays would beat the Red Sox, each time by one run, and eke their way into the playoffs. Dickey would be an engaged spectator, a role he had filled for the previous 10 days and would again through his team’s nine playoff games.



His last start came in Anaheim on Sept. 16. He had allowed no runs over five innings. His last outing was in Seattle on Sept. 21, in a rare relief role. A two-base error, sacrifice bunt and sacrifice fly had ended it quickly.



By then, he knew he would not start again and probably would not pitch again, at least as a Blue Jay. After four seasons, 131...