Early Life
Dickey was born in Bastrop, Louisiana on June 6, 1907. He was one of seven children born to John and Laura Dickey. The Dickeys moved to Kensett, Arkansas, where John Dickey worked as a brakeman for Missouri Pacific Railroad. John Dickey had played baseball for a semi-professional team based in Memphis, Tennessee. Bill's older brother, Gus, was a second baseman and pitcher in the East Arkansas Semipro League, while his older brother, George, was an MLB catcher.
Dickey attended Searcy High School in Searcy, Arkansas. At Searcy, Dickey played for the school's baseball team as a pitcher and second baseman. He enrolled at Little Rock College, where he played guard for the school's American football team and pitched for the baseball team. Dickey substituted for a friend on a semi-professional team based in Hot Springs, Arkansas as a catcher, impressing the team's manager with his throwing arm. Lena Blackburne, manager of the Little Rock Travelers, a minor league baseball team, noticed Dickey while scouting an outfielder on the Hot Springs team. Blackburne signed Dickey to play for his team.
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