Lenny Dykstra
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Leonard Kyle "Nails" Dykstra (born February 10, 1963 in Santa Ana, California) is a former Major League Baseball outfielder. Dykstra played for the New York Mets (1985-89) and Philadelphia Phillies from (1989-96). He threw and batted left-handed.
Dykstra was signed by the Mets as a 13th round draft pick in 1981. A star in the minors, in 1983 he led the Carolina League in at-bats, runs, hits, triples, batting average, and stolen bases with 105, which was a league record for 17 years.
Major league career
In 1985, Dykstra was deemed ready for the Major Leagues. The following season, he was the starting center fielder for the New York Mets World Series champions. He continued with the Mets until 1989 when he was traded to the Phillies along with pitcher Roger McDowell for outfielder Juan Samuel. ''' Dykstra was well liked in Philadelphia and around the league for his scrappy play. He was known for his trademark cheek full of tobacco and hard play. In fact, one of his nicknames was "Nails", as in "Tough as Nails."With the Phillies, Dykstra's career was marked by incredible highs and lows. In 1990 he started the All Star Game, led the league in hits, and finished fourth in batting average. He was batting over .400 into June.
Dykstra's next two seasons were marred by injury. In 1991, while driving drunk, he crashed his car into a tree. Teammate Darren Daulton, who was with him during the drunken incident, was also injured. Dykstra suffered fractured ribs, a broken cheekbone, and a fractured collarbone, cost him two months. On Opening Day 1992, Dykstra was hit by a pitch that broke his hand. In all he played in just 145 of 324 possible games in the 1991 and 1992 seasons.
In 1993, it all seemed to come together for Dykstra and the Phillies. The team, which had been rebuilding since its last playoff appearance ten years previous, returned to the top of the National League East. He played in 161 games, setting a Major League record with 773 plate appearances. Despite being overlooked for the 1993 All-Star team, Dykstra led the league in runs, hits, walks, and at-bats, and was runner-up to Barry Bonds in voting for the Most Valuable Player of the National League. Dykstra's spark led the Phillies to the World Series where he hit four home runs. However, the Phillies lost the series in six games.
Retirement
Injuries plagued Dykstra for the rest of his career. He retired after the 1996 season. Since his retirement, Dykstra has run a car wash in California. His name has been mentioned as a possible coach or manager, most recently for his original team, the Mets.More recently, Dykstra's name has been mentioned as possibly abusing steroids and gambling.[link] Despite many allegations of steroid use by sports commentators, Dykstra has vigorously denied the use of muscle enhancing supplements and is currently defending himself in a gambling-related lawsuit involving an ex-business partner.[link]
Today, Dykstra is a columnist for TheStreet.com, manages his own stock portfolio, and serves as president of several of his privately held companies, including car washes; a partnership with Castrol in "Team Dykstra" Quick Lube Centers; a state-of-the-art ConocoPhillips fueling facility; a real estate development company; and a new venture to develop several "I Sold It on eBay" stores throughout high-demographic areas of Southern California. Dykstra has helped bring to the forefront an investment strategy called "Deep in the Money Calls".
Bibliography
- Nails, the Inside Story of an Amazin' Season, Doubleday, 1987. (With Marty Noble.)
Carrer Awards, Achievements, and Leads
- All Star - 1990, 1994, 1995
- Silver Slugger - 1993
- NL Hits Leader - 1990, 1993
- NL On Base Pct. Leader - 1990
- NL At Bats Leader - 1993
- NL Runs Leader - 1993
- NL Base on Balls Leader - 1993
- NL Times on Base Leader - 1990, 1993
External links
- Lenny Dykstra at:
- *[Baseball Library]
- *[Baseball Reference]
- *[TheStreet.com]
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