Leonard Kyle (Lenny) Dykstra (born February 10, 1963 in Santa Ana, California, also known as Nails^[1]) is a former Major League Baseball outfielder. Dykstra played for the New York Mets during the late 1980's before playing for the Philadelphia Phillies during the early 1990's. He threw and batted left-handed and served primaily as a leadoff hitter. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... The position of the center fielder A center fielder, abbreviated CF, is the outfielder in baseball who plays defense in center field - the baseball fielding position between left field and right field. ... is the 41st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1963 (MCMLXIII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 123rd day of the year (124th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1985 (MCMLXXXV) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link displays 1985 Gregorian calendar). ... Major league affiliations National League (1962–present) East Division (1969–present) Current uniform Retired Numbers 14, 37, 41, 42 Name New York Mets (1962–present) Other nicknames The Amazin Mets, The Amazins, The Metropolitans Ballpark Shea Stadium (1964–present) Polo Grounds (1962–1963) Major league titles World Series titles... is the 138th day of the year (139th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1996 (MCMXCVI) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display full 1996 Gregorian calendar). ... Major league affiliations National League (1883–present) East Division (1969–present) Current uniform Retired Numbers 1, 14, 20, 32, 36, 42 Name Philadelphia Phillies (1884–present) Philadelphia Quakers (1883-1889) (Also referred to as Blue Jays 1943-1945 despite formal name remaining Phillies) Other nicknames The Phils, The Phightin Phils... Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball measuring the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters, respectively. ... In Major League Baseball history, Ty Cobb had a record 4,191 hits by 1928; Pete Rose would surpass it 57 years later, and finish with 4,256 career hits. ... The all-time stolen base leader, Rickey Henderson, swipes third in 1988. ... Major league affiliations National League (1962–present) East Division (1969–present) Current uniform Retired Numbers 14, 37, 41, 42 Name New York Mets (1962–present) Other nicknames The Amazin Mets, The Amazins, The Metropolitans Ballpark Shea Stadium (1964–present) Polo Grounds (1962–1963) Major league titles World Series titles... This article is currently under construction // This year in baseball Events January 7 - Outfielder Lou Brock and knuckleballer Hoyt Wilhelm are elected to the Hall of Fame by the Baseball Writers Association of America. ... 1989 in baseball - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ... Major league affiliations National League (1883–present) East Division (1969–present) Current uniform Retired Numbers 1, 14, 20, 32, 36, 42 Name Philadelphia Phillies (1884–present) Philadelphia Quakers (1883-1889) (Also referred to as Blue Jays 1943-1945 despite formal name remaining Phillies) Other nicknames The Phils, The Phightin Phils... 1989 in baseball - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ... The following are the baseball events of the year 1996 throughout the world. ... is the 41st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1963 (MCMLXIII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Location of Santa Ana within Orange County, California. ... Official language(s) English Capital Sacramento Largest city Los Angeles Largest metro area Greater Los Angeles Area  Ranked 3rd  - Total 158,302 sq mi (410,000 km²)  - Width 250 miles (400 km)  - Length 770 miles (1,240 km)  - % water 4. ... This article needs additional references or sources for verification. ... Austin Kearns, an outfielder, catches a fly ball. ... Major league affiliations National League (1962–present) East Division (1969–present) Current uniform Retired Numbers 14, 37, 41, 42 Name New York Mets (1962–present) Other nicknames The Amazin Mets, The Amazins, The Metropolitans Ballpark Shea Stadium (1964–present) Polo Grounds (1962–1963) Major league titles World Series titles... Major league affiliations National League (1883–present) East Division (1969–present) Current uniform Retired Numbers 1, 14, 20, 32, 36, 42 Name Philadelphia Phillies (1884–present) Philadelphia Quakers (1883-1889) (Also referred to as Blue Jays 1943-1945 despite formal name remaining Phillies) Other nicknames The Phils, The Phightin Phils...

New York Mets

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. That season, he batted .358 with 8 HR, 81 RBI, and 105 stolen bases while recording 107 walks against just 35 strikeouts. He was consequently named the Carolina League's MVP. Dykstra soon emerged as one of the Mets prized prospects, and while playing in AA in 1984, he befriended fellow outfielder and teammate Billy Beane. Beane would later say that Dykstra was "perfectly designed, emotionally" to play baseball and that he had "no concept of failure".^[2] The following are the baseball events of the year 1981 throughout the world. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Minor League Baseball. ... The following are the baseball events of the year 1983 throughout the world. ... The Carolina League is a minor league baseball affiliation which operates in the South Atlantic region of the United States. ... In baseball, an at bat (AB) is used to calculate certain statistics, including batting average. ... In baseball, a run is scored when a player advances safely around all three bases and returns safely to home plate. ... In baseball statistics, a hit (denoted by H), sometimes called a base hit, is credited to a batter when he safely reaches first base after batting the ball into fair territory, without the benefit of an error or a fielders choice. ... In baseball, a triple is the act of a batter safely reaching third base by striking the ball and getting to third before being made out, without the benefit of a fielders misplay (see error) or another runner being put out on a fielders choice. ... Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball measuring the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters, respectively. ... The all-time stolen base leader, Rickey Henderson, swipes third in 1985 In baseball statistics, stolen bases (denoted by SB) is a count of the number of bases successfully stolen by a player. ... William Lamar Billy Beane (born March 29, 1962 in Orlando, Florida) is a former Major League Baseball player and the current general manager of the Oakland Athletics. ...

In 1985, Dykstra was deemed ready for the Major Leagues, and he was promoted to the Mets when the team's starting center fielder, Mookie Wilson, was forced to the disabled list. Dykstra's stellar play and high energy was a big boost to a Mets team that surged to a 98-win season and narrowly missed out on the NL East crown. The following season, Dykstra was slated to serve as part of a center field platoon with Wilson, but when Wilson suffered a bad eye injury during spring training, Dykstra began the season as the outright starter and leadoff hitter. Later that season, the Mets would release left fielder George Foster, with Wilson moving over to play left. Mets fans soon nicknamed Dykstra "Nails" for his tough-as-nails personality and fearless play. In 1986, he even took off his shirt to pose for a "beefcake" poster under the "Nails" nickname. Moreover, Dykstra and #2 hitter Wally Backman were termed the "Wild Boys" for their scrappy play and propensity to serve as the spark plugs for a star-studded lineup. Dykstra and Backman were equally wild off the field, as the 1986 Mets have since become one of the most notoriously raucous teams in history. This article is currently under construction // This year in baseball Events January 7 - Outfielder Lou Brock and knuckleballer Hoyt Wilhelm are elected to the Hall of Fame by the Baseball Writers Association of America. ... The position of the center fielder A center fielder, abbreviated CF, is the outfielder in baseball who plays defense in center field - the baseball fielding position between left field and right field (e. ... Bill Buckners error in Game 6 of the 1986 World Series. ... The position of the left fielder A left fielder, abbreviated LF, is an outfielder in the sport of baseball who plays defense in left field. ... Walter Wally Wayne Backman (born September 22, 1959 in Hillsboro, Oregon) is a retired baseball player. ...

With Dykstra at the top of the lineup, the 1986 Mets would cruise to the division crown, burying the second-place Philadelphia Phillies by a whopping 21.5 games en route to a 108-54 season. The Mets would eventually head to the World Series after a hard-fought victory over the NL West Champion Houston Astros in the 1986 NLCS. Dykstra will forever be remembered for his walk off home run in Game 3, which is considered one of the biggest hits in Mets franchise history and the definitive moment of Dykstra's career. Dykstra would bat .304 in the 1986 NLCS and later hit .296 in the World Series against the Boston Red Sox. However, it was Dykstra's lead off home run in Game 3 of the World Series at Fenway Park that served as the spark for a Mets team that had fallen behind 2 games to none. The home run made him the 3rd Met in team history (along with Tommie Agee and Wayne Garrett, both of whose home runs also came in a Game 3, in the 1969 and 1973 World Series respectively) to hit a leadoff home run in the World Series. Following Dykstra's home run, the Mets rallied to defeat the Red Sox in seven games in one of the most memorable World Series of all-time. Major league affiliations National League (1883–present) East Division (1969–present) Current uniform Retired Numbers 1, 14, 20, 32, 36, 42 Name Philadelphia Phillies (1884–present) Philadelphia Quakers (1883-1889) (Also referred to as Blue Jays 1943-1945 despite formal name remaining Phillies) Other nicknames The Phils, The Phightin Phils... Dates October 18, 1986–October 25, 1986 MVP Ray Knight (New York) Television network NBC Announcers Vin Scully, Joe Garagiola Umpires John Kibler (NL), Jim Evans (AL), Harry Wendelstedt (NL), Joe Brinkman (AL), Ed Montague (NL), Dale Ford (AL) The 1986 World Series, the 83rd playing of the modern championship... Major league affiliations National League (1962–present) Central Division (1994–present) Current uniform Retired Numbers 24, 25, 32, 33, 34, 40, 42, 49 Name Houston Astros (1965–present) Houston Colt . ... The 1986 National League Championship Series pitted the New York Mets against the Houston Astros. ... Major league affiliations American League (1901–present) East Division (1969–present) Current uniform Retired Numbers 1, 4, 8, 9, 27, 42 Name Boston Red Sox (1908–present) Boston Americans (1901-1907) Other nicknames The BoSox, The Olde Towne Team, The Sox Ballpark Fenway Park (1912–present) Huntington Avenue Baseball Grounds... “Fenway” redirects here. ... Tommie Agee (1969) Tommie Lee Agee (August 9, 1942 in Magnolia, Alabama - January 22, 2001 in New York City) was a center fielder most noted for making what were arguably two of the greatest catches in World Series history. ... Wayne Garrett, born December 3, 1947 in Brooksville, FL, was the New York Mets starting third baseman from 1972 through 1975. ... The 1969 World Series was played between the New York Mets and the Baltimore Orioles, with the Mets prevailing in 5 games to accomplish one of the greatest upsets in Series history, as that particular Orioles squad was (and still is by some baseball pundits) considered to be one of... Dates: October 13 – October 21 MVP: Reggie Jackson (Oakland) Television: NBC Announcers: Curt Gowdy, Tony Kubek, Monte Moore and Lindsey Nelson Umpires: Marty Springstead (AL), Augie Donatelli (NL), Jerry Neudecker (AL), Paul Pryor (NL), Russ Goetz (AL), Harry Wendelstedt (NL) ALCS: Oakland Athletics over Baltimore Orioles (3-2) NLCS: New...

Following the Mets' World Championship, Dykstra would continue to serve as the team's sparkplug for several seasons. In the 1988 NLCS against the Los Angeles Dodgers, Dykstra continued his post season success by hitting .429 in a losing effort. However, in one of the worst trades in team history, Dykstra was traded to the Phillies on June 18, 1989, along with pitcher Roger McDowell and minor-league player Tom Edens for outfielder Juan Samuel. Teammate Keith Hernandez later said in his book Pure Baseball that Dykstra was "on the wild and crazy side", which he cites as one of the reasons the Mets chose to trade him and the Phillies chose to acquire him.^[3] Many Mets fans continue to point to the trade of Dykstra when the Mets' dominance of the mid-to-late 1980's began to collapse. The 1988 National League Championship Series was played between the National League West champion Los Angeles Dodgers and the National League East champion New York Mets. ... Major league affiliations National League (1890–present) West Division (1969–present) Current uniform Retired Numbers 1, 2, 4, 19, 20, 24, 32, 39, 42, 53 Name Los Angeles Dodgers (1958–present) Brooklyn Dodgers (1932-1957) Brooklyn Robins (1914-1931) Brooklyn Dodgers (1911-1912) Brooklyn Superbas (1899-1910), (1913) Brooklyn Grooms... Roger Alan McDowell (born December 21, 1960) is the pitching coach of the Atlanta Braves and was a right-handed relief pitcher for twelve seasons in Major League Baseball from 1985 to 1996. ... Juan Milton Samuel (born December 9, 1960 in San Pedro de Macorís, Dominican Republic) is a baseball coach and a former second baseman in Major League Baseball. ... Keith Hernandez (born October 20, 1953 in San Francisco, California) is a former Major League Baseball first baseman, who played for the St. ...

Philadelphia Phillies

Dykstra was initially upset over the trade as he enjoyed playing in New York; nevertheless, he was well liked in Philadelphia and soon became a fan favorite there as well. He was known for his trademark cheek full of tobacco and hard play.^[4] 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. Shredded tobacco leaf for pipe smoking Tobacco can also be pressed into plugs and sliced into flakes Tobacco is an agricultural product processed from the fresh leaves of plants in genus Nicotiana. ... The following are the baseball events of the year 1990 throughout the world. ... The Major League Baseball All-Star Game, also popularly known as the Midsummer Classic, is an annual baseball game between players from the National League and the American League, currently selected by fan vote for the starting position players and by the respective managers (from the previous years World...

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, which 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. This article does not cite any references or sources. ... This article is currently under construction // This year in baseball Events January 8 - Rod Carew, Gaylord Perry and Ferguson Jenkins are elected to the Hall of Fame by the Baseball Writers Association of America, with Carew becoming the 22nd player to be named in his first year of eligibility. ... Drunkenness, in its most common usage, is the state of being intoxicated with alcohol (i. ... Darren Arthur Daulton (born January 3, 1962 in Arkansas City, Kansas), nicknamed Dutch, is a former catcher in Major League Baseball best remembered for his years with the Philadelphia Phillies. ... The human rib cage. ... The zygomatic bone (also known as the zygoma; Os Zygomaticum; Malar Bone) is a paired bone of the human skull. ... ... The following are the baseball events of the year 1992 throughout the world. ... In baseball, being hit by a pitch refers to the batter being hit in some part of the body by a pitch from the pitcher. ...

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 they faced the Toronto Blue Jays. In the series, Dykstra batted .348 and hit four home runs, including two in a 15-14 Phillies loss in Game 4. The Phillies ultimately lost the series in six games. Many believe Dykstra would have been the World Series MVP had the Phillies won the series. // This year in baseball Events January - Reggie Jackson is elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame by the Baseball Writers Association of America, receiving 94% of the vote. ... The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the National League, is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada and the worlds oldest extant professional team sports league. ... In baseball statistics, a base on balls (BB), also called a walk, is credited to a batter and against a pitcher when a batter receives four pitches that the umpire calls balls. ... Barry Lamar Bonds (born July 24, 1964 in Riverside, California) He is the son of former Major League All-Star Bobby Bonds, cousin of Hall of Famer Reggie Jackson, and the godson of Hall of Famer Willie Mays. ... In sports, a Most Valuable Player (MVP) award is an honor typically bestowed upon the best performing player or players on a specific team, in an entire league, or for a particular contest or series of contests. ... Dates October 16, 1993–October 23, 1993 MVP Paul Molitor (Toronto) Television network CBS & Simulcast in Canada on CTV Announcers Sean McDonough, Tim McCarver Umpires Dave Phillips (AL), Paul Runge (NL), Tim McClelland (AL), Charlie Williams (NL), Mark Johnson (AL), Dana DeMuth (NL) The 1993 World Series was the second... Major league affiliations American League (1977–present) East Division (1977–present) Current uniform Retired Numbers 42 Name Toronto Blue Jays (1977–present) Other nicknames The Jays Ballpark Rogers Centre (1989–present) a. ... Mark McGwire swinging for the fences. ... The World Series MVP Award is given to the player who most contributes to his teams success in the World Series. ...

Retirement

Injuries plagued Dykstra for the rest of his career. He last played in the 1996 season, and launched one final comeback attempt in Spring Training in 1998 before retiring at the age of 35. Since his retirement, Dykstra has run a car wash in Simi Valley, California. A Grapefruit League game at the LA Dodgers camp in Vero Beach, Florida In Major League Baseball, spring training is a series of exhibition games which precedes the regular season. ... A multi-bay self-service car wash, with an automatic touchless bay at the far left and manual bays on the right. ... Simi Valley is an incorporated city located in the extreme southeast corner of Ventura County, California, bordering the San Fernando Valley of Los Angeles in the Greater Los Angeles Area. ...

More recently, Dykstra's name has been mentioned as possibly abusing steroids and gambling.[1] 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.[2] In chemistry and biology, Steroids are a type of lipid, characterized by a carbon skeleton with four fused rings. ...

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 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". He has also appeared on Fox News Channel's The Cost of Freedom business shows. TheStreet. ... Castrol is a brand of industrial and automotive lubricants which is applied to a large range of oil products for most lubrication applications. ... ConocoPhillips (NYSE: COP) is an international energy company with its headquarters located in Houston, Texas. ... Real estate is a legal term that encompasses land along with anything permanently affixed to the land, such as buildings. ... For the urban complex straddling the United States-Mexico border, see Bajalta California. ... The Fox News Channel (FNC) is a United States-based cable and satellite news channel. ... The Cost of Freedom is a American business block of programming on the Fox News Channel, which runs from 10:00 a. ...

In 2002, Dykstra made a much-anticipated return to New York when he was elected as part of the Mets' 40th Anniversary All-Amazin Team. In 2006, Dykstra also returned to Shea Stadium as the Mets honored the 20th Anniversary of the 1986 World Championship team. Dykstra received among the evening's loudest ovations, and it is clear that to this day, he remains one of the city's biggest fan favorites. Dykstra has recently voiced a greater desire to get back involved in baseball, and his name has been mentioned as a possible coach or manager for the Mets; and Dykstra has also recently served as a part-time instructor at Mets' spring training at their camp in Port St. Lucie. William A. Shea Municipal Stadium, usually shortened to Shea Stadium, is an American baseball stadium in Flushing, New York. ... In the baseball game, the coach is a member of the team at bat stationed near first or third base to signal and direct the runners and batters. ... New York Yankees manager Joe Torre returning to the dugout (September 2005). ... Motto: A City for All Ages Location in Florida Coordinates: , County St. ...

Incidents

At approximately 1AM on May 7, 1991, Dykstra crashed his red Mercedes-Benz SL 500^[5] into a tree in Radnor Township, PA after attending the bachelor party of former teammate John Kruk. Dykstra suffered broken ribs, a broken collarbone, and a broken facial bone. Darren Daulton (also a former teammate) was a passenger in the car at the time and his injuries included an injured eye and a broken facial bone. According to Radnor Township Police, Dykstra's blood alcohol content was 0.179 at the time of the crash.^[6] The Mercedes-Benz SL-Class is a series of luxury automobiles. ... Radnor Township is a municipality in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, United States. ... John Martin Kruk (born February 9, 1961 in Charleston, West Virginia, raised in Keyser, West Virginia in Mineral County the states Potomac Highlands is an American former Major League Baseball player. ... ... Darren Arthur Daulton (born January 3, 1962 in Arkansas City, Kansas), nicknamed Dutch, is a former catcher in Major League Baseball best remembered for his years with the Philadelphia Phillies. ... Radnor Township is a municipality in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, United States. ... Blood alcohol content (BAC) or blood alcohol concentration is the concentration of alcohol in blood. ...

Facts

• Dykstra is a Dutch surname; specifically Frisian.

Dykstra is a Dutch surname. ... This article is about the Frisian languages, as spoken in the north of the Netherlands and Germany. ...

See also

• List of Major League Baseball runs scored champions

Major League Baseball recognizes runs scored champions in the American League and National League each season. ...

Bibliography

• Nails, the Inside Story of an Amazin' Season, Doubleday, 1987. (With Marty Noble.)

References

Michael Lewis (born 1960, New Orleans, Louisiana) is an American contemporary non-fiction author. ... Year 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 100th day of the year (101st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game is a book by Michael M. Lewis in 2003 about the general manager of the Major League Baseball team Oakland Athletics, Billy Beane, and his teams approach to running the organization. ... W. W. Norton & Company is an American book publishing company that has remained independent since its founding. ... Keith Hernandez (born October 20, 1953 in San Francisco, California) is a former Major League Baseball first baseman, who played for the St. ... HarperCollins is a publishing company owned by Rupert Murdochs News Corporation. ... George William “Bill” James (born October 5, 1949 in Holton, Kansas) is a baseball writer, historian and statistician whose work has been widely influential. ... Year 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 96th day of the year (97th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... The Bill James Historical Baseball Abstract is a reference-type book written by Bill James featuring an overview of baseball decade by decade, along with rankings of the top 100 players at each position. ... Jean-François Millet Le Semeur (The Sower) Simon & Schuster logo, circa 1961. ... is the 353rd day of the year (354th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday (link displays full 2006 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 353rd day of the year (354th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday (link displays full 2006 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

External links

• Lenny Dykstra at:
  • Baseball Library
  • Baseball Reference
  • TheStreet.com