Dykstra, "Lenny" (Leonard K.)
Baseball
b. Feb. 10, 1963, Santa Ana, CA
Dykstra became the starting center fielder for the NL's New York Mets after being called up from the minor leagues midway through the 1985 season. A left-hander, the 5-foot-10, 195-pound Dykstra quickly impressed fans and writers with his aggressive playing style.
The Mets traded him to the Philadelphia Phillies during the 1989 season. After leading the league with 192 hits in 1990, when he had a .325 average, Dykstra spent much of the 1991 and 1992 seasons on the disabled list.
He rebounded in 1993, leading the league with 143 runs scored, 194 hits, and 129 walks to help the Phillies win the pennant. Dykstra batted .280 and scored 5 runs in Philadelphia's six-game victory over the Atlanta Braves in the NL championship series and he hit .348 with 9 runs and 8 RBI in the World Series, but the Phillies lost in six games to the Toronto Blue Jays.
However, injuries then began to limit his playing time once more, and he retired after appearing in only 40 games with the Phillies in 1996.