In 1985, Davey was irritated with the situation involving Mookie’s shoulder. A sore shoulder had plagued Mookie all during 1984, and it was decided that Mookie should just rest in the off-season. When Mookie’s shoulder pain returned in 1985, Davey became annoyed that something had not been done in the off-season. He quietly blamed Jim Parkes for not opting to do something after 1984, and said to me once in Cincinnati, “ Do I have to make all the medical decisions?”

That happened on May 3 in 1985. Alot of things were happening. Steve had to go home to see his ailing father, so until Tom McKenna got there, I would get to be Head Trainer for a day. It turned out to be the only one. Mookie hadn’t played in the field for several days, so Lenny Dykstra, a young centerfielder from Tidewater was recalled to make his major league debut.

Davey mentioned in his book of the 1985 season that at first glance, he had not been impressed with Dykstra. It was hard to be impressed by his physical stature, yet he was listed as 5’10” and 160 pounds-probably the same scales we measured Backman.

Dykstra and Backman would prove to be an effective lead-off combination for a couple of years. For lack of a better way to describe it, Lenny was so California. If were such a thing as a “Valley Guy”, Lenny was it. He didn’t say much, but when he did address someone, it was usually as Dude. In addition to “Nails” which he liked, many also called him “Dude”. I sure hope he didn’t call President Nixon Dude when he came by our clubhouse.

In Dykstra’s second major league at-bat, he hit a homerun off Mario Soto, then considered on of the toughest righthanders in the league. He scored two runs in the game, a 9-4 Met win, and went 5-12 in the series. Lenny became part of constant roster jockeying for awhile, but doubts about Dykstra’s ability was put to rest. Ed Lynch told him, “Anyone who wraps Mario Soto’s bush around the foul pole can play for me.”

A few weeks later after a game, Steve was doing Mookie’s shoulder exercises with him when Davey walked in. He pointed at Mookie and said, “I’m only gonna play you against lefthanders.” It prompted the reflective Wilson to retort, “You know what’s next.”

Davey and Mookie both smiled, but not long after that, Mookie had the first of two surgeries on his shoulder. Lenny came up to stay on July 1.

***

Game One at Houston featured a classic pitching match-up of Doc Gooden and Mike Scott who lead the league in strikeouts and ERA. Scott also pitched the clincher for the Astros with a no-hitter. A former Met, Scott had been traded for Danny Heep.

Glenn Davis hit a homerun off Gooden to lead off the second, and it proved to be all the Astros needed as Scott shut us out 1-0. He struck out 14. Scott clearly frustrated our line-up. Carter in particular started taking exception with the way Scott’s pitches were moving. Scott had a split-finger pitch that would usually act like a diving change-up with little rotation. Fastballs normally can be made to move up two ways by a pitcher. Scott was able to move his fastballs opposite to the way one normally would. He had a reputation for doctoring the baseball and we had only faced Scott once during the year so we weren’t certain.

Hernandez tried to caution against putting too much emphasis on Scott, but the frustration with Scott gave the Astros an added advantage.

Nolan Ryan started the second game for Houston, and retired us in order the first three innings to make it 12 straight scoreless innings. But in the fourth, Backman singled to center. and Hernandez followed with his own single to center. Carter, hitless thus far in the series, doubled off the wall in rightcenter, scoring Backman and ending the drought. Buddy held up Hernandez at third with one out and it proved the correct decision as Darryl drove in Mex with a sacrifice fly to left. We led 2-0.

In our 5th, Santana singled to right. Ojeda tried to bunt him over, but Raffy was forced at second. So, with two outs, Dykstra came to the plate.

In the first inning, Lenny tried to bunt his way on against Ryan. The book on Ryan says that this pisses him off. This time Dykstra hit a ball way foul into the seats in right. Lenny swaggered outside the batter’s box. The Old Schooler Ryan, probably remembering the first inning bunt, too, then buzzed Dykstra’s forehead with his next pitch. Lenny was sent sprawling but quickly got up and stroked Ryan’s next offering through the left side. Backman, Dykstra’s good friend, singled to center. Billy Hatcher tried to throw out Ojeda at the plate, but his throw was wild and it allowed Lenny and Wally to advance to third and second, respectively. Hernandez put the game away then with a huge two-out triple to center. It was now 5-0.

Ojeda gave up a run in the 7th, but allowed only one other baseburner after that in route to a complete game victory. The series was now tied at a game apiece. The series now moved to New York for the middle three games.

I’m not sure whether Dykstra intended to rattle Ryan with that first inning bunt, as I don’t recall Lenny leading off many games with a bunt. Only Dykstra really knew, but you can be assured that he knew the scouting report. Ryan’s knockdown of Dykstra in the 5th clearly lifted the team’s emotions as the Mets responded with three straight two out hits. In a subtle way, Lenny’s style of play sparked the rally that led to the game two win.

***

Billy Joel sang the National Anthem before one of the post-season games. He had been on tour, had some sort of throat infection, and asked to have Dr. Parkes look at it when he dropped by our clubhouse.

Parkes took a peak at Joel’s throat and instructed us to give him some Ampicillin or as Parkes pronounced it, “Amficillin”.

Dykstra came in to our little doctor’s office to meet Joel. The exchange was limited to introductions, but at the end Lenny said to Joel, “Hey, Dude. I like that new cut ...’Matter of Trust’”.

Lenny then started strutting out the door and was singing the intro, “One, two.....One, two, three, four.”

All the while, an unblinking Joel watched him leave without saying a word; certainly stupefied by the character he had just met.

***

Bob Knepper was staked to a 4-0 lead after five innings in Game Three. Knepper had done well against us during the season and his team had given him a cushion on Ron Darling with two runs in the first and Bill Doran’s two run homer in the second. The Saturday afternoon game under overcast skies game was half over, and we had just four times at bat left to get back into it.

We had our righthanded hitters in the line-up against Knepper and Kevin Mitchell lead off the bottom of the sixth with a little infield hit over third. Mex followed him with a soft single to center. Carter followed with what might have been a rally-killing double-play ground ball to Reynolds at short, but he booted it. Mitchell scored and it allowed Strawberry to come to the plate as the trying run.

Darryl got an infield single off Knepper but had not gotten a hit off him since June of 1985. In addition, Darryl would not have even been the tying run had it not been for his own great catch of a ball that Kevin Bass hit into the rightfield corner to end the fifth. Queen’s thunderous drum cadence of “We Will Rock You” quaked Shea Stadium and marked the crowd’s loud return to the game. The pulsating continued even if the music did not as Darryl stepped in the box. I was sitting still with my arms folded to keep warm as Knepper threw his first pitch to Darryl. Darryl said later that he guessed fastball, got one and sent it like a lightening bolt over the small scoreboard in rightfield, tying the game 4-4. Knepper thrust his arms down in disgust but gathered himself quickly and got us out in order.

The noise and the tie game were short-lived as the Astros valiantly added a run off Rick Aguilera in the seventh. Doran lead off with a walk and advanced to third when Knight’s throw went passed Mex. Even though it was the seventh, Davey opted to play the infield back, conceding the run but staying out of the big inning. It might have been pushing the envelope, but he had confidence we could score again. Denny Walling grounded to second. It forced out Hatcher but it allowed Doran to score. Aguilera, who had replaced Darling in the sixth, then did a good job of getting out of the inning, striking out Davis and getting Kevin Bass to fly out. The Astros scored without a base hit, but they scored all the same now leading 5-4.

Dyksrta pinch-hit for Aguilera in the seventh and struck out. Mitchell got a hit with two outs, but Hernandez flew out to end the inning.

Charlie Kerfeld, a free-spirited big righthander, came in to pitch the eighth for Houston. Carter was the first batter he faced. Gary hit a sharp groundball to the third base side of the rubber that Kerfeld snagged behind his back and then showed it to Carter, taunting him as he ran to first. He struck out Darryl and got Ray to fly out. It was still 5-4, and we had only one more chance to score.

Teufel had been on deck when Knight made the last out and when he came back toward the dugout after the inning Davey pointed to Wally who was trotting toward second and said, “I want to get him warmed up to hit next inning.” Davey liked to use Wally this way and Teufel, understanding, nodded his head.

Dave Smith had 33 saves on the year for the Astros and was brought in by Hal Lanier to close it for the Astros. Backman lead off the inning. The crowd thundered to their feet again as the last half of the ninth got underway. Wally knew all along what he wanted to do when he got up there and pulled a perfect bunt passed Smith that forced Davis to field near the bag. Wally dove and touched first with his hands while expertly sliding past the bag and not allowing Davis any play. Lanier argued that Backman had left the base path, but later classily admitted that Dutch Rennert had made the correct call. Backman had just made a great play. And it was the play that the gritty Backman will forever be remembered.

Danny Heep pinch-hit for Santana and a passed ball put Wally in scoring position. Heep had been squaring to bunt on the pitch but the ball got passed catcher, Alan Ashby. There still weren’t any outs, and we had three cracks to get Backman in.

Heep got a pitch he could handle, but flew out softly to center bringing up Dykstra.

Lenny fouled off the first pitch. It had been a fastball, and he was certain that Smith would not throw another one. He prepared for something off-speed. Smith delivered a split-finger pitch that he left up and on the inner half of the plate. Lenny quickly dropped the barrel of the bat on it and sent it toward the bullpen in right. Everyone leaped out of their seats in the dugout to watch the flight of the Lenny’s game-winning homer land in our bullpen. It happened so quickly and there were so many people around that again I didn’t see the flight of the ball.

I heard everyone yell out and saw Backman leap straight up in the air at second. I stayed in the dugout as everyone raced out to homeplate to greet Lenny. Steve passed me afterwards with this wild happy look on his face, grabbed our box and sprinted toward the clubhouse. I finally ventured to the top step to take in the joyous scene of people jumping all around me. Everyone was jumping. Police officers. Grounds crew. Everyone. All I could muster was a silent, satisfied smile.

Bob Sikes is the former trainer of the New York Mets and now produces a blog at http://www.gettingpaidtowatch.blogspot.com/. He currently lives in Florida.