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Phillies: 5 Players Who Once Played For The Mets

By Kerry Kauffman

NEW YORK - OCTOBER 29: Starting pitcher Pedro Martinez #45 of the Philadelphia Phillies pitches against the New York Yankees in Game Two of the 2009 MLB World Series against at Yankee Stadium on October 29, 2009 in the Bronx borough of New York City. (Photo by Chris McGrath/Getty Images)
NEW YORK - OCTOBER 29: Starting pitcher Pedro Martinez #45 of the Philadelphia Phillies pitches against the New York Yankees in Game Two of the 2009 MLB World Series against at Yankee Stadium on October 29, 2009 in the Bronx borough of New York City. (Photo by Chris McGrath/Getty Images) /
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NEW YORK – CIRCA 1986: Lenny Dykstra #4 of the New York Mets looks on during batting practice prior to the start of a Major League Baseball game circa 1986 at Shea Stadium in the Queens borough of New York City. Dykstra played for the Mets in 195-89. (Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images)
NEW YORK – CIRCA 1986: Lenny Dykstra #4 of the New York Mets looks on during batting practice prior to the start of a Major League Baseball game circa 1986 at Shea Stadium in the Queens borough of New York City. Dykstra played for the Mets in 195-89. (Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images) /

Lenny Dykstra (Mets 1985 – 1989, Phillies 1989 – 1996)

Lenny Dykstra had a mediocre rookie season in a platoon role for the Mets, hitting .254 with a home run and 15 stolen bases in 83 games. He significantly increased his production in 1986 to .295, eight home runs and 31 stolen bases. Shining in the postseason, Dykstra hit .300 with three home runs for the World Champions.

The 1987 season was perhaps Dykstra’s finest in New York, hitting .285 with 37 doubles, 10 home runs, and 27 stolen bases. After swiping 30 bases in 1988, Dykstra was traded to the Phillies along with Roger McDowell and Tom Edens in exchange for Juan Samuel on June 18, 1989.

After hitting just .222 with the Phillies in 90 games in 1989, Dykstra became an All-Star for the first time in 1990. He led the league in hits and on-base percentage while hitting 35 doubles and stealing 30 bases.

Dykstra’s next two years were cut short due to injuries. In 1991 he crashed his car and missed two months with fractured ribs, broken cheekbone, and broken collarbone. He fractured the same collarbone in August, ending his season. All told, Dykstra played in only 148 games with nine home runs and 54 stolen bases in 1991 and 1992.

The following season, Dykstra led the league in runs, hits, and walks. He set career-highs in home runs (19), runs (143), hits (194), RBI (66), stolen bases (37), and walks (129). He finished second in the NL MVP voting and was a big reason the Phillies went from last in 1992 to the World Series in 1993.

Dykstra played three more injury-plagued seasons in Philadelphia, making All-Star appearances in 1994 and 1995. He retired with 1298 hits, 81 home runs, and 285 stolen bases.

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