5/3/2023 0 Comments Wally backmanIt is disappointing that Backman was out on a play that Topps chose to show on that card.Īs a side note, the Mets did win the game 4-1, with Bob Ojeda picking up his eighth victory of the season to that point. This is most likely the play that this picture was taken from. The remaining possibility is that the play is from the bottom of the seventh inning when a single to left field by Kevin Mitchell allowed Dykstra to score from second but Backman was thrown out at home on a relay from R.J. A video review off the Internet of the play in question showed that in the fourth inning, Backman slid in behind the catcher, not in front of Tony Pena. It is unlikely that Pena would be looking towards an umpire while the batter was continuing to run the bases. Look at the card again and note how it appears the catcher is facing back towards the umpire as Backman slides in front of the catcher. With nobody out in the bottom of the fourth inning, Backman singled and scored on a double to right field by Keith Hernandez who advanced to third on the throw home. Now let’s examine the box score of the June 15th game. By the seventh inning, the uniform would have been dirty if this was the play in question.Ħ. Also, note how clean the top of Backman’s uniform is. No throw home was noted, nor did Hernandez advance to second. ![]() In the bottom of the seventh inning, Backman scored from second on a Keith Hernandez single through the right side. In this game, Backman had a diving stop against Pena in the top of the fifth inning. Let’s first examine the box score of the June 14th game. Pirates catcher Tony Pena was the catcher for all nine innings in both games, so the catcher is definitely Tony Pena, who appeared in 139 games as a catcher that season.ĥ. Since Backman and the catcher are both in short sleeves, and a fan in the background (look carefully) is wearing a tank top, we can safely rule out the October 4th game. That leaves a June 14th game and the first game of a June 15th doubleheader as the remaining two possibilities. The first was on June 14th, the second was the first game in a double header on June 15th, and the last was October 4th.Ĥ. The Mets and Pirates played three day games at Shea in 1986 where Backman played and reached base. As the card is from 1987, the picture is most likely from 1986, especially considering we can see the wood paneling in the background of the dugout which was not there in 1985.ģ. Backman is wearing the home team uniform, so the play is at Shea Stadium.Ģ. Who was the catcher? When did the play occur? Was Backman safe or out? Did the Mets win the game? Let’s put our Sherlock Holmes hat on and utilize the internet, particularly and youtube, to see what we can determine together:ġ. Cards such as this were always a favorite of the author who, like many cardholders, wondered about the details of the play. Shown above is card #48 from the 1987 Topps set, showing a play at the plate. He also provided some speed at the top of the order, stealing 30 or more bases in both 19. However, Backman hit right-handers well enough (.294/.364/.362) to bat second for some of the great Mets teams in the 1980s as he fit in smoothly behind either Lenny Dykstra or Mookie Wilson in the New York lineup. To put Backman’s hitting from the right side in context, his OPS was more than 100 points lower than Eric Campbell and just slightly higher than Steven Matz each hit in 2016. Despite being a switch hitter, Backman was an awful right handed hitter, with a career slash of. Wally advanced quickly though the minors, making his Major League debut on September 2, 1980. Older Mets fans remember him, though, as a spark plug at second base on Mets teams in the 1980s.īackman was the Mets’ first round pick (16th overall) in the 1977 draft and signed very quickly on June 7, 1977. Wally Backman is known by younger Mets fans as the now-former manager of the Triple-A Las Vegas 51s.
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