Lenny Dykstra was due to play baseball at Arizona State but decided to go pro after being drafted by the New York Mets in 1981.

It turned out to be a great decision for the 13th-round pick, who led the Carolina League in at-bats , runs , hits , triples , batting average and stolen bases to be crowned MVP in 1983.

Dykstra became close with Billy Beane while playing Double-A together and the future Hall of Famer saw plenty of potential.

Beane claimed his teammate was " perfectly designed, emotionally" to play baseball and had "no concept of failure."

He claimed that after watching pitcher Steve Carlton, who also wound up immortalized in Cooperstown, New York, Dykstra said: " S***, I'll stick him ."

Many felt the prospect was too short to make

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