In many ways, Philly is a small town at heart. While places like New York, Los Angeles, and Miami love players and teams that are full of star power and marketable personalities, Philly fans yearn for something a little different. We want something that mirrors us. Someone that we could see beside us at the corner bar. Very few people fit that description better than Lenny Dykstra.
A supreme talent with an everyman attitude, Dykstra was known as "Nails" - because what else was as tough as Lenny? In the batter's box, standing there with his face full of tobacco, he was fearless. Lenny was quoted once as saying "I'm not here to make money, I'm here to make history", and what could be more Philly than that?
Dykstra was a vital part of the underdog 1993 Phillies team that it made it all the way to the World Series. That season he would set a record for plate appearances and lead the league in runs, hits, walks, and at-bats. He finished second in the NL MVP ballot and hit .348 with 4 home run's in that ill-fated World Series.
That series ended up being the Dude's swan song, as he would struggle with injuries for the remainder of his career, retiring after playing just 40 games in 1996. We here at Shibe decided that it was about time we had a shirt that's just as cool as Dykstra. The design plays off of Dykstra's aforementioned continually packed lip, and his brand of toughness that few have been able to replicate. We hope you enjoy as much as we do.
