About Wally Backman
Walter Wayne Backman (born September 22, 1959) is an American former Major League Baseball second baseman. He is best known for his time with the New York Mets from 1980–1988 and was a member of their 1986 World Series-winning team. He was also the former manager for the Las Vegas 51s, the Mets' Triple-A team, from 2013 to 2016. He served as the bench coach for the Pericos de Puebla of the Mexican Baseball League in 2017. Backman was the manager of the Long Island Ducks of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball, until October 2, 2023, when it was announced that the Ducks and Backman had parted ways. == Playing career == === New York Mets === ==== Early years (1980–1985) ==== Backman was the Mets' first round pick in the 1977 Major League Baseball draft (sixteenth overall). He was assigned to the New York–Penn League's Little Falls Mets upon signing, and batted.325 with six home runs in his first professional season. After batting.293 for the Triple-A Tidewater Tides in 1980, Backman received a September call up to the Mets. Making his major league debut starting at second base against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium on September 2, Backman got a single in his first at-bat, driving in Claudell Washington for his first major league run batted in. After battling for three seasons to earn a starting job, Backman emerged as the Mets' starting second baseman in 1984.
Biography source: Wikipedia. The profile adds birthday-specific historical context from the Celebs Birthday Today editorial database.