In 1978 Dent was the unlikely hero in the playoff game against Boston when his short three-run homer over Fenway’s Green Monster, off Mike Torrez, changed the course of the game as the Yankees went on to win 5-4. His fine play continued as he was named WS MVP as the Yankees won their second straight championship with Dent at shortstop.
Dent, a promising White Sox shortstop, came to the Yankees in a much heralded deal in April 1977. He was touted as the final piece in the great Yankee team. Dent was a natural with his boyish good looks, the perfect foil for the Yankees’ rough and abrasive identity. He became an instant idol with legions of adoring teenage girls to cheer him on. He remained popular even as his skills eroded; in 1982 he narrowly missed being voted starting All-Star shortstop while hitting .200 even as Robin Yount was tearing up the league en route to an MVP award. Dent played two years for Texas and finished his career in Kansas City in 1984. He is currently a minor league manager. He constructed a baseball training school in Florida featuring a replica of the Green Monster, and replayed the feat with an obliging Mike Torrez at the opening of the field in 1989. Dent replaced Dallas Green as Yankee manager in August 1989.
