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Dykstra: Get Into Scoring Position

Lenny Dykstra

The other day I wrote about Albert Pujols winning another MVP award. He's got the numbers and the build that scream "monster hitter." Today, I am going in another direction, but sticking with the MVP talk. I'm looking at the American League Most Valuable Player, Dustin Pedroia of the Boston Red Sox.

I'm sure people have underestimated Dustin his whole life, just because of his size. I know what that's like. There were opposing managers, pitchers and even broadcasters who didn't believe that I could get the job done, simply because I wasn't a big guy.

However, I used that to my advantage. It put the element of surprise in my favor. But it also made me learn to do all the little things correctly in order to stay ahead: drag bunt for a base hit, use a tell from the pitcher to get an extra jump on second -- you get the idea.

Pedroia can definitely relate to what I am talking about. People look at him and believe that he doesn't have much power, but anyone who has ever seen the man swing a bat should think again. He takes a big cut and has hit some big home runs as well. Although he has only 27 regular season homers in his career, he has five in the postseason in only 103 at-bats. Seems like Pedroia knows when to rise to the occasion, as he has a flair for the dramatic. Remind you of anyone?

Leading off the World Series with a home run in 2007 definitely put the Red Sox in a different mindset -- the hitter with the least World Series experience, and a rookie at that, hitting a home run to start a game. It really takes pressure off of the shoulders of the big guys. In my first full season and my first World Series game at Fenway Park, I hit a leadoff home run as well. I saw the difference it makes on the club.

Pedroia does all the little things correctly. He gets on base a good amount for the big swingers behind him. He steals bases when needed and plays exceptional defense, evidenced by a Gold Glove this season. He has that "dirt dog" mentality that Boston loves. He will do anything for his teammates, because at the end of the day, he just wants to win.

Doing the little things is also a part of my deep-in-the-money strategy. It is important to know when to average down to help improve my chances of winning. It is like knowing when it is necessary to steal a base in order to get in scoring position with the winning run. Establishing accurate "next buy" levels is an essential aspect of my system. Without those levels, it makes it difficult to ride the wave and get the win.

Like Pedroia, who gets his steal sign from his coaching staff, I give my subscribers to Nails on the Numbers the "steal sign" as well. Call it part of my "secret sauce." I know when to adjust the re-buy levels, putting myself and my readers in scoring position for the winning run. And like Pedroia, who has an uncanny ability to not get thrown out while stealing, judging by my undefeated 84-0 record, I also have a knack for getting into scoring position.

Here are some stocks I had to put in scoring position before they were able to touch home with the winning run: General Electic(GE Quote), Archer Daniels Midland(ADM Quote), Deere(DE Quote), Texas Instruments(TXN Quote), Pfizer(PFE Quote), Cameco(CCJ Quote), Yahoo!(YHOO Quote), Garmin(GRMN Quote), McDermott(MDR Quote) and Tesoro(TSO Quote).

Always remember: Life is a journey, enjoy the ride!

Lenny Dykstra manages Nails on the Numbers, a subscription service sold by TheStreet.com. Dykstra is 84-0 in his options picks this season. Click here for a free trial to Nails on the Numbers. Dykstra writes regularly about options trades for TheStreet.com.