He started his Met career as a September call up in 1980 and would spend parts of the next four seasons with the Mets. He showed signs of promise over that time but could never stick with the big club, injuries also played a factor. During that time he spent much of the time with the Mets Triple A affiliate the Tidewater Tides. It was in the minors where Backman caught the eye of manager Dave Johnson who liked his style of play. When Johnson was named the manager of the Mets in 1984 he immediately made Backman his starting second baseman. and leadoff hitter. Backman would hit .280 while stealing 32 bases as the Mets surprised many and won 90 games for their first winning season since 1976. He quickly became a fan favorite with his hardnosed style of play, leading the league in dirty uniforms.
