Leonard Kyle Dykstra ( ; born February 10, 1963), nicknamed Nails and Dude, is an American former professional

baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball games, bat-and-ball sport played between two team sport, teams of nine players each, taking turns batting (baseball), batting and Fielding (baseball), fielding. The game occurs over the course of several Pitch ...

center fielder A center fielder, abbreviated CF, is the outfielder in baseball who plays defense in center field – the baseball and softball fielding position between left field and right field. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the ...

who played in

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball league composed of 30 teams, divided equally between the National League (baseball), National League (NL) and the American League (AL), with 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada. MLB i ...

(MLB) for the

New York Mets The New York Mets are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of Queens. The Mets compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National ...

(1985–1989) and

Philadelphia Phillies The Philadelphia Phillies are an American professional baseball team based in Philadelphia. The Phillies compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East Division. Since 2004, the team's home stadium has ...

(1989–1996). Dykstra was a three-time

All-Star An all-star team is a group of people all having a high level of performance in their field. Originating in sports, it has since drifted into vernacular and has been borrowed heavily by the entertainment industry. Sports "All-star" as a sport ...

and won a

World Series The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball (MLB). It has been contested since between the champion teams of the American League (AL) and the National League (NL). The winning team, determined through a best- ...

championship as a member of the 1986 Mets. Since his retirement, Dykstra has been mired in financial and legal troubles. In 2009, he filed for

bankruptcy Bankruptcy is a legal process through which people or other entities who cannot repay debts to creditors may seek relief from some or all of their debts. In most jurisdictions, bankruptcy is imposed by a court order, often initiated by the deb ...

. Since then, he has been charged with various crimes, including bankruptcy fraud, money laundering,

grand theft auto ''Grand Theft Auto'' (''GTA'') is an action-adventure video game series created by David Jones and Mike Dailly. Later titles were developed under the oversight of brothers Dan and Sam Houser, Leslie Benzies and Aaron Garbut. It is prima ...

, uttering terroristic threats,

drug possession The prohibition of drugs through sumptuary legislation or religious law is a common means of attempting to prevent the recreational use of certain intoxicating substances. An area has a prohibition of drugs when its government uses the for ...

, and

indecent exposure Indecent exposure is the deliberate public exposure by a person of a portion of their body in a manner contrary to local standards of appropriate behavior. Laws and social attitudes regarding indecent exposure vary significantly in different ...

. Dykstra has served months in federal prison.

Early life and family

Lenny Dykstra was born Leonard Kyle Leswick on February 10, 1963, in Santa Ana, California. Dykstra's father, Terry Leswick, abandoned the family when Dykstra was four years of age. Dykstra's mother, Marilyn, later married Dennis Dykstra, a phone company employee. Dennis Dykstra adopted Lenny. Lenny Dykstra has two brothers: Brian and Kevin. Dykstra's uncles, Pete, Jack, and Tony Leswick, played in the

National Hockey League The National Hockey League (NHL; , ''LNH'') is a professional ice hockey league in North America composed of 32 teams25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. The NHL is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Cana ...

. Dykstra attended Garden Grove High School in Orange County, California. During his senior year, he hit .494 with 50 hits on the season, which was just two short of the state record. He had a career total of 89 stolen bases, second best in state history at the time, and recorded a hit in all 27 games of his senior season. In both his junior and senior seasons he was named all-league, all-county, and all-state. He was named 3-A co-player of the year in 1981. In the Orange County All-Star baseball game he reached base all eight times he came to bat, earning five hits, a walk, and reaching base on two errors, and stole five bases. He also played football, where he was named 2nd team all-county and team MVP as a defensive back.

Baseball career

New York Mets

Dykstra was originally committed to play baseball at

Arizona State University Arizona State University (Arizona State or ASU) is a public university, public research university in Tempe, Arizona, United States. Founded in 1885 as Territorial Normal School by the 13th Arizona Territorial Legislature, the university is o ...

for Jim Brock but said he would sign to play professionally if drafted high enough. The Mets signed Dykstra as a 13th-round draft pick in 1981. A star in the minors, in 1983 he led the

Carolina League The Carolina League is a Minor League Baseball league which has operated along the Atlantic Coast of the United States since 1945. Having been classified at various levels throughout its existence, it operated at Class A-Advanced from 1990 unti ...

at-bat In baseball, an at bat (AB) or time at bat is a batter's turn batting against a pitcher. An at bat is different from a plate appearance. A batter is credited with a plate appearance regardless of what happens upon completion of his turn at bat, b ...

s, runs,

hits Hits or H.I.T.S. may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Music * '' H.I.T.S.'', 1991 album by New Kids on the Block * ''...Hits'' (Phil Collins album), 1998 * ''Hits'' (compilation series), 1984–2006; 2014, a British compilation album s ...

triples TripleS (; ; stylized as tripleS) is a South Korean 24-member multinational girl group formed by Modhaus. They aim to be the world's first decentralized idol group, where the members will rotate between the full group, sub-units, and solo activi ...

batting average Batting average is a statistic in cricket, baseball, and softball that measures the performance of batters. The development of the baseball statistic was influenced by the cricket statistic. Cricket In cricket, a player's batting average is ...

and

stolen bases In baseball, a stolen base occurs when a runner advances to a base unaided by other actions and the official scorer rules that the advance should be credited to the action of the runner. The umpires determine whether the runner is safe or out a ...

. That season, he hit .358 with 8 HR, 81 RBI, 105 stolen bases (a league record for 17 years), 107 walks and only 35 strikeouts. He was subsequently named the Carolina League MVP, and soon emerged as one of the Mets' prized prospects. While playing in Double-A in 1984 he befriended fellow outfielder and teammate

Billy Beane William Lamar Beane III (born March 29, 1962) is an American former professional baseball player and current Front office (sports), front office executive. He is currently senior advisor to owner John Fisher (baseball owner), John Fisher and ...

, who later said that Dykstra was "perfectly designed, emotionally" to play baseball and that he had "no concept of failure." According to Beane, his first comments on seeing future Hall of Fame pitcher

Steve Carlton Steven Norman Carlton (born December 22, 1944) is an American former professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as a left-handed pitcher for six different teams from 1965 to 1988, most notably as a member of the Philadelph ...

warming up were, "Shit, I'll stick him." In 1985, Dykstra was promoted to the Mets when the team's starting

, Mookie Wilson, was placed on the disabled list. The rookie's play and energy was a big boost to a Mets team that surged to a 98-win season and narrowly missed out on the NL East crown. The following season, Dykstra was intended to be platooned in center field with Wilson, but took over the position as outright starter and leadoff hitter when Wilson suffered a severe eye injury during spring training. As the season progressed, Wilson began to get more playing time in left field, as the incumbent leftfielder, George Foster, was struggling, eventually getting released. This allowed Dykstra and Wilson to start in the outfield together, along with star rightfielder

Darryl Strawberry Darryl Eugene Strawberry Sr. (born March 12, 1962) is an American former professional baseball right fielder who played 17 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB). Throughout his career, Strawberry was one of the most feared sluggers in the sport ...

. Dykstra earned the nickname "Nails" for his hard-nosed personality and fearless play. Also in 1986, Dykstra posed shirtless for a "beefcake" poster under the "Nails" nickname. Dykstra and #2 hitter Wally Backman were tagged as "The Partners in Grime" for their scrappy play as spark plugs for the star-studded Met lineup.

1986 season

With Dykstra as leadoff hitter, the 1986 Mets coasted to the division crown, beating the second-place

by 21.5 games en route to a 108–54 season. The Mets ended up in the

after a victory over the NL West champion

Houston Astros The Houston Astros are an American professional baseball team based in Houston. The Astros compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League West, West Division. They are one of two major leag ...

in the 1986 NLCS, 4 games to 2. Dykstra hit a walk-off home run in Game 3, which is considered one of the biggest hits in Mets franchise history and of Dykstra's career. He hit .304 in the 1986 NLCS, and then .296 in the World Series against the

Boston Red Sox The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East Division. Founded in as one of the Ameri ...

. His leadoff home run in Game 3 at

Fenway Park Fenway Park is a ballpark located in Boston, Massachusetts, less than one mile from Kenmore Square. Since 1912, it has been the home field of Major League Baseball's (MLB) Boston Red Sox. While the stadium was built in 1912, it was substantia ...

sparked the Mets, who had lost the first games of the Series at home at

Shea Stadium William A. Shea Municipal Stadium ( ), typically shortened to Shea Stadium, was a multi-purpose stadium in Flushing Meadows–Corona Park in Queens, New York City.Tommie Agee and Wayne Garrett, both of whose home runs also came in a Game 3, in the

1969 1969 ( MCMLXIX) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar, the 1969th year of the Common Era (CE) and ''Anno Domini'' (AD) designations, the 969th year of the 2nd millennium, the 69th year of the 20th century, and the ...

and

1973 World Series The 1973 World Series was the World Series, championship series of Major League Baseball's (MLB) 1973 Major League Baseball season, 1973 season. The 70th edition of the World Series, it was a best-of-seven playoff played between the American Leag ...

respectively), to hit a leadoff home run in the World Series. Following Dykstra's home run, the Mets won Game Three in blowout fashion, eventually rallying to defeat the Red Sox in seven games.

1987–1989

Dykstra continued to play in a

platoon A platoon is a Military organization, military unit typically composed of two to four squads, Section (military unit), sections, or patrols. Platoon organization varies depending on the country and the Military branch, branch, but a platoon can ...

with Wilson. In the 1988 NLCS against the

Los Angeles Dodgers The Los Angeles Dodgers are an American professional baseball team based in Los Angeles. The Dodgers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Div ...

, he continued his postseason success by hitting .429 in a losing effort. On June 18, 1989, the Mets traded Dykstra to the Phillies along with pitcher

Roger McDowell Roger Alan McDowell (born December 21, 1960) is an American former professional baseball right-handed relief pitcher who played in Major League Baseball from 1985 to 1996. He played for the New York Mets, Philadelphia Phillies and Los Angeles Do ...

and minor-leaguer Tom Edens in exchange for second baseman Juan Samuel. Teammate

Keith Hernandez Keith Hernandez (born October 20, 1953) is an American former professional baseball first baseman. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the St. Louis Cardinals, New York Mets, and Cleveland Indians. Hernandez was a five-time Major League ...

later characterized Dykstra, in his book ''Pure Baseball,'' as being "on the wild and crazy side", which he cites as one of the reasons the Mets chose to trade him and the Phillies chose to acquire him.

Philadelphia Phillies

Dykstra was initially upset over the trade since he enjoyed playing in New York, but Phillies fans loved him and he soon became a fan favorite there as well. He was known for his trademark cheek full of

tobacco Tobacco is the common name of several plants in the genus '' Nicotiana'' of the family Solanaceae, and the general term for any product prepared from the cured leaves of these plants. More than 70 species of tobacco are known, but the ...

and hard-nosed play. With the Phillies, Dykstra's career was marked by incredible highs and lows. In 1990, he started the

All-Star Game An all-star game is an exhibition game that showcases the best players (the "stars") of a sports league. The exhibition is between two teams organized solely for the event, usually representing the league's teams based on region or division, bu ...

, led the league in hits and finished fourth in batting average, hitting over .400 as late as June. Dykstra's next two seasons were marred by

injury Injury is physiological damage to the living tissue of any organism, whether in humans, in other animals, or in plants. Injuries can be caused in many ways, including mechanically with penetration by sharp objects such as teeth or with ...

. In 1991, he lost two months of playing time due to injuries sustained in an auto accident. In late August, he re-broke his collarbone in

Cincinnati Cincinnati ( ; colloquially nicknamed Cincy) is a city in Hamilton County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. Settled in 1788, the city is located on the northern side of the confluence of the Licking River (Kentucky), Licking and Ohio Ri ...

running into the outfield wall and missed the rest of the season. On Opening Day 1992, Dykstra was

hit by a pitch In baseball, hit by pitch (HBP) is an event in which a batter or his clothing or equipment (other than his bat) is struck directly by a pitch from the pitcher; the batter is called a hit batsman (HB). A hit batsman is awarded first base, provide ...

that broke his hand. He played in just 145 of 324 possible games for the Phils in

1991 It was the final year of the Cold War, which had begun in 1947. During the year, the Soviet Union Dissolution of the Soviet Union, collapsed, leaving Post-soviet states, fifteen sovereign republics and the Commonwealth of Independent State ...

and

1992 1992 was designated as International Space Year by the United Nations. Events January * January 1 – Boutros Boutros-Ghali of Egypt replaces Javier Pérez de Cuéllar of Peru as United Nations Secretary-General. * January 6 ** The Republ ...

. It all came together again in 1993 for Dykstra and the Phillies. The team, which had been rebuilding since its last playoff appearance ten years before, when they won the 1983 pennant but lost the World Series to Baltimore, returned to the top of the

National League East The National League East is one of Major League Baseball's six divisions. Along with the American League Central, it is one of two divisions to have every member win at least one World Series title. After having internal, informal divisions for ...

and won the pennant again. He played in 161 games, setting a then major league record with 773 plate appearances. Despite being overlooked for the 1993 All-Star team he led the league in runs, hits, walks and at-bats, and was runner-up to the Giants'

Barry Bonds Barry Lamar Bonds (born July 24, 1964) is an American former professional baseball left fielder who played 22 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB). Bonds was a member of the Pittsburgh Pirates from 1986 to 1992 and the San Francisco Giants f ...

in voting for NL

Most Valuable Player In team sports, a most valuable player (MVP) award is an honor typically bestowed upon an individual (or individuals, in the instance of a tie) whose individual performance is the greatest in an entire league, for a particular competition, or ...

. He led the Phillies into the

, which they lost to the defending World Series champion

Toronto Blue Jays The Toronto Blue Jays are a Canadian professional baseball team based in Toronto. The Blue Jays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East Division. Since 1989, the team has p ...

in six games. In the series, Dykstra batted .348 and hit four

home run In baseball, a home run (abbreviated HR) is scored when the Baseball (ball), ball is hit in such a way that the batting (baseball), batter is able to circle the bases and reach home plate safe (baseball), safely in one play without any error ( ...

s, including two in a futile 15–14 loss at home in Game 4. In October 2015, Dykstra told Colin Cowherd that beginning in 1993, he paid a team of private investigators $500,000 to dig up dirt on MLB umpires. He used the information, he said, to leverage a more favorable strike zone during games. He said it was not a coincidence that he led the majors in walks in 1993, going from 40 in 392 plate appearances in 1992 to 129 in 773 plate appearances the following year. In 1994, Dykstra walked 68 times in 386 plate appearances. Dykstra's claim of blackmailing umpires was met with considerable skepticism. Dykstra went on to play in two more All-Star games, in 1994 and 1995.

Retirement

Injuries plagued Dykstra for the rest of his career. He last played in 1996, although he launched one final comeback attempt in

spring training Spring training, also called spring camp, is the preseason of the Summer Professional Baseball Leagues, such as Major League Baseball (MLB), and it is a series of practices and exhibition games preceding the start of the regular season. Spri ...

of 1998 before retiring at the age of 35.

Post-baseball career

Dykstra first ran a

car wash A car wash, or auto wash, is a facility used to clean the exterior, and in some cases the interior, of motor vehicle, cars. Car washes can be #Self-serve car wash, self-service, full-service (with attendants who wash the vehicle), or #Autom ...

Simi Valley, California Simi Valley (; Chumashan languages, Chumash: ''Shimiyi'') is a city in Simi Valley (valley), the valley of the same name in southeastern Ventura County, California, United States. It is from Downtown Los Angeles, making it part of the Greater ...

, but sold it in 2007. Dykstra purchased NHL superstar

Wayne Gretzky Wayne Douglas Gretzky ( ; born January 26, 1961) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player and former head coach. He played 20 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for four teams from 1979 to 1999. Nicknamed "the Great One ...

's $17 million estate (built at a cost of $14,999,999) hoping to flip it; however, this endeavor was unsuccessful. The house was eventually sold in January 2011 for "an undisclosed amount". In September 2008, Dykstra began a high-end jet charter company and magazine marketed to professional athletes known as the ''Player's Club'', LLC. The magazine was part of a business plan to offer financial advice to professional athletes, according to a profile article in ''

The New Yorker ''The New Yorker'' is an American magazine featuring journalism, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons, and poetry. It was founded on February 21, 1925, by Harold Ross and his wife Jane Grant, a reporter for ''The New York T ...

'' magazine. In early 2009, stories and evidence began to emerge indicating that Dykstra's financial empire was in a tailspin. A '' GQ'' article by Kevin P. Coughlin, a former photo editor for the ''

New York Post The ''New York Post'' (''NY Post'') is an American Conservatism in the United States, conservative daily Tabloid (newspaper format), tabloid newspaper published in New York City. The ''Post'' also operates three online sites: NYPost. ...

'', detailed Coughlin's 67-day employment with Dykstra producing ''The Players Club'', a magazine geared toward athletes and their expensive lifestyles. Coughlin detailed incidents and accused Dykstra of

credit card fraud Credit card fraud is an inclusive term for fraud committed using a payment card, such as a credit card or debit card. The purpose may be to obtain goods or services or to make payment to another account, which is controlled by a criminal. The P ...

, failure to pay rent on the magazine's

Park Avenue Park Avenue is a boulevard in New York City that carries north and southbound traffic in the borough (New York City), boroughs of Manhattan and the Bronx. For most of the road's length in Manhattan, it runs parallel to Madison Avenue to the wes ...

offices or for bounced checks, lawsuits, and printing costs. In March 2009, press reports alleged that Dykstra's businesses were facing financial ruin. They also alleged that he had used offensive terms when speaking about black people, women, and homosexuals. An extensive ESPN article published in April 2009 asserted that Dykstra had been the subject of at least two dozen legal actions since 2007. On June 28, 2016, Dykstra released an autobiography titled ''House of Nails: A Memoir of Life on the Edge.'' ''House of Nails'' landed at No. 11 on the New York Times nonfiction best-seller list for July 17, 2016. On October 5, 2016, Dykstra and Rebound Finance, a credit referral company, announced their partnership. The partnership is still ongoing with Dykstra acting as the brand's ambassador. According to a press release published by Rebound Finance, the main goal of the partnership is to "provide hard working Americans with the credit they deserve."

Public appearances and media appearances

In 2000, Dykstra and other members of the 1986 Mets' World Championship team threw out the ceremonial first pitch before Game 5 of the

Shea Stadium William A. Shea Municipal Stadium ( ), typically shortened to Shea Stadium, was a multi-purpose stadium in Flushing Meadows–Corona Park in Queens, New York City.New York Yankees The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Am ...

. On June 28, 2016, Dykstra appeared on ''

The Howard Stern Show ''The Howard Stern Show'' is an American radio show hosted by Howard Stern that gained wide recognition when it was radio syndication, nationally syndicated on terrestrial radio from WINS-FM, WXRK in New York City, between 1986 and 2005. The sho ...

'' for the first stop on his promotional tour for his bestselling book ''House of Nails: A Memoir of Life on the Edge'' and to discuss his sexual conquests. Dykstra also revealed that he is a gigolo for elderly women. On July 27, 2016, Dykstra appeared on '' Larry King Now'' to discuss his book, his MLB career, his use of steroids, and his close friendship with

Charlie Sheen Carlos Irwin Estévez (born September 3, 1965), known professionally as Charlie Sheen, is an American actor. He is known as a leading man in film and television. Sheen has received numerous accolades including a Golden Globe Award as well as ...

. On November 28, 2016, Dykstra returned to ''The Howard Stern Show'', bringing with him two women to verify the claims he made during his first visit in June. Dykstra also promoted his partnership with Rebound Finance. Then, on December 17, 2019, Dykstra returned again to ''The Howard Stern Show'' playing on Stern's "Hollyweird Squares" game.

Legal issues

In 1991, Dykstra crashed his red Mercedes-Benz SL 500 into a tree on Darby-Paoli Road in Radnor Township, Pennsylvania, after attending the bachelor party of Phillies teammate John Kruk. Dykstra suffered broken ribs, a broken

collarbone The clavicle, collarbone, or keybone is a slender, S-shaped long bone approximately long that serves as a strut between the shoulder blade and the sternum (breastbone). There are two clavicles, one on each side of the body. The clavicle is the ...

and a broken facial bone, in addition to second-degree burns on his left arm and lower back.

Darren Daulton Darren Arthur Daulton (January 3, 1962 – August 6, 2017), nicknamed "Dutch", was an American professional baseball catcher who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Philadelphia Phillies (, –) and Miami Marlins, Florida Marlins (199 ...

, also a teammate, was a passenger in the car at the time; his injuries included an injured eye and a broken facial bone. According to Radnor Township Police, Dykstra's

blood alcohol content Blood alcohol content (BAC), also called blood alcohol concentration or blood alcohol level, is a measurement of alcohol intoxication used for legal or medical purposes. BAC is expressed as mass of alcohol per volume of blood. In US and many i ...

was measured at 0.179% shortly after the crash, a little less than double the legal limit of 0.1% in the state at the time. Dykstra was charged with "driving under the influence of alcohol, speeding and reckless driving". In 1999, he was arrested for

sexual harassment Sexual harassment is a type of harassment based on the sex or gender of a victim. It can involve offensive sexist or sexual behavior, verbal or physical actions, up to bribery, coercion, and assault. Harassment may be explicit or implicit, wit ...

of a 17-year-old girl who worked at his car wash. The criminal charges were later dropped. Dykstra was sued in relation to his car wash in 2005. The lawsuit, filed by former business partner Lindsay Jones, alleged that Dykstra used steroids and told Jones to place bets on Phillies games in 1993, when Dykstra was on that pennant-winning team. He denied those allegations, but other accusations of steroid use also surfaced. Dykstra, whose net worth was estimated at $58 million in 2008, filed for

Chapter 11 Chapter 11 of the United States Bankruptcy Code ( Title 11 of the United States Code) permits reorganization under the bankruptcy laws of the United States. Such reorganization, known as Chapter 11 bankruptcy, is available to every business, w ...

in July 2009, listing less than $50,000 in assets against $10 million to $50 million in liabilities. He claimed to be a victim of

mortgage fraud Mortgage fraud refers to an intentional misstatement, misrepresentation, or omission of information relied upon by an underwriter or lender to fund, purchase, or insure a loan secured by real property. Criminal offenses may be prosecuted in eith ...

after he lost the house he purchased from

foreclosure Foreclosure is a legal process in which a lender attempts to recover the balance of a loan from a borrower who has Default (finance), stopped making payments to the lender by forcing the sale of the asset used as the Collateral (finance), coll ...

. Fireman's Fund Insurance Company provided Dykstra and his wife with a temporary residence pending resolution of the outstanding claim. According to papers filed in court, one of Dykstra's houses was in "unshowable" condition as "the home was littered throughout with empty beer bottles, trash, dog feces and urine, and other unmentionables." Raw sewage had been leaking inside the house, and electrical wiring had been damaged or removed by vandals. On October 6, 2009, the ''Wall Street Journal'' reported that Dykstra's World Series ring had been auctioned off for $56,762 "to help pay the former major-leaguer's $31 million debt." On November 20, 2009, the case was converted to a

Chapter 7 Chapter Seven refers to a seventh Chapter (books), chapter in a book. Chapter Seven, Chapter 7, or Chapter VII may also refer to: Albums * Chapter Seven (album), ''Chapter Seven'' (album), a 2013 album by Damien Leith. * Chapter VII (album), ''Ch ...

bankruptcy to liquidate the estate and pay creditors. In September 2009, Dykstra was banned from both of his foreclosed multimillion-dollar properties in Lake Sherwood. He was accused of vandalizing the properties and failing to maintain homeowners' insurance on them, and the court assigned a trustee to manage them. In June 2010, a court-appointed federal trustee in Dykstra's bankruptcy case charged he had lied under oath, improperly hidden and sold assets, and repeatedly acted "in a fraudulent and deceitful manner" during his ongoing bankruptcy case. The trustee accordingly asked the bankruptcy court to deny Dykstra's request for a

bankruptcy discharge A bankruptcy discharge is a court order that releases an individual or business from specific debts and obligations they owe to creditors. In other words, it's a legal process that eliminates the debtor's liability to pay certain types of debts th ...

. In December 2010,

adult entertainment The sex industry (also called the sex trade) consists of businesses that either directly or indirectly provide sex-related products and services or adult entertainment. The industry includes activities involving direct provision of sex-related se ...

star and escort Monica Foster claimed Dykstra had hired her on December 13, 2010, and had paid her with a bad check. In January 2011, Dykstra was accused of

sexual assault Sexual assault is an act of sexual abuse in which one intentionally Physical intimacy, sexually touches another person without that person's consent, or Coercion, coerces or physically forces a person to engage in a sexual act against their w ...

by his housekeeper. She alleged that he had forced her to perform

oral sex Oral sex, sometimes referred to as oral intercourse, is sexual activity involving the stimulation of the genitalia of a person by another person using the mouth (including the lips, tongue, or teeth). Cunnilingus is oral sex performed on the vu ...

on him. The woman told investigators "she needed the job and the money, so she went along with the suspect's requests rather than lose her job". In April 2011, the

Los Angeles Police Department The City of Los Angeles Police Department, commonly referred to as Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD), is the primary law enforcement agency of Los Angeles, California, United States. With 8,832 officers and 3,000 civilian staff, it is the th ...

Commercial Crimes Division arrested Dykstra on separate

grand theft Theft (, cognate to ) is the act of taking another person's property or services without that person's permission or consent with the intent to deprive the rightful owner of it. The word ''theft'' is also used as a synonym or informal short ...

charges related to the purchase of vehicles. He was held on $500,000 bail. On April 13, 2011, Dykstra was arrested for investigation of

by Los Angeles police at his Encino home on suspicion of trying to buy a stolen car, the day after Dykstra, in an unrelated federal complaint, had been charged with embezzling from a bankruptcy estate. He faced up to five years in federal prison if convicted. Federal prosecutors contended that after filing for bankruptcy Dykstra hid, sold, or destroyed more than $400,000 worth of items from the $18.5 million mansion in question without permission of a bankruptcy trustee. In May 2011, Dykstra was sentenced to

house arrest House arrest (also called home confinement, or nowadays electronic monitoring) is a legal measure where a person is required to remain at their residence under supervision, typically as an alternative to imprisonment. The person is confined b ...

after his bankruptcy fraud indictment. Under the terms of his plea agreement, he was allowed to leave the house only to go to work, attend church, or undergo mandatory drug testing. On June 13, 2011, Dykstra appeared in federal bankruptcy court and pleaded not guilty to 13 charges. He was represented by a public defender. Dykstra faced up to 80 years in prison if convicted of all charges relating to embezzlement,

obstruction of justice In United States jurisdictions, obstruction of justice refers to a number of offenses that involve unduly influencing, impeding, or otherwise interfering with the justice system, especially the legal and procedural tasks of prosecutors, investiga ...

, bankruptcy fraud,

making false statements Making false statements () is the common name for the United States federal process crime laid out in Section 1001 of Title 18 of the United States Code, which generally prohibits knowingly and willfully making false or fraudulent statements, or ...

to bankruptcy court, and concealing property from the bankruptcy court. The bankruptcy fraud trial was set to start on June 5, 2012. On June 6, 2011, Dykstra was arrested and charged with 25 misdemeanor and felony counts of

identity theft Identity theft, identity piracy or identity infringement occurs when someone uses another's personal identifying information, like their name, identifying number, or credit card number, without their permission, to commit fraud or other crimes. ...

, filing false financial statements and possession of

cocaine Cocaine is a tropane alkaloid and central nervous system stimulant, derived primarily from the leaves of two South American coca plants, ''Erythroxylum coca'' and ''Erythroxylum novogranatense, E. novogranatense'', which are cultivated a ...

, ecstasy and the human growth hormone (HGH) known as somatropin. He first pleaded not guilty to the charges, but later changed his plea to no contest to grand theft auto and providing false financial statements in exchange for getting the drug charges dropped. On March 5, 2012, after unsuccessfully trying to withdraw his nolo-contendere plea, he was sentenced to three years in state prison, receiving nearly a year's credit for time already served. On August 25, 2011, Dykstra was charged with

. The Los Angeles City Attorney accused him of placing ads on

Craigslist Craigslist (stylized as craigslist) is a privately held American company operating a classified advertisements website with sections devoted to jobs, housing, for sale, items wanted, services, community service, gigs, résumés, and discussi ...

requesting a personal assistant or housekeeping services. The victims alleged that when they arrived, they were informed that the job also required massage service and that Dykstra then exposed himself to them. He was given a nine-month sentence for lewd conduct. On July 13, 2012, Dykstra pleaded guilty in federal court to three felonies: one count each of bankruptcy fraud, concealment of assets, and

money laundering Money laundering is the process of illegally concealing the origin of money obtained from illicit activities (often known as dirty money) such as drug trafficking, sex work, terrorism, corruption, and embezzlement, and converting the funds i ...

. He admitted to hiding, selling, or destroying over $400,000 worth of items that were supposed to be part of his bankruptcy filing. On December 3, 2012, he was sentenced to six-and-a-half months in prison and 500 hours of community service, and was ordered to pay $200,000 in restitution. Dykstra was released from the federal penitentiary in

Victorville, California Victorville is a city in Victor Valley in San Bernardino County, California. Its population as of the 2020 census was 134,810. Victorville is the principal city of a Victor Valley–based urban area defined by the United States Census Bureau: ...

, in June 2013 after serving six-and-a-half months of his sentence for the bankruptcy fraud and money laundering charges, which ran concurrently with the grand theft auto and false financial statements charges. As part of his release, he was required to serve three years of supervised release (including 500 hours of community service), enroll in a

substance abuse Substance misuse, also known as drug misuse or, in older vernacular, substance abuse, is the use of a drug in amounts or by methods that are harmful to the individual or others. It is a form of substance-related disorder, differing definition ...

program, submit to drug testing, and pay $200,000 to his creditors. Dykstra finished his probation in April 2014 and had undergone weekly drug testing. On May 23, 2018, Dykstra was arrested for drug possession and for uttering terroristic threats. He allegedly held a gun to his

Uber Uber Technologies, Inc. is an American multinational transportation company that provides Ridesharing company, ride-hailing services, courier services, food delivery, and freight transport. It is headquartered in San Francisco, California, a ...

driver after the driver refused to change destinations. On October 10, 2018, Dykstra was indicted by a New Jersey grand jury on these charges. In his book ''108 Stitches'', former Dykstra teammate

Ron Darling Ronald Maurice Darling Jr. (born August 19, 1960) is a retired American professional baseball pitcher and television sports color commentator. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a right-handed pitcher from to , including as a member of ...

alleged that Dykstra hurled racist taunts at Red Sox pitcher Oil Can Boyd from the on-deck circle during the 1986 World Series. Dykstra publicly and vociferously denied the story and was publicly supported in his denial by former teammates Dwight Gooden, Kevin Mitchell,

and Wally Backman. Dykstra sued Darling for defamation in April 2020 but the case was dismissed on June 1, 2020, with the judge citing Dykstra's documented reputation as being "among other things, racist, misogynist and anti-gay, as well as a sexual predator, a drug-abuser, a thief and an embezzler" as the reason.

Personal life

Family

Dykstra married wife, Terri, in 1985. Lenny and Terri Dykstra have two sons, Cutter and Luke; Lenny also adopted Terri's son, Gavin, from a prior relationship. Terri Dykstra filed for divorce in April 2009. Cutter Dykstra was drafted by the

Milwaukee Brewers The Milwaukee Brewers are an American professional baseball team based in Milwaukee. The Brewers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central Di ...

in the second round of the 2008 Major League Baseball Draft, and played in the

Washington Nationals The Washington Nationals are an American professional baseball team based in Washington, D.C. The Nationals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East Division. They play their home games at Na ...

organization until being released on June 14, 2016. Through Cutter's relationship with actress

Jamie-Lynn Sigler Jamie-Lynn Sigler (born May 15, 1981) is an American actress. She is best known for her role as Meadow Soprano on the HBO series ''The Sopranos'' from 1999 to 2007. Early life Sigler was born in Jericho, New York, on May 15, 1981, the daughter ...

, Dykstra has two grandsons. Luke Dykstra was drafted by the

Atlanta Braves The Atlanta Braves are an American professional baseball team based in the Atlanta metropolitan area. The Braves compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Eas ...

in the seventh round of the

2014 MLB Draft The 2014 Major League Baseball draft was held from June 5 through June 7, 2014, to assign amateur baseball players to MLB teams. The first two rounds were conducted on June 5, followed by rounds three through ten on June 6, and the last 30 round ...

and last played for the

Sugar Land Skeeters The Sugar Land Space Cowboys are a Minor League Baseball team of the Pacific Coast League (PCL) and the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the Houston Astros Major League Baseball club. They are located in Sugar Land, Texas, part of the G ...

of the

Atlantic League of Professional Baseball The Atlantic League of Professional Baseball (ALPB) is a professional independent baseball league in the United States. It is an official MLB Partner League based in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern United States, and the headquarters are l ...

in 2018. In 2014, Dykstra lived with his ex-wife, Terri, who said that she had no plans to remarry him. As of Summer 2024, Dykstra lives in

Scranton, Pennsylvania Scranton is a city in and the county seat of Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania, United States. With a population of 76,328 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, Scranton is the most populous city in Northeastern Pennsylvania and the ...

Health

On February 14, 2024, Dykstra suffered a stroke and was hospitalized in a Los Angeles hospital.

Mitchell Report; steroid use

Dykstra was named in the

Mitchell Report The ''Report to the Commissioner of Baseball of an Independent Investigation into the Illegal Use of Steroids and Other Performance Enhancing Substances by Players in Major League Baseball'', informally known as the Mitchell Report, is the res ...

on steroid use in Major League Baseball on December 13, 2007. The report cited multiple sources, including Kirk Radomski, as stating that Dykstra had used

anabolic steroids Anabolic steroids, also known as anabolic-androgenic steroids (AAS), are a class of drugs that are structurally related to testosterone, the main male sex hormone, and produce effects by binding to the androgen receptor (AR). Anabolic steroids ...

during his MLB career. It also stated that the

Commissioner of Baseball The commissioner of baseball is the chief executive officer of Major League Baseball (MLB) and the associated Minor League Baseball (MiLB) – a constellation of leagues and clubs known as " organized baseball". Under the direction of the commiss ...

's office had known about Dykstra's steroid use since 2000. Dykstra did not agree to meet with the Mitchell investigators to discuss the allegations. In Randall Lane's book ''The Zeroes'', Dykstra admitted in his hotel room to Lane, editor of ''Trader Monthly'', that he used steroids to perform better than those he felt might replace him; otherwise, his $25 million would be "on the line". On December 20, 2007, Dykstra was also named in former MLB pitcher

Jason Grimsley Jason Alan Grimsley (born August 7, 1967) is an American former Major League Baseball relief pitcher who played for seven teams during a 15-year career. He was a member of both the 1999 and 2000 World Series champion New York Yankees. Major Leag ...

's unsealed affidavit as an alleged user of steroids.

References

External links

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Lenny Dykstra
at Baseball Almanac {{DEFAULTSORT:Dykstra, Lenny 1963 births American people of Frisian descent Jackson Mets players Leones del Caracas players American expatriate baseball players in Venezuela Living people Major League Baseball center fielders Lynchburg Mets players National League All-Stars New York Mets players Philadelphia Phillies players Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Red Barons players Shelby Mets players Baseball players from Santa Ana, California Tidewater Tides players American people convicted of fraud American sportspeople convicted of crimes American people convicted of assault Prisoners and detainees of the United States federal government People convicted of money laundering 20th-century American sportsmen