Former Mets Outfielder Lenny Dykstra's Defamation Suit Against Former Teammate Ron Darling Dismissed
(CBSNewYork)- A New York judge has dismissed former New York Mets outfielder Lenny Dykstra's defamation and libel lawsuit against former teammate Ron Darling.
New York Supreme Court Judge Robert D. Kalish dismissed Dykstra's lawsuit on Friday according to ESPN citing the outfielder's "reputation for unsportsmanlike conduct and bigotry is already so tarnished that it cannot be further injured."
Dykstra brought the lawsuit over claims that Darling made in his book, "108 Stitches: Loose Threads, Ripping Yarns, and the Darndest Characters from My Time in the Game," published last year. In the book, Darling wrote that Dykstra had shouted racial taunts at Boston Red Sox pitcher Dennis "Oil Can" Boyd while in the on-deck circle in Game 3 of the 1986 World Series.
The 57-year-old Dykstra was seeking monetary damages, compensatory damages, punitive damages and court costs. Judge Kalish's ruling cited Dykstra's legal troubles as well as claims Dykstra made in his own book, House of Nails: A Memoir of Life on the Edge as reasons for the dismissal.
"Based on the papers submitted on this motion, prior to the publication of the book, Dykstra was infamous for being, among other things, racist, misogynist, and anti-gay, as well as a sexual predator, a drug-abuser, a thief, and an embezzler. Further, Dykstra had a reputation -- largely due to his autobiography -- of being willing to do anything to benefit himself and his team, including using steroids and blackmailing umpires," Kalish wrote.
