The fall from grace of Lenny Dykstra continues to get worse.
Phillies fans remember Dykstra as "The Dude" or "Nailz." He was a dynamic personality and one of the best players on the 1993 team that reached the World Series. Dykstra nearly won the MVP that year. He was also a key part of the 1986 New York Mets championship team, though Phillies fans would like to forget about that. Dykstra was a popular player in Philadelphia, but people have always known he had a shadier side. He wasn't the warmest player, and people remember his past legal issues. The most obvious was a drunk driving accident that took place during the height of his playing career. Dykstra was never the same player after 1993, but fans still loved him.
As a Philadelphia Phillies fan, I remember how great Lenny was for the team, especially in 1990 and 1993. But those days have never seemed so long ago. 2011 has brought a series of legal problems to the already long list of them. Things only got worse on Monday, June 6. Dykstra was placed in jail in California on drug and car theft charges.
Dykstra was arrested in April in connection with bankruptcy fraud and grand theft auto. At the time, the auto charges seemed shaky. That has changed. Dykstra is being charged with trying to lease cars though fake information and a fake business. That has led to grand theft auto charges and identity theft charges. He is also booked on drug charges since cocaine and ecstasy were found in his home. All told, Dykstra was charged with 25 misdemeanors and felonies. He is being held on bail for $500,000 with another hearing set later in the week.It was already looking grim for Dykstra after his bankruptcy fraud charge. These latest charges, if true, are likely to make him go to jail even longer. If Philadelphia honors the 20th anniversary of the 1993 team in a couple of years, Dykstra is likely to be in prison when it happens. Things are only going to get worse to Dykstra before they get better.
With every passing charge, it's getting harder and harder to remember how great he was.