All Things Bubba

Photo: Nick Ut, AP

Lenny Dykstra has gotten jail time for his Craiglist antics. At least six women were victimized by him, including one who was forced to massage him at knifepoint.

He got only 270 days of jail time. That doesn't seem like much, given the severity of the offenses and his previous history.

How did it come to this? I can't help wondering if he crashed into too many walls in his playing days. There wasn't as much awareness of the danger of concussions back then. It's becoming increasingly clear that the kind of head trauma suffered in sports can cause long term problems...as we're seeing in the NFL.

Labels: crime and punishment, Lenny Dykstra

Lenny Dykstra got three years. He pleaded guilty to grand theft auto. And his legal troubles aren't over; he's facing federal charges this summer, for hiding assets after declaring bankruptcy. Not to mention the exposing himself to women he met through Craigslist thing.

How on earth does someone who had as many advantages as he had end up like this?

Labels: crime and punishment, Lenny Dykstra

Good grief. Just when you think it can't get any worse...

Ex-Met Lenny Dykstra charged with indecent exposure

(CBS/AP) LOS ANGELES - Former New York Mets and Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Lenny Dykstra has been charged in Los Angeles for allegedly exposing himself to women he met on Craigslist. The city attorney's office said Thursday the 48-year-old former baseball star could face up to six months in jail and a $1,000 fine for each indecent exposure count.

Dykstra is accused of finding victims by placing online ads seeking personal assistants or housekeepers. He allegedly exposed himself to women who responded to the ads on several occasions between 2009 and 2011.

This, after allegations of check fraud, drug possession, vandalism, mortgage fraud, sexual harassment, grand theft, sexual assault, and more. The guy must have crashed into too many walls. Or taken too many 'roids.

He was worth more than $50 million. Now he's bankrupt, and in jail for stealing a car, among other things. His World Series ring has been auctioned off by a pawn shop because he couldn't pay his debts.

Labels: crime and punishment, Lenny Dykstra

They showed a music video during the Cowboys game - Tony Romo's travails set to the Counting Crows song "A Long December." The Cowboys have not played well in December in recent years. In fact, they were starting to remind me of the old Jets.

But this year, it's different. The Cowboys are playing well...sort of. Some of the talking heads are saying the 'Boys are peaking at the right time. I'm not so sure. They're playing better than I expected, but they're also making some bonehead blunders. I'm still not sure this is a playoff team.

I do think Romo is playing smarter, though. I can understand making mistakes, but players who don't learn from their mistakes drive me batty. Looks like Romo is not one of those.

Came across this link today. It's about an auction by Lenny Dysktra's pawnbroker. Dykstra had been having financial problems, and had to declare bankruptcy. Apparently, he pawned a lot of his baseball memorabilia, and when he couldn't repay the loan, it was sold at auction. There are photos here: his World Series ring and trophy, his Game 3 game-winning home run ball, his All-Star rings, and more. Wow, that's really sad.

Labels: Lenny Dykstra

When we last heard about Lenny Dykstra, he was trying to start an investment fund for baseball players. He lost a lot of money in the dot-com crash, and decided to learn about investing and take control of his own finances. He seemed to be creating a new career for himself in investing.

How did it all go so wrong? It sounds like his life is a mess, and his finances are worse.

Is he just irresponsible with money? It's hard to believe he could have been as successful as he was if that was the case. (He made a lot of money in business, after his baseball career was over.) I suspect the financial crisis has something to do with it. The real estate he expected to profit from flipping is likely underwater now. Credit is tightening, investments are taking. He hasn't adjusted to the new reality.

I am not a financial adviser. Everyone's situation is different, the following should not be taken as investment advice, etc. But...I think the economic world is changing. The stock market is no longer a sure thing, even over the long term. Buy and hold no longer works. Traders can still make money, but ordinary people are being fleeced.

More and more people seem inclined to put their money in the Bank of Serta. Or if not under the mattress, at least in safe, liquid investments like savings accounts. The idea is to avoid risk, and to keep the money under your control as much as possible. Some people have found themselves unable to withdraw their money. Their fund managers, reluctant to sell low, won't allow anyone to cash out. Which means people don't have access to their own money. There's also been some talk of the government "borrowing" from IRAs and 401(k)s, and while that's a long shot now, in the future, our cash-strapped politicians may not be able to resist.

And cash may not be a bad place to be. Inflation may not be a problem, despite Bernanke running the printing presses full-bore. As Japan found out, you can print all the money you want, but if people don't spend it, it might as well not exist. IOW...increasing the money supply isn't going to increase prices unless wages increase. And I don't see wages increasing any time soon.

If we get deflation - another Great Depression scenario - then cash will be king. It's not glamorous, and is probably way too boring to interest high rollers like Lenny Dykstra. But it's the place to be for those who like to sleep at night.

Labels: Lenny Dykstra, The Greater Depression

Courtesy of Sporting Life, the list of players from the Mitchell report. Names of current and recent Yankees are in bold.

Manny Alexander
Chad Allen
Rick Ankiel
David Bell
Mike Bell
Marvin Benard
Gary Bennett
Larry Bigbie
Barry Bonds
Ricky Bones
Kevin Brown
Paul Byrd
Alex Cabrera
Jose Canseco
Mark Carreon
Jason Christiansen
Howie Clark
Roger Clemens
Paxton Crawford
Jack Cust
Brendan Donnelly
Chris Donnels
Lenny Dykstra
Bobby Estalella
Matt Franco
Ryan Franklin
Eric Gagne
Jason Giambi
Jeremy Giambi
Jay Gibbons
Troy Glaus
Juan Gonzalez
Jason Grimsley
Jose Guillen
Jerry Hairston Jr.
Darren Holmes
Matt Herges
Phil Hiatt
Glenallen Hill
Todd Hundley
Ryan Jorgensen
Mike Judd
David Justice
Chuck Knoblauch
Tim Laker
Mike Lansing
Paul Lo Duca
Nook Logan
Josias Manzanillo
Gary Matthews Jr.
Cody McKay
Kent Mercker
Bart Miadich
Hal Morris
Daniel Naulty
Denny Neagle
Rafael Palmeiro
Jim Parque
Andy Pettitte
Adam Piatt
Tood Pratt
Stephen Randolph
Adam Riggs
Armando Rios
Brian Roberts
John Rocker
F.P. Santangelo
Bernie Santiago
Scott Schoenweis
David Segui
Gary Sheffield
Mike Stanton
Ricky Stone
Miguel Tejada
Ismael Valdez
Mo Vaughn
Randy Velarde
Ron Villone
Fernando Vina
Rondell White
Jeff Williams
Matt Williams
Todd Williams
Steve Woodard
Kevin Young
Gregg Zaun

Well, most of the names aren't a terrible shock. Clemens has been suspected for a long time, and Pettitte was guilty by association.

Oddly, Matt Lawton isn't on the list. He was officially disciplined for steroid use, but his name isn't on the list.

Two of the heroes of Bubba's youth are on the list: Lenny Dykstra and Chuck Knoblauch. I'm glad he didn't follow their example in that regard. I'd have been crushed to see his name in the "cheater's lineup."

Labels: Lenny Dykstra