All Things Bubba

Chad Curtis has been sentenced to 7-15 years for criminal sexual conduct with underaged girls. He’s displayed no remorse, and is even blaming his victims.

His days as a Yankee were before the information age really took off, but I remember hearing he was something of a Bible-thumper. His preaching annoyed his teammates to the point that Derek Jeter took him aside and told him to cut it out; it was a locker room, not a church.

And now this. Sheesh. It just figures.

Labels: Chad Curtis, crime and punishment

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

So, I was reading this article, about a man convicted of murdering his girlfriend.

In October 2011, Rick Wayne Valentine, aka Bryan Stewart, went on trial. The first witness to testify for the state was Andrea Aardsma.

Aardsma? That name sounds familiar. Could it be...?

Yup.

Juan Martinez: What does your husband do for a living?

Andrea Aardsma: He is a professional baseball player.

Back in 2010, she and her husband, David--then an ace pitcher for the Seattle Mariners -- were in Scottsdale during the off-season. Andrea worked out at Gold's Gym five days a week and her personal trainer was Bryan Stewart.

Yikes. That would seriously creep me out.

Good on her for helping convict the guy, though.

Labels: crime and punishment

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

From the NY Times:

Mets’ Owners Guarded an Investment Pipeline

Mr. Madoff was their treasured secret, and Sterling partners were going to run the show. They also screened out those who they thought might present problems, according to the lawsuit. Certain types of more sophisticated investors — those who might have wanted to engage Mr. Madoff about his strategy and his handling of their fortunes or more modest savings — were kept out.

“Far more outsiders were turned down than actually got into the elite pool of Madoff investors through Sterling,” the lawsuit said, adding that it was Mr. Katz who finally determined which people were approved for accounts.

Interesting. On the one hand, getting their friends and family involved might suggest that the Mets owners didn't know it was a scam. (Though Bernie involved his friends and family, and he of all people knew the score.) OTOH, investors were apparently carefully screened for their ignorance about investing...by Katz.

Larry King was one of the chosen few. Sandy Koufax was, too. They both support the Wilpons. Of course, they were among the lucky ones who didn't lose any money.

I have to think the financially-savvy Wilpons must have at least suspected. Picking investors for their ignorance? Who does that, except con men?

Labels: crime and punishment

MLB Trade Rumors has a brief guide to the Mets-Madoff mess.

The Mets are in deeper trouble than I thought. While the Wilpons "only" made $300 million in fake profits, they're also being sued for punitive damages that could push the total over a billion dollars.

The Mets are not worth that much. And even if they only have to pay the lower sum...the Wilpons don't have the money. They've borrowed heavily against the team and against SNY. The Wilpons may be looking at bankruptcy, which would of course mean losing control of their team.

Labels: crime and punishment

The drunk driver who killed Angels pitcher Nick Adenhart got 51 years in prison. He won't be eligible for parole until he's served 49 years. He's a kid, the same age as Adenhart. Now he's going to grow old in jail.

I can't help comparing this to the Leyritz case. They aren't identical, and they occurred in different states, but still... Both involved a drunk driver going through a red light, with fatal results. In both cases, the other driver was intoxicated as well. But one driver gets 50 years of jail time, while the other gets one year probation and a $500 fine.

I guess we really do have the best legal system money can buy.

Labels: crime and punishment

Former Yankee Jim Leyritz got away with murder. He got one year probation and a $500 fine.

The jury acquitted him of manslaughter, apparently because the victim was also drunk and not wearing her seatbelt. Leyritz also settled with the victim's family before the trial.

This just seems grossly unfair to me. Leyritz complained that his celebrity hurt him in this case, but to me it seems the opposite. An ordinary person would not have been able to pay off his victim's family before the trial. (I believe it was a six-figure settlement - pocket change for Leyritz, but a lot of money for most people.) Whatever the other driver was doing, Leyritz was driving drunk and refused a Breathylizer. He says this was a wakeup call for him and he's changed his life. But...after his arrest, he drove drunk several times. He argued that he didn't know he wasn't supposed to drink, and then blamed Listerine and chicken wings for the positive readings. Not to mention was arrested for beating up his wife. If he's changed his life, it was apparently for the worse.

The judge has warned Leyritz that he must stay out of trouble for the full year of his probation; if he doesn't, he'll get the maximum. We'll see if he's able to do that. I would also guess (or at least hope) that his dreams of being a Yankees coach are over.

Labels: crime and punishment