Judge tosses Dykstra defamation suit vs. Darling

Field Level Media
02 Jun 2020, 04:55 GMT+10

A New York Supreme Court judge dismissed Lenny Dykstra's lawsuit alleging defamation and libel against former New York Mets teammate Ron Darling.

Dykstra went after Darling for claims made in his book "108 Stitches: Loose Threads, Ripping Yarns, and the Darndest Characters From My Time in the Game," which was published last year.

In granting a motion from Darling and the book's publishers to dismiss the suit, Justice Robert D. Kalish said the court found "no legal basis for why it should use its very limited time and resources litigating whether Dykstra engaged in yet another example of bigoted behavior over thirty-years ago in a court of law. There are sports commentators, bloggers and legions of baseball fans to litigate this issue in a public space."

Darling wrote in his book that Dykstra shouted racial taunts at Boston Red Sox pitcher Dennis "Oil Can" Boyd from the on-deck circle before Game 3 of the 1986 World Series.

Dykstra, 57, was seeking damages including monetary damages, compensatory and punitive damages, plus court costs.

Kalish also said 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."

--Field Level Media

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