Lenny Dykstra's Defamation and Libel Lawsuit vs. Ron Darling Dismissed by Judge

A New York judge dismissed a defamation and libel lawsuit Lenny Dykstra had filed against former New York Mets teammate Ron Darling, according to ESPN.com.

New York Supreme Court Judge Robert D. Kalish determined that Dykstra's "reputation for unsportsmanlike conduct and bigotry is already so tarnished that it cannot be further injured."

In his book, 108 Stitches: Loose Threads, Ripping Yarns, and the Darndest Characters from My Time in the Game, Darling said Dykstra had directed racist insults toward Boston Red Sox pitcher Dennis "Oil Can" Boyd during the 1986 World Series:

"Lenny was leading off for us that night, as he did most nights when he was in the lineup, and as Oil Can was taking his final warmups on the mound, Lenny was in the on-deck circle shouting every imaginable and unimaginable insult and expletive in his direction—foul, racist, hateful, hurtful stuff. I don't want to be too specific here, because I don't want to commemorate this dark, low moment in Mets history in that way, but I will say that it was the worst collection of taunts and insults I'd ever heard—worse, I'm betting, than anything Jackie Robinson might have heard, his first couple times around the league."

Boyd said shortly after the revelation he didn't recall hearing any personal insults from Dykstra but didn't question the veracity of Darling's story.

Dykstra filed the suit against Darling in April 2019, with Darling filing a motion to dismiss. The judge sided with Darling and used Dykstra's autobiography, House of Nails: A Memoir of Life on the Edge, to help reach his decision.

Kalish said the three-time All-Star painted a portrait of himself in which he was "willing to do anything to benefit himself and his team, including using steroids and blackmailing umpires."

Dykstra received a three-year prison sentence in March 2012 after pleading no contest to grand theft auto. Four months later he pleaded guilty to bankruptcy fraud after he declared bankruptcy and proceeded to steal or damage property from his home.

GQ's Kevin Coughlin also reported in March 2009 allegations the 57-year-old would make racist and derogatory comments toward others.