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Stuart G

(38,359 posts)
Tue Oct 27, 2015, 06:21 PM Oct 2015

Lenny Dykstra proudly claims he blackmailed umpires

Source: New York Post

Lenny Dykstra says his prodigious walk totals didn’t come from a great eye, but hiring great private eyes.

The former Met told Fox’s Colin Cowherd that – in his effort to get a huge contract – he spent $500,000 to hire private investigators to turn up dirt on Major League Baseball umpires, and then used that intel to coerce them into giving him a favorable strike zone.

“I said I need the umpires, [so] what do I do? I just pulled out half a million bucks and hired a private investigate team to follow them,’’ said Dykstra, who won the 1986 World Series with the Mets.

“Their blood is just a red as ours. Some of them like women, some of them like men, some of them gamble, some of them do whatever.’’

October 27, 2015 | 4:36pm

Read more: http://nypost.com/2015/10/27/lenny-dykstra-proudly-announces-he-blackmailed-umpires/



Well what do you know???? How can anyone make this stuff up???

news...stranger than fiction


44 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight: NoneDon't highlight anything 5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
Lenny Dykstra proudly claims he blackmailed umpires (Original Post) Stuart G Oct 2015 OP
Thats worse than Pete Rose betting on games DJ13 Oct 2015 #1
Times 1,000 lobodons Oct 2015 #2
I think it pales in comparison to the FIFA (soccer) $ thrown around like confetti. mpcamb Oct 2015 #17
I think it pales in comparison to the FIFA (soccer) $ thrown around like confetti. mpcamb Oct 2015 #18
Certainly not. JackRiddler Oct 2015 #33
So the Royals are going to get umpire shenanigans tonight? Dont call me Shirley Oct 2015 #3
I'm astonished by some of the NFL calls and always wonder if they are being paid off or something. C Moon Oct 2015 #23
Lenny Dykstra is also insane ProudToBeBlueInRhody Oct 2015 #4
You're right. He's nuts. mac56 Oct 2015 #9
Batshit hibbing Oct 2015 #10
He sure chewed a lot of tobacco malthaussen Oct 2015 #28
Sorry to say, Dykstra has come up with some really bizarre stories over the years..... George II Oct 2015 #5
He was the only Met that I could stand underpants Oct 2015 #8
Couldn't stand him either ProudToBeBlueInRhody Oct 2015 #13
That was pretty much any team from any sport in the 80s... Blue_Tires Oct 2015 #39
I knew someone onlyadream Oct 2015 #25
His life really changed a lot after he got into that horrible car accident......... George II Oct 2015 #27
The Phillies catcher you're thinking about is Darren Daulton. And Dykstra was driving drunk when he StevieM Oct 2015 #31
It was a very weird trade Yupster Oct 2015 #44
He was an overrated player bluestateguy Oct 2015 #6
Of course the umps went along houston16revival Oct 2015 #7
Colin Cowherd? Fox has a reporter named Colin Cowherd? Demoiselle Oct 2015 #11
Yeah, he had a talk show on ESPN until early this year. n/m ProudToBeBlueInRhody Oct 2015 #12
Cowherd is a fairly famous syndicated sports talk show host. Calista241 Oct 2015 #30
I'm not clear whether you are saying that Mike and Mike are credible or that they are not credible. StevieM Oct 2015 #32
They're fairly entertaining and they talk about sports. Calista241 Oct 2015 #42
You beat me to it. I was coming over here to post this very article. StevieM Oct 2015 #14
The NY Post Mendocino Oct 2015 #15
Fine, here are some other articles. StevieM Oct 2015 #16
Um, neither the Post Mendocino Oct 2015 #20
I agree that Dykstra doesn't have credibility. StevieM Oct 2015 #21
He certainly had an unusual 1993 altogether. malthaussen Oct 2015 #29
He blackmailed pitchers to serve up homer balls. JackRiddler Oct 2015 #38
Of course he'd make this up. JackRiddler Oct 2015 #34
I hate when people do this crap right before a big event (like the World Series) WhoWoodaKnew Oct 2015 #19
Agreed. As I wrote above, Dykstra is a sociopath. StevieM Oct 2015 #22
Always thought of Dykstra as a perfect Republican candidate for some office rurallib Oct 2015 #24
Sports are just an excuse for gambling. It's all run by the Mob. leveymg Oct 2015 #26
news... is fiction in this case. JackRiddler Oct 2015 #35
Exactly. Suddenly everyone believes Lenny Dykstra and the NY Post? FSogol Oct 2015 #36
I mean, did you read that noise? JackRiddler Oct 2015 #37
+1000... Doesn't even begin to pass the smell test... Blue_Tires Oct 2015 #40
It's Lenny F'in Dykstra ProfessorGAC Oct 2015 #41
Yeah, and... JackRiddler Oct 2015 #43
 

lobodons

(1,290 posts)
2. Times 1,000
Tue Oct 27, 2015, 06:29 PM
Oct 2015

This is huge news. Had to make sure it was not Onion. Rose not that much a big deal. Afterall, he bet on his team to Win.

mpcamb

(2,855 posts)
17. I think it pales in comparison to the FIFA (soccer) $ thrown around like confetti.
Tue Oct 27, 2015, 07:57 PM
Oct 2015

Still, an extraordinary admission!

mpcamb

(2,855 posts)
18. I think it pales in comparison to the FIFA (soccer) $ thrown around like confetti.
Tue Oct 27, 2015, 07:59 PM
Oct 2015

Still, an extraordinary admission!

 

JackRiddler

(24,979 posts)
33. Certainly not.
Wed Oct 28, 2015, 06:12 PM
Oct 2015

Same moral league, but pettier.

My bet is that Dykstra's fabulating the hell out of this story, however.

Dont call me Shirley

(10,998 posts)
3. So the Royals are going to get umpire shenanigans tonight?
Tue Oct 27, 2015, 06:30 PM
Oct 2015

Also it's sorely obvious that nfl refs are throwing games.

malthaussen

(17,066 posts)
28. He sure chewed a lot of tobacco
Wed Oct 28, 2015, 11:25 AM
Oct 2015

Bill James quoted a contemporary player to the effect that the outfield was like a "Toxic waste dump" after Dykstra had been in the field.

-- Mal

George II

(67,782 posts)
5. Sorry to say, Dykstra has come up with some really bizarre stories over the years.....
Tue Oct 27, 2015, 06:35 PM
Oct 2015

....when he was a player I really liked him, afterward....not so much.

An anecdote from about 25 years ago, I think it was the year after they won the World Series.

A group I belonged to made a trip to Philadelphia (I was living in NYC at the time) for a weekend series with the Phillies. I hate buses, so I drove down instead.

Anyway, in the Sunday game the Mets were losing a close game in the 9th inning. Dykstra either walked or singled and was on first base. Strangely the manager took him out for a pinch runner (Dykstra was one of their best base runners) We all thought it very odd.

When I got out to my car after the game I put on the radio. It turns out that halfway through the game he'd been traded to Philadelphia for Juan Samuel.

onlyadream

(2,159 posts)
25. I knew someone
Tue Oct 27, 2015, 10:03 PM
Oct 2015

I knew a girl who followed him in a hotel and ended up in his bed. He was married, so I lost respect for him. This was back in the late 80s.

George II

(67,782 posts)
27. His life really changed a lot after he got into that horrible car accident.........
Tue Oct 27, 2015, 11:21 PM
Oct 2015

.....with the Phillies' catcher (forget his name). He seemed to have gotten into a lot of trouble since then.

StevieM

(10,499 posts)
31. The Phillies catcher you're thinking about is Darren Daulton. And Dykstra was driving drunk when he
Wed Oct 28, 2015, 04:14 PM
Oct 2015

got into that accident.

Yupster

(14,308 posts)
44. It was a very weird trade
Thu Oct 29, 2015, 10:00 PM
Oct 2015

Dykstra was such a better player than Samuel, but maybe club house issues made the trade necessary.

Calista241

(5,584 posts)
30. Cowherd is a fairly famous syndicated sports talk show host.
Wed Oct 28, 2015, 03:38 PM
Oct 2015

His radio show was broadcast both on the radio, and on ESPN2 every day until fairly recently.

He's right up there with Mike and Mike in terms of sports credibility.

StevieM

(10,499 posts)
32. I'm not clear whether you are saying that Mike and Mike are credible or that they are not credible.
Wed Oct 28, 2015, 04:15 PM
Oct 2015

eom

Calista241

(5,584 posts)
42. They're fairly entertaining and they talk about sports.
Thu Oct 29, 2015, 09:34 AM
Oct 2015

How much "credibility" are you looking for from entertainers?

StevieM

(10,499 posts)
14. You beat me to it. I was coming over here to post this very article.
Tue Oct 27, 2015, 07:35 PM
Oct 2015

Dykstra is a remarkably unethical man. He has a long laundry list of....well, everything.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lenny_Dykstra#Personal_life

Mendocino

(7,430 posts)
15. The NY Post
Tue Oct 27, 2015, 07:37 PM
Oct 2015

would claim Jesus sold meth to JFK if it increased circulation. Dykstra has even less credibility.

Mendocino

(7,430 posts)
20. Um, neither the Post
Tue Oct 27, 2015, 08:08 PM
Oct 2015

or Dykstra has any credibility. LD would say anything to promote/vindicate himself.

StevieM

(10,499 posts)
21. I agree that Dykstra doesn't have credibility.
Tue Oct 27, 2015, 08:23 PM
Oct 2015

Near as I can tell, the man is a sociopath.

But that doesn't mean that he is making this up. For whatever the reason, he may have just felt like admitting to this. Maybe he thinks it is funny to look back at.

This story doesn't vindicate him....although it certainly does promote him, in a weird kind of way.

The Post's credibility is irrelevant here, because several other outlets have also published the story. And the NY Post did not break the story.

What makes me believe the story is the way his walks per plate appearances jumped in 1993 and 1994 compared to what it had been in 1992.

http://www.si.com/mlb/2015/10/27/lenny-dykstra-private-investigators-hired-spy-umpires

malthaussen

(17,066 posts)
29. He certainly had an unusual 1993 altogether.
Wed Oct 28, 2015, 11:34 AM
Oct 2015

One wonders where the 19 homers came from, but he had a LOT of PA that year (I guess he was hitting leadoff then, I don't remember).

But his OBPs were on the high side most years, except for a slump in 88-89 (which may have led to his being traded). The secular trend was definitely upward, though, after 1990.

-- Mal

 

JackRiddler

(24,979 posts)
38. He blackmailed pitchers to serve up homer balls.
Wed Oct 28, 2015, 10:07 PM
Oct 2015

He used his deep state connections to set it up.

I like how baseball stats can have "secular trends" by the way.

 

JackRiddler

(24,979 posts)
34. Of course he'd make this up.
Wed Oct 28, 2015, 06:15 PM
Oct 2015

It's not a confession, it's self-promotion for the kicks. Here we are talking about this guy and what a bad boy he is. The story is ridiculous.

WhoWoodaKnew

(847 posts)
19. I hate when people do this crap right before a big event (like the World Series)
Tue Oct 27, 2015, 08:05 PM
Oct 2015

If he did it there should be an investigation and they need to do whatever they can to prevent it. It just pisses me off that a baseball player would hire PIs, bribe, cheat and then announce it right before I'm getting ready to sit down and watch something I like.

Loser.

rurallib

(62,344 posts)
24. Always thought of Dykstra as a perfect Republican candidate for some office
Tue Oct 27, 2015, 09:21 PM
Oct 2015

he's white, male, has been rich, well known name, lies in preference to truth any day, cares for no one but himself - he's the whole package.

 

JackRiddler

(24,979 posts)
37. I mean, did you read that noise?
Wed Oct 28, 2015, 10:04 PM
Oct 2015

It's a hilariously stupid story.

I love how people are all in a moral huff about it upthread. It's worse than Pete Rose and Hitler, I tell ya!

The Post can get back to us if he names any living person to whom he claims to have done this blackmailing. Statute of limitations means he's secure, so have at'em, Lenny! Tell us more!

The crime here is systemic: a culture and society that once allowed this guy to style himself as a financial adviser talking shit on CNBC. He was making millions doing it!

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