Lawsuit claims Dykstra gambled, used steroids
LOS ANGELES – Lenny Dykstra’s longtime friend and business partner has accused the former Philadelphia Phillies center fielder of using steroids and gambling illegally during his baseball career in a civil lawsuit, according to a newspaper report.
Lindsay Jones, Dykstra’s former partner in a lucrative car wash business, alleges the ballplayer advised him to bet thousands of dollars with a bookmaker on selected Phillies games in 1993, Dykstra’s best year in the majors, the Los Angeles Times reported in Sunday editions.
Jones, who is seeking to regain interest in the car wash business, said in a sworn statement that the baseball wagers were a form of payment to him, made “on the basis that Lenny would cover all losses, and I would use the winnings to live on.”
The lawsuit, filed last year in Ventura County Superior Court, is in binding arbitration and a decision is expected this week.
The suit also includes a sworn statement from a Florida bodybuilder and convicted drug dealer who said Dykstra paid him $20,000 plus “special perks” during their eight-year association to “bulk up” the once-slight ballplayer.
Baseball did not ban steroids until 2002, though the substances became illegal in 1991 unless prescribed by a physician.
The bodybuilder, Jeff Scott, told the Times in an interview that he injected Dykstra with steroids “more times than I can count,” and that Dykstra stepped up his steroid use in spring training of 1993 because it was a contract year.
That year, Dykstra led the National League in hits, walks and runs, nearly doubled his previous high in home runs, finished second to Barry Bonds for most valuable player and led Philadelphia to the World Series.
After the season, he signed a multiyear contract worth almost $25 million, making him baseball’s highest-paid leadoff batter.
Dykstra’s lawyer, Daniel Petrocelli, told the Times the three-time All-Star “absolutely denies” the gambling allegation, calling it “unsubstantiated” and “a fabricated story from a disgruntled partner.”
Petrocelli, citing Scott’s criminal past, also said the steroid allegation was not “reliable or credible,” and called the former bodybuilder “biased and aligned with Jones.” In the past, Dykstra has denied using steroids.
In his lawsuit, Jones cites Dykstra’s alleged steroid use and gambling involvement as evidence of financial irresponsibility that endangers the car wash business, which paid Jones $167,000 in 2003. Dykstra fired Jones in September 2003, but Jones contends he still has a financial interest in the business.
Dykstra’s lawyers say in court documents that Jones quit the three car washes after he was confronted about raiding cash registers, demanding kickbacks from contractors and using business funds to pay off his gambling debts.
Jones’ attorney, Michael McCaffrey, declined comment, citing a gag order.
Rich Levin, a spokesman for Major League Baseball, said Dykstra could be subject to a permanent ban from the game if an investigation found that he had advised baseball bets while playing. Baseball is not investigating Dykstra, Levin added, explaining that he has no current connection to baseball.
Dykstra, 42, retired in 1996 after a 12-year career with the Phillies and New York Mets.