Dykstra's libel suit dismissed: Reputation 'so tarnished that it cannot be further injured'

Lenny Dykstra's defamation and libel lawsuit against former New York Mets teammate Ron Darling was dismissed Friday by New York Supreme Court Judge Robert D. Kalish, according to ESPN.

Dykstra's "reputation for unsportsmanlike conduct and bigotry is already so tarnished that it cannot be further injured," the ruling stated.

The lawsuit stemmed from Darling's 2019 memoir, "108 Stitches: Loose Threads, Ripping Yarns, and the Darndest Characters from My Time in the Game." In the book, Darling wrote that Dykstra directed racist taunts toward Boston Red Sox pitcher Dennis "Oil Can" Boyd during the 1986 World Series.

Darling petitioned to have the lawsuit dismissed by citing Dykstra's past legal problems as well as comments made in Dykstra's autobiography, "House of Nails: A Memoir of Life on the Edge." Judge Kalish cited these documents as a contributing factor to the dismissal.

"Based on the papers submitted on this motion, prior to the publication of the book, 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," Kalish wrote.

The 57-year-old Dykstra played 12 major-league seasons between the Mets and Philadelphia Phillies. He's made headlines in his post-playing career for various legal issues, including a 2018 arrest for drug possession and uttering terroristic threats. He served six-and-a-half months in prison after pleading guilty to bankruptcy fraud, concealment of assets, and money laundering in 2012.