Philadelphia Phillies: Lenny Dykstra has something to celebrate

Time has not been kind to Lenny Dykstra. Since his playing career came to an end, the former Philadelphia Phillies outfielder has had continued trouble with the legal system. There was a time when Dykstra was known more for those legal woes instead of his solid playing career, a surprising turn of events.

But Dykstra has been better lately. On Thursday, he posted an update on Twitter, stating that it had been 40 months since he had last been arrested.

Former Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Lenny Dykstra continues to avoid being arrested

Dykstra’s woes began in 2007 when he was revealed as a steroid user in the Mitchell Report, with the league allegedly knowing of such use since 2000. While his career had come to an end after the 1996 season, his history with PEDs showed how far back they had been in the sport.

Financial and legal troubles began to hit at the same time. He had filed for bankruptcy after his private airline and investment company imploded, with a former employee accusing him of credit card fraud. He has been arrested and/or accused of bankruptcy fraud, theft, sexual assault, grand theft auto, drug possession charges, indecent exposure, money laundering, and making terrorist threats, amongst other incidents.

It is a far cry from what he had been. Dykstra was beloved by Phillies’ fans, a three time All Star and the 1993 NL MVP runner up, a gritty, hard-nosed ballplayer who seemed to symbolize the city. He had gone from beloved fan favorite to someone whose glory days seemed to be a lifetime ago.

But maybe Dykstra has turned a new leaf. While he does say in a reply on Twitter that it is more about not being caught, one can still hope that things have changed. Maybe, just maybe, Dykstra can get back to being remembered for his solid career instead of his legal and financial woes.

Former Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Lenny Dykstra has not been arrested in 40 months. That is certainly a cause for celebration.