In his first interview after entering a plea in his grand theft auto case, Lenny Dykstra, the former New York Mets center fielder known as "Nails" said (via NY Daily News) that he "was living in a world of insanity." Dykstra has spent the last five months in county jail.
The interview took place at The Hills rehab center in Los Angeles (he's there voluntarily). Jail time has helped Dykstra to finally "understand humility." He also said, "It's not everybody else's fault. It's not a coincidence that I'm here. It happened because I was using drugs and alcohol. It was a reality check."
Dykstra, who in retirement traded stocks, ran a car wash chain and unsuccessfully tried to flip a $18.5 million house that Wayne Gretzky once owned, was frank about the life of excess he is trying to leave behind.
The way I lived my life helped me in baseball. But when you're spending $28,000 for a bottle of wine and liking it? Nothing was ever enough. The punishment gods said, ‘You know what we're going to do? We're going to put you in f---ing jail. We're going to put you in the cooler because you have to pay for some things.'
I'm a partier, (and) it leads to making decisions that probably led to why I'm here right now. And that's a fact that I have to admit.
The man who won a 1986 World Series title with the Mets, may have to wait a little longer to get started with his new life. He faces up to 4 years in jail from the grand theft auto case. Dykstra maintains that his life story will have "a good ending. Just like I knew when I was growing up that I was going to be a Major League Baseball player. But there's work I have to do and a price I have to pay."