Lenny Dykstra to Sue Ron Darling

Len Dykstra (L), Ron Darling (R)
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It appears that Lenny "Nails" Dykstra is making good on his promise to sue Ron Darling for slander. (https://www.nj.com/…/lenny-dykstra-sues-former-mets-pitcher…)

In Dykstra's favor is that Darling has written about the alleged racial incident before, but in glowing terms; “He (Dykstra) was relentless, fearless, tasteless, running his mouth every which way,” Darling wrote. “I’d never seen anything like it — really, it was remarkable.”

Worse still, while no one has come out to back Ron Darling's account, many have come out to back Dykstra, including, Darryl Strawberry, Doc Gooden, Kevin Mitchell and most recently, Wally Backman, the NY Met batter in the On Deck circle, in Backman's words, "Within spitting distance of Dykstra," (https://nypost.com/…/ex-met-who-would-know-defends-lenny-d…/) and Sally Backman claims he heard no such a verbal attack from Len Dykstra.

Even Boston Red Sox pitcher Dennis "Oil Can" Boyd admitted in an on-air interview that he never heard the alleged racist tirade alleged to have been directed at him, on the pitcher's mound, from the Batter's Box a mere 60' 6" away!

The bar for libel/slander is high. The statement must not only be untrue, but malice must also be established.

If this, statement by Ron Darling IS established to be untrue, then the malicious nature (aside from "pedarist," there's no other charge as defamatory as "racist") should be self evident.

Dykstra MUST sue Darling, because now that the charge is out there in print; (1) others may tend to believe it, if it goes unchallenged and (2) others quoting that article, can use that as a source to perpetually assail Dykstra.

It appears a malicious smear because, (1) Ron Darling had written about the incident before, but in a positive way, (2) Dykstra's ongoing legal woes have made him an easy target and (3) while, to date, no one has backed Ron Darling's account, numerous teammates have backed Len Dykstra. Those all look like big problems for Ron Darling.