Lenny Dykstra‘s fall from the top of the business world landed him in a Beverly Hills pawn shop, where a Japanese television crew just happened to be waiting for him.
Dykstra, who filed for bankruptcy in July, was shown on tape handing over his most prized baseball possessions to eventually be sold in an auction. Dykstra has been forced to part ways with his 1986 World Series ring that he earned with the Mets, the signed ball he hit in Game 3 of the 1986 NLCS against the Astros, a championship trophy, his 1993 NLCS ring, which he won with Philadelphia, and other memorabilia.
The items are scheduled to go up for auction Oct. 1-2 by Dallas-based Heritage Auctions Inc. The World Series ring and trophy are expected to be the most valued items estimated to go for $20,000 each.
“These are treasures from the baseball career of one of the most fascinating figures in modern sports,” Chris Ivy, Heritage’s director of sports auctions said in a press release, according to Bloomberg.
Dykstra was once hailed as a brilliant business mind following a 12-year baseball career. The former center fielder opened up a chain of successful car washes in California before selling them for an impressive profit. He then started The Players Club magazine, which was supposed to educate current players on how to handle their investments after their playing time was over.
But Dykstra’s success turned out to be more hype than reality. He is now broke and it has been reported that the 46-year old is facing dozens of lawsuits, some from within his own family.
The former Mets outfielder has been banned from the gated community where his two homes are, according to the Ventura County Star. Dykstra could no longer continue to pay the homeowner’s insurance, so the state has seized the properties until they can be converted into cash. He purchased one of the luxurious homes from hockey great Wayne Gretzky.
The Star reports, “He allegedly went to the property and removed lighting fixtures, wood flooring and a La Cornue oven and cook top — which the Gretzkys installed for $51,750 — according to a bankruptcy court filing.”
The Japanese cameramen were there to film a segment on the problems the economy has caused in America.