Some fathers dream about a boy to carry on their legacy, to live vicariously through as they push him into becoming a lefty specialist who switch hits.

At the very least, they want a chip off the old block to take to the ballpark or spend a lazy Sunday afternoon with watching the boys of summer.

Me, I have two girls, and I couldn’t ask for anything more.

The eldest (seen in the video around the age of 2 during the home stretch of the MLB  2010 season), knows that Sundays are daddy’s for football and that we root for the Phillies in the summer (although this past week in the lead-up to Father’s Day, school had her asking me about my favorite things.  When I asked her about hers, she responded that her favorite sport was gymnastics and that her favorite sport to watch is “the Trenton Thunder”).

When I received a copy of Jon Lindenblatt’s Trolley Dodgers, Pinstriped Yankees, and Wearing Red Sox: How MLB Teams Got Their Names, it was the perfect companion for us.  

While the factoids (which went well beyond how the teams got their names) kept me entertained, the abundance of mascots alone was enough to keep her glued.

The Phillie Phanatic was easily recognizable to her (she’s known him as the “Natic” for abut 3 years), but she insisted on peppering me with questions about the other costumed sideshows, and even - God help me - started choosing which teams she would root for based upon those she deemed most awesome.  For some reason, Orbit of Houston Astros was a big hit.  Though this IS the same girl that told me this week the two of us should head to outer space when she’s a “little bit older.”   

She’s at the stage where she’s been read to most nights for her entire life and it’s tough to get her excited over anything not princess related.  

But we found this book - while not telling a story - both entertained her and feed her thirst for knowledge.  It makes her ask a lot of questions, and not just about the sport, but about the relevant history, geography and culture that it touches.

More importantly, it’s another way for us to connect.  And baseball, like it was with me and my father, is something I can spend years enjoying with my pride and joy.

Koji Uehara to Shane Victorino: “What did the five fingers say to the face?” (via Deadspin)

“Nailed” (or “Lenny Dykstra is a Horrible Human Being”): Interview with Author Christopher Frankie

Like any other mulleted Little Leaguer in the late 80’s and early 90’s, there was little I didn’t love about gritty Lenny Dykstra.  Over the past few years when he went to being touted as a financial savant and then ultimately a white colar fraud who was munching on Twizzlers and being splattered on Deadspin, it was as amusing as seeing him crashing into the centerfield wall at the Vet.  It was just another whimsical thing that the Dude was going to come out on top of and show his doubters how tough and resilient he was.

However, while amusing, the Lenny Dykstra Wall Street sideshow was weird…shoulder shrugging in a “good for him, I guess” kind of way, but weird.

It got weirder when the world learned of his attempted jail break of Doc Gooden from Dr. Drew’s made-for-TV rehab clinic.

With the Mitchell report verified what everyone already knew and what his giant head solidified, well, whatever happened next would be less than shocking.

Probably inevitably, Dykstra was convicted and locked up on, of all things GTA.  It’s the lead-up to that incarceration that Nails’ one-time ghostwriter and confidant Chris Frankie outlines in Nailed!: The Improbable Rise and Spectacular Fall of Lenny Dykstra.

I got to speak with Frankie and somehow try to wrap my head around this insane C-F of a downfall of one of my childhood idols.  After reading the book, there is no doubt I loath Lenny Dyskstra.  He is a selfish, misogynistic, delusional racist.  But damn, I can’t get enough of him.

Hugging Harold Reynolds:  Does Lenny Dykstra have a single redeemable quality that isn’t negated by his very being?

Christopher Frankie:  I write in the book about how Dykstra lost his soul and I think that’s an important point for people to take away from reading Nailed. There was an evolution - or devolution - to Lenny Dykstra. Readers will see some very dark times for Dykstra’s victims - and Dykstra himself — toward the end of the book But, he wasn’t always the raging criminal that is now in jail blaming everyone else for his predicament.

I am certainly not a Dykstra apologist by any means, but I do think it’s important to tell this story as accurately as possible and in a balanced way. When I worked for Dykstra in 2008, I saw manic behavior and a man struggling with serious demons. He could be a total jerk to people, but I also saw some positive qualities - at least early on. As several friends, family, teammates and even some employees I spoke to for the book note, Dykstra could be very decent and kind at times, especially to kids.

In the last few years, I think those qualities got buried beneath out-of-control toxic paranoia, greed and rampant drug and alcohol abuse.  That in no way excuses his behavior, but I do think it makes it really  difficult to assess who he really is.

HHR:  How is it that seemingly intelligent people like Ron Darling and Jim Cramer actually somewhat defend (or defended Dykstra)? How does his reputation reflect on them? I even came away losing respect for former teammates who wished him well or felt sorry for him. Like the fact that they felt pity for Dykstra was somehow a bad thing and that their judgment should be questioned.

CF:  There are a bunch of questions/ topics in here, so let me break them up.

First, let’s start with Cramer. Cramer didn’t defend Dykstra once things  fell apart. That’s a major storyline in this book. However, Cramer bears a decent amount of responsibility for the rise of Dykstra as a stock picking savant. Even though, as I detail in Nailed, Dykstra made his own stock picks, the way he was promoted was reckless. Cramer gave Dykstra a column on his website and told HBO Real Sports reporter Bernard Goldberg that Lenny was “one of the great ones” in the stock-picking world. He also told Ben McGrath of the New Yorker that if he had still been running his hedge fund in 2008, he would have hired Dykstra to work there. Cramer has taken a lot of heat for these proclamations since Dykstra’s implosion, but has mostly chosen to keep mum on the subject.  Cramer ultimately misjudged Dykstra, but because of his platform and influence, he should have known better. He had a duty to be more thorough, more responsible.

As for Ron Darling, I had a very different take than you did. He said this of Dykstra:  ”He’s a complicated man who somehow lost his soul. Let’s hope when Lenny pays his debts to society that we judge him hopefully on his future good acts, not his lost years.” Darling has a personal relationship with Dykstra that stretches back more than 25 years, so for him to hope his friend can find redemption doesn’t seem unreasonable. I also hope that when Dykstra gets out of prison he chooses to do good rather than return to his evil ways.

HHR:  Throughout the book I was led to wonder what your personal motives were to stick around. Warning signs were abound, no one was immune from the wrath, you weren’t being paid. What made you believe that he had the ability to successfully turn things around given the havoc that was being reeked around you?

CF:  When I took the job I had no illusion that Dykstra was an organized guy.  However, I thought the chaos would be temporary until we put the proper  business infrastructure in place. After all, Dykstra was the media darling at the time.

The day of my first meeting with Dykstra he was being filmed for what turned out to be an overwhelmingly positive HBO Real Sports segment. He was receiving a ton of glowing press at the time. He was living in a mansion he bought from Wayne Gretzky for $18 million and had a private jet. On the business side of things, he had reportedly sold his carwashes for $55 million, had the endorsement of Wall Street heavy hitter Jim Cramer and had been writing for Cramer’s website for three years. So, all these things gave Dykstra credibility that made it easy to believe him when he would explain away a red flag that might have otherwise caused me to hit the road.

As for my motives, they were straightforward. I had quit a good job to work with Dykstra, so I was invested in seeing the stock newsletter and The Players Club succeed. I didn’t want to quit prematurely. My paychecks came in fits and starts, but the newsletter brought in money immediately, making it easier to think success was around the corner.

Of course, I later learned that the chaos introduced by Dykstra masked a lot of deeper problems that had yet to bubble to the surface. By the time I realized I needed to leave I was owed a lot of money, which I knew I would have no chance at recovering if I quit. But more importantly, I had brought a number of freelancers - friends and associates from previous jobs - into the mix and they were owed money. If I left, I knew they wouldn’t get paid and my professional reputation would be ruined.

When writing the book I knew my decision making would be subject to scrutiny and I certainly think its fair for people to decide whether my actions were reasonable. However, one thing to keep in mind is that I made a conscious decision while writing Nailed to delve into Dykstra’s backstory and provide multiple perspectives in order to fill in a number of gaps for readers. It was crucial to providing the balance I was seeking and in fully illustrating the arc of Lenny Dykstra. However, it also allows readers to know Dykstra is undoubtedly a bad dude at a time in the story when I was still trying to figure things out.

HHR:  Does Dykstra actually have a track record that can be attributed to his own personal, hands-on know how?

CF:  That’s a good question and I’m not sure I have a definitive answer for you.  If you’re referring to his stock picking, Dykstra openly admitted that he  initially knew nothing about stocks. He reached out to people he saw on TV, such as Jim Cramer and Richard Suttmeier, to get some tutoring in the world of stocks. So, it’s pretty clear he had help learning some metrics and likely in setting up his system. That doesn’t negate his record. He was still making the picks.

HHR:  Was the car wash “empire” a fraud - not his own doing, but of those around him and his seizing on favorable opportunities? When he got more steadily involved did he, in fact, drive them into the ground?

CF:  I don’t think it’s fair to characterize Dykstra’s success in the carwash business as fraudulent. He saw an opportunity, put some money behind it and knew how to use his name to give it visibility. I’m quite certain that if the carwashes didn’t have the Dykstra name on it, or his star power behind it, they would not have been nearly as successful. As owner, he deserves credit for that investment and those decisions.

The first carwash launched in 1993 when Dykstra was playing for the Phillies, so during the early years of that business, there was some distance between the business’ daily operations and Lenny. He hired his younger brother Kevin Dykstra, who was a minor league umpire at the time, to be the General Manager of the carwash and run the day to day operations. Lenny’s longtime friend and business manager Lindsay Jones ran the business side of things. Lenny was responsible for putting those pieces of the business in place. But, on a practical level, he was more of a figurehead.

That changed in 1998 after Lenny retired from baseball. He became much more involved and there was a lot of tumult during that timeframe. In 2003, Lindsay was either fired by Lenny or quit, depending on whose version of events you believe. The two sued each other. Kevin was subsequently fired.  Lenny fired his uncle Wayne, too. Lenny then sold the businesses for $55 million.

Lenny ultimately sold the carwashes for a hefty amount, so I would characterize the carwash business as a business success, although on a personal level, the venture took its toll on his family.

HHR:  How was he able to get away with what he got away with for so long?

CF:  This is a major part of this story and one of the more astounding aspects of it.  In 2008, the positive press - the HBO Real Sports Episode, Jim Cramer’s endorsement and the scores of newspaper and magazine articles- bought Dykstra cover when his finances started to go south.

However, in 2009 and beyond when Dykstra’s criminal behavior kicked into full swing, much of it played out in public. He was very brazen about it. He should have been stopped sooner by the authorities, but wasn’t. He openly defied the courts. He stole credit cards, damaged property, forged documents, threatened a woman with a knife, passed bogus checks, stole identities and took money from employees, etc. Many of his victims went to the police, including multiple women accusing Dykstra of sexual assault. His behavior was known to the authorities.

In fact, a hardworking member of the LAPD - Detective Juan Contreras - investigated, found nearly 20 victims in California alone, and built a wide-ranging case against Dykstra. Most of the victims were average folks.  Prosecutors repeatedly declined to take the case until Dykstra stepped on the shoes of a lawyer with ties to the top levels of the LAPD. That’s when he was brought to justice for a few of his crimes.

There are still a bunch of crimes that Dykstra has not been prosecuted for in California - including many against the victims Contreras uncovered. And, to date, and no charges have been brought by authorities in New York, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania or any other state. Many people have been prosecuted for a lot less.

Safe at Home: Interview with Willie Mays Aikens

If you are looking for a last minute holiday gift for anyone, might I suggest you look at Gregory Jordan’s biography on former Kansas City Royals slugger (and poster boy for 80’s-war-on-drugs mandatory minimum sentencing), Willie Mays Aikens.  The bio, Safe at Home, is a remarkable story of a guy who, despite the demons that derailed a promising career, was able to find both God and himself while incarcerated, and has come out with a proverbial new lease on life. 

You may recall this incredible piece done by SB Nation’s Amy K. Nelson.

I was lucky enough to have become a pen pal of sorts with Willie, as a part of an email group which he frequently keeps updated on his life, happenings and family.

I was also fortunate to have been able to engage in a Q&A with him about Safe at Home.

HHR:  How well do you think Gregory Jordan did in telling your story?

Willie Aikens: Gregory did an outstanding job portraying me just like I was. He portrayed me as a stutterer in my book and he bought great honestly with everything.

HHR: What has been the reaction since it’s come out?

WA: Everything has been positive so far. So many people telling me how my book has touch their lives. So many people going through the same problems as me. My book has given them hope that they can overcome their problems also.

HHR:  Your family life plays a large part in the book. How have they received it?

WA: Some people on both sides of my daughter’s families have had some anger toward what was written. They have come to accept what was written and we have moved on. Our relationships now are better than ever.

HHR:  What was it about George Brett that made you revere him the way you did and still do?

WA:  George Brett is an outstanding human being and hall of famer. We were good friends when we played together and our friendship is still intact. He was the main reason why I was hired by the Kansas City Royals. I have always admired the way George played the game of baseball and he is the best hitter I played with.

HHR:  Describe your relationship with Hal McRae.

WA:  Hal McRae tried to help me with my problems while we played together in KC. We stayed in contact throughout my period of incarceration. He was the reason why I got my first job coming out of prison. We still stay in contact and Hal is a great person also, just like George.

HHR:  Are you surprised that your old teammates, who in the grand scheme of things were a part of a special, but very small timeframe in your life (3-4 years?), are as loving and supportive as you’ve made them out to be.

WA: I am not surprised at all. We had a great relationship as teammates and off the field as well. These guys are true caring human beings and special to. My connection with them is real and our history together is well documented.

HHR:  While you were in with many who harmed others for much worse crimes, you concede that your incarceration essentially saved you. Can you elaborate?

WA:  Being taken out of that situation (getting arrested) saved my life. I was smoking cocaine everyday and drinking plenty of alcohol. I had no plans to quit what I was doing, so eventually I would have destroyed my life. Going to prison was a blessing in disguise, but it took me years to realize that. I gained my sobriety, gained a spiritual life and gained a relationship back with my family. Praise God.

HHR:  While you seem to have turned a page, is there much resentment left?

WA:  Forgiveness is the best weapon to use after being setup by somebody. The KC Police department in KC set me up. They did it for bad, but God meant good for me. No resentment against anybody. I have given all that back to the people who tried to screw me.

HHR:  Are you still in contact with anyone back in Seneca?

WA:  I will always be in contact with people in Seneca. Seneca is my hometown and I still have roots there. Nothing will ever separate me from Seneca, except death.

HHR:  How does it feel to be back in baseball?

WA:  Being back in baseball is a tremendous blessing for me. It is something I prayed for while in prison. I figured my chances of getting back into baseball were pretty slim and none, but God has touched many hearts and that is the reason why I am working in baseball again. I am thrilled to death to be a part of the KC Royals organization.

HHR:  Your passion and love for the sport never seemed to be in question. Can you describe what the game itself means to you?

WA:  Baseball has meant everything to me. Baseball made my name what it is today. Baseball put me into money and fame early in my life. Baseball allowed me to meet many, many women and become a celebrity. Baseball with a spiritual life would have been a whole lot better, but it didn’t happen that way. Early in my life baseball and sports kept me busy, which allowed me to stay out of trouble.

HHR:  Does your faith continue to grow during this chapter in your life?

WA:  My faith will continue to grow as long as I glorify God and Praise his holy name. My faith will continue to grow as long as I read my bible and go to church. My faith will continue to grow as long as I continue to do speaking engagements and sharing my testimony. I wake each day thinking of things to do to help my faith continue to grow.

HHR:  What now is your ultimate goal in life? What do you aspire to?

WA:  My goal is to continue to do what I am doing. Praise God daily. Show other people how God has blessed my life. I do that by sharing my testimony and spreading the word about the good news of the gospel. My goal is to continue to be a good father to my kids and an obedient husband to my wife. My goal is to bring people into the family of accepting Jesus Christ as their personal Savior. My goal is to have eternal life with God after I am finish doing his work on this planet. My goal is to stay clean and sober. My goal is to help the prisoners come home. I aspire to help the young people make better decisions in their young lives. There are many more goals we all can accomplish if we just try.

Phillies Opening Mocking the Electoral Process, Advocating Voting Fraud in PA

In a blatant display of voter fraud, the Philadelphia Phillies are actively endorsing voter fraud in battleground state, Pennsylvania.

No word whether the Phanatic was asked to show identification or whether the big, green, fuzzy mascot is even on the voter rolls.

The Phanatic cast his ballot early this AM. Have you? #Election2012 #Vote twitter.com/Phillies/statu…

— Phillies (@Phillies) November 6, 2012