The tale of Lenny Dykstra’s $10,000 dog

Some athletes are dog lovers. Some aren't.

When Lenny Dykstra filed for bankruptcy last month, he listed among his assets a $10,000 German shepherd, the Smoking Gun has noticed.

"It is unclear how Dykstra priced this particular asset," states an online item titled "Dykstra the Deadbeat."

Actually, the pricey pooch did come to light before.

In June, on Real Sports With Bryant Gumbel, the former Phillies centerfielder showed a photo of a dog, and said he planned to buy it for $10,000.

"That's a world champion," he said. "That's the only dog I'll buy."

At least the dog hasn't left him.

Dykstra built a bit of a financial empire, with car washes, eBay stores and The Players Club, an upscale magazine for pro athletes. He also garnered a reputation as a stock-picking guru, thanks to a boost by CNBC's Mad Money host Jim Cramer. Dykstra, known as "Nails," even touted investment advice through his Nails on the Numbers newsletter and NailsInvestments.com. He bought the mansion of hockey legend Wayne Gretzky.

But the luster didn't last. In April, GQ magazine published an article titled, "You Think Your Job Sucks? Try Working For Lenny Dykstra."

Employees sued, saying they hadn't been paid.

So did other creditors - including his brother, Kevin.

Last month, Terri, his wife for 23 years, filed for divorce.

The dog was last on a three-page list of personal property worth $710,000 - a small part of Dykstra's claimed $24.6 million in assets, according to Smoking Gun.

The tally of liabilities, however, is far higher: $37.1 million.

Contact staff writer Peter Mucha at 215-854-4342 or pmucha@phillynews.com.