When The Games Stop, Dykstra Puts It in Print
[Play, 24 April 2008]

By RICHARD MORGAN

Lenny Dykstra, the gruff and hard-charging former outfielder known as “Nails,” who has recently rediscovered the spotlight, this month launched his latest venture in a weirdly successful career after his sporting life: Players Club, a magazine available only to professional athletes about living well during their playing careers and long afterward. Think self-help for celebrities, with lush photographs and fresh first-person stories.

The first issue, which features Derek Jeter on the cover, includes a “shop till you drop guide” to boutiques along New York’s Fifth Avenue. (Dykstra swears by Ralph Lauren Purple Label.) John McEnroe talks about how to go from a despised tennis “brat” to a lovable commentator, and Oakland Raiders alum Tim Brown talks about building an “empire” in his new field, auto racing. Eva Longoria, the actress wife of Spurs guard Tony Parker, is celebrated in a section called “The Better Half,” as a reminder, Dykstra told us recently, that athletes are in this for their families as well.

It’s not all somber advice, though. Take the six-page fashion shoot of Phillies outfielder Pat Burrell. “He’s a good-looking guy,” Dykstra said. “And he’s the kind of guy who really enjoys trying on those outfits and having fun with it. We had to get him to stop, tell him it's over. This is a magazine about athletes having fun

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