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Baseball Notes: More time behind bars for Dykstra

Former all-star outfielder Lenny Dykstra was sentenced Monday to 61/2 months in prison for hiding baseball gloves and other heirlooms from his playing days that were supposed to be part of his bankruptcy filing, capping a tumultuous year of legal woes.

Former all-star outfielder Lenny Dykstra was sentenced Monday to 61/2 months in prison for hiding baseball gloves and other heirlooms from his playing days that were supposed to be part of his bankruptcy filing, capping a tumultuous year of legal woes.

The judge saddled Dykstra with 500 hours of community service and also ordered him to pay $200,000 in restitution.

Dykstra, 49, apologized for his actions and promised to turn his life around.

"I don't think I'm a bad person," said Dykstra, who was in handcuffs and wearing a white prison-issued jumpsuit. "I made some bad decisions."

The sentencing was part of a downward spiral for Dykstra, who earned the nickname "Nails" during his 12-year career with the New York Mets and Phillies because of his gritty style of play.

Hot at winter meetings

The Boston Red Sox began to play catch-up by getting all-star catcher Mike Napoli, Tampa Bay took a chance on James Loney, and the New York Yankees prepared for more time minus Alex Rodriguez on a brisk day at baseball's winter meetings in Nashville.

Soon after the Hall of Fame welcomed three new members from long ago, several teams got busy.

The World Series champion San Francisco Giants kept centerfielder Angel Pagan with a $40 million, four-year contract while the Texas Rangers brought back catcher Geovany Soto and tried to add injured closer Joakim Soria.

The Yankees said Rodriguez, MLB's priciest player, will have surgery on his left hip for a torn labrum and could be sidelined until the all-star break.

Selected for the Hall by the veterans committee were Jacob Ruppert, the Yanks owner who brought Babe Ruth to New York and built Yankee Stadium; longtime umpire Hank O'Day; and barehanded catcher Deacon White. With their enshrinement, the Hall will have exactly 300 members.