Baseballer proudly claims he blackmailed umpires

PLENTY of athletes have broken the rules over the years in search of sporting glory but not many went as far as baseballer Lenny Dykstra.

PHILADELPHIA, PA - CIRCA 1995: Lenny Dykstra #4 of the Philadelphia Phillies bats during an Major League Baseball game circa 1995 at Veterans Stadium in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Dykstra played for the Phillies from 1989-96. (Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images)

LENNY Dykstra says his prodigious baseball career didn’t come from a great eye, but hiring great private eyes.

The former Met told Fox’s Colin Cowherd that — in his effort to get a huge contract — he spent $500,000 to hire private investigators to turn up dirt on Major League Baseball umpires, and then used that intel to coerce them into giving him a favourable strike zone.

“I said I need the umpires, (so) what do I do? I just pulled out half a million bucks and hired a private investigate team to follow them,’’ said Dykstra, who won the 1986 World Series with the Mets.

“Their blood is just a red as ours. Some of them like women, some of them like men, some of them gamble, some of them do whatever.’’

So Dykstra used baseball blackmail, or at least some P.I.-assisted extortion.

The former outfielder — drafted by the Mets in 1981, and with the Amazin’s through 1989 — said he made the outlandish decision when he was trying to score a big contract while with the Phillies. After injury-plagued seasons in 1991 and ’92, he led the National League in runs, walks and at-bats the next season, finishing second to Barry Bonds in the NL MVP race.

“It wasn’t a coincidence you think I led the league in walks the next few years was it?” Dykstra asked rhetorically.

When asked if he thought the insider knowledge helped, he said “I don’t think. I know.’’

Cowherd asked Dykstra whether he ever threatened umpires, and the player responded that it wasn’t needed.

“Fear does a lot to a man. (I’d ask) did you cover last night? They’d call a strike. Oh, I don’t think you heard me. Did you cover the spread last night?” said Dykstra, pantomiming a strike zone suddenly shrinking to a minuscule size.

“I had to do what I had to do to win and to support my family.’’

Originally published as Baseballer proudly claims he blackmailed umpires