Lenny Dykstra Explains Why He Used Steroids: 'Needed Something To Keep Me Strong'

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- If you want candid baseball stories from the late 80's early 90's, Lenny Dykstra is your man. He doesn't hold anything back, as we know.

On Tuesday, the former New York Met and Philadelphia Phillie joined Colin Cowherd on 'The Herd' ahead of the World Series opener between the Mets and Royals.

Dykstra touched on some of baseball's most sensitive topics, including his use of steroids.

"Did I want to take steroids? No, but I literally could not make it through a full season playing everyday," Dykstra told Cowherd. "I'm a small guy. It wasn't that I forgot how to hit, I was just too weak. So I needed something to keep me strong throughout the whole season.

"I mean so, in August, the bat felt like a telephone pole. So in my contract year--[19]90---I didn't know what to do. I was living in Mississippi and I just called up some hillbilly doctor there and I said, 'I need to make an appointment.' I told him the whole story.

"I go, 'Look, this year is going to determine if I get paid and be an everyday player or not, so I need something to keep me strong.' And I went and read about this guy Ben Johnson---the first guy to use, the runner. So I went to the library and I said I needed Deca Durabolin. So he says, 'okay.' and he writes it. I wait in line at Rite Aid, get the script. He says, 'come back and I'll show you how to do it.' So then I hire a trainer and I show up at spring training like a Greek statue, 190. Now, I lead the league in hits, I hit .325, hit .400 in June, the cover of Sports Illustrated. You think they work? Maybe."

Dykstra also claims he blackmailed umpires.

"Have you told anybody else this?" Cowherd asked.

"You're the first one man and one in my book," Dykstra said. "I had to do what I had to do to win and support my family."