Ex-Phillie Dykstra Says He Blackmailed Umpires

WTXF - Lenny Dykstra, the sparkplug of the Phillies’ 1993 World Series team, has been associated with various controversies over the years, from steroid use to a financial scandal that landed him in prison for a time. Now, Dykstra is claiming even more scandalous behavior.

In an interview Tuesday with Fox Sports’ Colin Cowherd, Dykstra said that during his playing career, he hired private investigators to follow umpires- and, he said, used the resulting information for on-field blackmail.

“Their blood’s just as red as ours. Some of them like women, some of them like men, some of them gamble...” As a result, the ex-ballplayer said, umpires sometimes called balls instead of strikes. “Fear does a lot to a man,” he said.

“You don’t think it was a coincidence that I lead the league in walks the two years, was it?,” he asked.

See the interview here: 

Dykstra did indeed lead the National League in walks, with 129 in 1993.