Schilling says players encouraged him to try PEDs

Former Boston Red Sox pitcher Curt Schilling told ESPN Radio Wednesday that teammates suggested performance-enhancing drugs as a way for him to continue pitching.

One of the most successful postseason pitchers of his era, Schilling pitched his final game in 2007 as a 41-year-old member of a World Series championship team. He re-signed for the 2008 season, but couldn't pitch because of right-shoulder trouble.

He officially retired in 2009 with a 216-146 record and a 3.46 career ERA.

"At the end of my career, in 2008 when I had gotten hurt, there was a conversation that I was involved in, in which it was brought to my attention that this is a potential path I might want to pursue," Schilling told ESPN Radio's Colin Cowherd.

While he didn't specifically mention Boston, Schilling said the conversation happened "in the clubhouse."

Asked who was involved, he said: "Former members of the organization. They're no longer there. But it was an incredibly uncomfortable conversation because it came up in the midst of a group of people. The other people weren't in the conversation, but they could clearly hear the conversation, and it was suggested to me that at my age, and in my situation, why not, what did I have to lose? Because if I wasn't going to get healthy, it didn't matter, and if I did get healthy, great.

"It caught me off guard, to say the least, but that was an awkward situation."