Alex Rodriguez admitted to taking performance-enhancing drugs while he was playing for the Texas Rangers during a three-year period beginning in 2001.

"When I arrived in Texas in 2001, I felt an enormous amount of pressure, felt all the weight of the world on top of me to perform, and perform at a high level every day," Rodriguez told ESPN's Peter Gammons on Monday.

"Back then, [baseball] was a different culture," Rodriguez added. "It was very loose. I was young, I was stupid, I was naïve. I wanted to prove to everyone that I was worth being one of the greatest players of all time.

"I did take a banned substance. For that, I am very sorry and deeply regretful."

The admission comes two days after Sports Illustrated reported that Rodriguez topped the list of 104 players who tested positive for banned substances during 2003 drug testing.

Read more hot stories Moms Are Talking About.