| Darryl Strawberry | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Strawberry in 2016 | |
| Right fielder | |
| Born: (1962-03-12)March 12, 1962 (age 63) Los Angeles,California, U.S. | |
Batted: Left Threw: Left | |
| MLB debut | |
| May 6, 1983, for the New York Mets | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| October 3, 1999, for the New York Yankees | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Batting average | .259 |
| Home runs | 335 |
| Runs batted in | 1,000 |
Stats atBaseball Reference  | |
| Teams | |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
Darryl Eugene Strawberry Sr. (born March 12, 1962) is an American former professionalbaseballright fielder who played 17 seasons inMajor League Baseball (MLB). Throughout his career, Strawberry was one of the most feared sluggers in the sport, known for his prodigioushome runs and his intimidating presence in thebatter's box with his 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) frame[1] and his long, looping swing that elicited comparisons toTed Williams.[2][3][4]
Strawberry, who was nicknamed "the Straw Man" or "Straw",[5] helped lead theNew York Mets to aWorld Series championship in1986 and theNew York Yankees to twoWorld Series championships in1996 and1999. He was also suspended three times by MLB for substance abuse, leading to many narratives about his massive potential going unfulfilled.[6] A popular player during his career, Strawberry was voted to theAll-Star Game eight straight times from 1984 to 1991.[7] Strawberry was formerly an analyst forSportsNet New York.[8] His memoir,Straw: Finding My Way, written with authorJohn Strausbaugh, was published in April 2009.[9]
Strawberry was born to Henry and Ruby Strawberry inLos Angeles,California. He played high school baseball for theCrenshaw High School Cougars along withChris Brown. As an 18-year-old out of Los Angeles' Crenshaw High School, Strawberry signed a letter of intent with Oklahoma State, to play baseball for Gary Ward. However, a couple of months later, Strawberry was the first overall pick in the amateur draft, and he signed with the Mets in July 1980. Darryl's older brother Michael Strawberry was also a star athlete who went on to play professional baseball.[2][10]
TheNew York Mets selected Strawberry with thefirst overall selection in the1980 Major League Baseball draft.[11] Darryl's older brother, Michael Strawberry, was also selected in that draft, going to the Dodgers in the 31st round.
Employing a distinctive batting stance with a high leg kick, Strawberry rose through the Mets system and reached the major league level in 1983, posting 26 home runs, 7 triples, and 74 runs batted in, while hitting for a .257 average.[11] He was named theNational League'sRookie of The Year.[11][12] In 1984, he made it to theAll-Star game for the first of 8 consecutive appearances (the first 5 as a starter), and he once again hit 26 home runs, this time driving in 97 runs.[11]
Strawberry's Mets from1984–1990 formed one of the premier teams in the National League, finishing either first or second in the division every year.
During the period from1983 to1990, Strawberry was very popular, with his image used on action figures (Kenner'sStarting Lineup), posters and banners.
On May 11,1985, Strawberry suffered torn ligaments in his thumb, making a diving catch off ofOzzie Virgil of thePhiladelphia Phillies. This required surgery, and Strawberry missed the team's next 43 games, not returning untilJune 28. The injury was devastating to the Mets, who went only 20-23 (.465) without Strawberry (as opposed to 78-41 [.655] in all other games) and lost theNational League East title to theSt. Louis Cardinals by only three games.
OnOctober 1,1985, the Mets began a 3-game series in St. Louis, trailing the Cardinals by three games with only six remaining to play. It seemed that they would need to sweep the series in order to have a chance at the title. After starting pitchersRon Darling of the Mets andJohn Tudor of the Cardinals dueled scorelessly into extra innings, Strawberry provided the only run of the Mets' 1-0 victory in the 11th inning, hitting a massive home run off ofKen Dayley that hit the clock on the scoreboard in the right field stands ofBusch Stadium. (The Mets won the next game, 5-2, behindDwight Gooden, but lost the final game, 4-3, despite five hits byKeith Hernandez.) For the season, Strawberry hit 29 home runs and drove in 79 runs; his .947 OPS would have been 2nd in theNational League (behindPedro Guerrero of theLos Angeles Dodgers) if the injury had not limited him to 470 plate appearances.
The 1986 Mets jumped to an early lead (a 4-game sweep of the Cardinals in St. Louis was pivotal) and cruised easily to the divisional title, setting a team record with 108 wins.Strawberry hit 27 home runs and had 93 RBIs, as the Mets defeated theHouston Astros in theNational League Championship Series and rallied after losing the first two games at home to defeat theBoston Red Sox in theWorld Series.[11] With the Mets having rallied to take a 6-5 lead in the 8th inning of Game 7, Strawberry hit a home run off ofAl Nipper to seal the victory and the series. He took a notably-slow home run trot around the bases, leading to Nipper throwing at him and igniting a brawl between the teams during spring training, the next season.
In 1987, Strawberry hit 39 home runs and stole 36 bases, joining the exclusive30–30 club[13] at the time becoming one of only 10 players in baseball history to accomplish the feat. (TeammateHoward Johnson [36 HR, 32 SB] also accomplished the feat; to this day, Strawberry and Johnson are the only teammates to have ever gone 30/30 in the same season.) In addition to that, he hit 32 doubles and drove in 104 runs. Despite this, the1987 team, plagued by pitching injuries, missed the playoffs.
OnOpening Day in 1988, Strawberry hit a massive home run (estimated at 525 ft.) that struck the roof ofOlympic Stadium inMontreal. For the season, Strawberry once again hit 39 home runs (despite a general decline in home run totals in all of baseball from the atypical 1987 season) to lead the National League for a second time. Strawberry also led the league in slugging percentage at .545 and OPS at .911 and finished second with 101 runs batted in.[11] He finished a very close second in MVP voting to the Dodgers'Kirk Gibson. Strawberry led the Mets to the playoffs, losing to the Dodgers in seven games in theNational League Championship Series.[11]
In 1989, Strawberry's offensive numbers declined: he had 29 home runs and 77 runs batted in, but only had a .225 average.[11] Nevertheless, theMets came in a close second place to theChicago Cubs in the National League East.
In 1990, Strawberry rebounded by hitting 37 home runs, driving in 108 runs and batting for a .277 average.[11] His Mets, however, came once again in a close second place in the National League East, losing to thePittsburgh Pirates by three games. Strawberry himself finished third in MVP voting that season.
Despite his accomplishments, Strawberry was sometimes criticized for disruptive behavior. He got into a physical altercation on team picture day with team captainKeith Hernandez[14] and in the midst of a war of words with infielderWally Backman, threatened to "bust that little redneck in the face".[15] On multiple occasions, he overslept and was late for, or missed, team workouts.
Strawberry signed as a free agent with theLos Angeles Dodgers on November 8, 1990,[11] inking a lucrative five-year $22.25 million contract. In California, he was namedBig Brother of The Year for 1991. After hitting 28 home runs and bringing in 99 runs batted in a successful first year for the Dodgers, injuries and personal problems kept him sidelined for much of the next two seasons, hitting five home runs in each season.
By the end of the 1991 season, he had 280 lifetime homers at the age of only 29, drawing comparisons to then home run kingHank Aaron.[16] His 252 home runs as a Met stood as a club record until 2025, whenPete Alonso surpassed him.
Strawberry's numbers tailed off considerably after 1991; over the next two years he only played in 75 games. In 1994, he was released in May by the Dodgers after failing to show up to a game. Later that season he signed with theSan Francisco Giants, where he saw limited playing time as he tried to make a comeback,[17] hitting only four home runs and driving in 17 runs that year.[11]
After a suspension at the beginning of 1995 after testing positive forcocaine,[18] Strawberry signed with theNew York Yankees for the stretch run. The next year, Darryl signed with theSaint Paul Saints of theNorthern League on May 3, 1996, in an attempt to rehabilitate. On June 2, the Saints faced theDuluth–Superior Dukes atWade Stadium, where Strawberry hit his first home run for the Saints, at a distance of 522' off pitcherPat Ahearne. Soon thereafter, he found himself back with the Yankees, who signed him on July 4, 1996.
With the Yankees, he showed flashes of his former brilliance, belting 11 home runs in a part-time role and helping his team win the World Series in 1996 alongside former Mets teammatesDwight Gooden andDavid Cone. His second career three-homer game came against theChicago White Sox on August 6 of that season.[19]
He had a big series against theBaltimore Orioles in the1996 ALCS as he blasted three home runs with five RBIs and a .417 average in four games.[11] In 1997, he did not have any home runs, with his playing time limited by injuries. He played in just 11 games that year, collecting just two runs batted in.[11]
In 1998, he had 24 home runs, once again helping the Yankees win the World Series and playing 100 games for the first time since 1991.[6] However, he suffered abdominal pain for around two months, which he did not disclose to his teammates or staff, and his playing time declined late in the season.[20] Strawberry was diagnosed withcolon cancer duringthe American League Division Series (ALDS),[20] and he was replaced on the roster by rookieRicky Ledée.[21] In 1999, he made a comeback from his cancer treatment, but saw limited playing time, hitting 3 home runs. He did however hit a crucial 3-run home run against theTexas Rangers inthe ALDS, helping the Yankees advance to the ALCS.[11]
Strawberry was set to return to the Yankees in 2000, but after testing positive for cocaine in February while attending spring training, Strawberry was ordered to leave the team while waiting for commissionerBud Selig to make a decision on a possible suspension.[22] Six days after news of the positive test broke, Selig announced that Strawberry would be suspended for the entire 2000 season, effectively ending his career.[23]
Strawberry was the starting right fielder in five straight All-Star games and appeared in a total of nine All-Star games. He batted .333 with two stolen bases and two runs in 12 career All-Star at-bats. He had two three-home run games in his career, both of which came againstChicago teams and were almost 11 years to the day between each other. The first came against the Cubs on August 5, 1985, and the second was on August 6, 1996, against the White Sox.[citation needed]
He is one of only five Major League Baseball players to hit two pinch-hit grand slams in the same season. The others are his former coachDavey Johnson, who did it as a member of thePhiladelphia Phillies, as well asMike Ivie of theSan Francisco Giants,Ben Broussard of theCleveland Indians, andBrooks Conrad of theAtlanta Braves.[24]
He is one of only three players in MLB history, along with former Yankees teammateRicky Ledée andJosé Vizcaíno, to have played for all four of the former and current New York-based MLB teams: the Mets, Yankees, Dodgers and Giants. However, of the three, Strawberry is the only one to have played solely for the four teams with New York heritage; Ledée and Vizcaino were journeymen who played for numerous other teams.[citation needed]
Strawberry attended the Mets' 1986 World Champion team reunion on August 19, 2006, where the team received a standing ovation from fans atShea Stadium in an on-field ceremony.[25] He worked as an instructor for the New York Mets in 2005 and 2008, and was inducted to the Mets Hall of Fame in 2010.[citation needed]
He has made regular appearances at theNew York Yankees'Old Timer's Day, most recently in 2023.[26]
He threw out the ceremonialfirst pitch at Shea Stadium before Game 1 of theNational League Championship Series between the Mets and theSt. Louis Cardinals on October 12, 2006. He was given a rousing ovation by the Shea Stadium crowd. He served as an anchor on the Mets pre- and post- game shows on SNY in 2007 and 2008, eventually settling into a part-time analysis role for the 2009 season.[citation needed]
He opened his own restaurant, Strawberry's Sports Grill, inDouglaston, Queens in August 2010.[27] The restaurant closed in October 2012.[28]
On August 24, 2023, the Mets announced plans to retire Strawberry's number 18 - along with the number 16 of former teammate Dwight Gooden - in a ceremony during the 2024 baseball season.[29] His number was retired on June 1, 2024. In his acceptance speech, Strawberry apologized to Mets fans for leaving to sign with the Dodgers, saying it was "the greatest mistake I ever made".[30]
Strawberry is an evangelicalborn-again Christian and has appeared on theTrinity Broadcasting Network. In 1999, he andTiny Lister appeared on evangelistBenny Hinn's television program giving their testimonies. Strawberry has also appeared onThe 700 Club to talk about his life and his newfound Christian faith.[31] He eventually became an ordained minister.[32][33]
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Strawberry frequently donates to charity and was a headliner of the BGC Charity Day event atBGC Partners in 2010.[34]
In October 2005, his wife Charisse filed for divorce.[35] After a second divorce, he married his third wife, Tracy Boulware, in October 2006; the couple met at a drug recovery convention and they share a vigorous Christian faith.[36]
In 2006, he and Tracy moved toSt. Peters, Missouri.[32] The couple founded "The Darryl Strawberry Foundation", an organization dedicated to children withautism. Strawberry's son,Darryl "D.J." Strawberry, Jr., born in 1985, was a starshooting guard with theMaryland Terrapins men's basketball team and was drafted by thePhoenix Suns in the2007 NBA draft. Strawberry has another son, Jordan, who playedcollege basketball for theMercer Bears.
Strawberry has stated that his father was an alcoholic who was verbally and physically abusive to him and his brothers.[37] He attributes his initial alcohol and drug use to the pain he endured as a child and his subsequent substance abuse to the pressures of performing in New York.[38]
On September 26, 2020, Strawberry led a prayer in the 2020 Franklin Graham Prayer March.[39]
Strawberry has described himself as having struggled with asex addiction. After retirement he admitted to routinely having sex between innings of MLB games in which he played.[40]
On December 9, 1994, Strawberry was indicted on one count of income tax conspiracy and two counts oftax evasion for failing to pay $146,000 in income taxes from 1986 to 1990, stemming from failing to report $502,043 made at card shows and other appearances.[41] On February 10, 1995, in aplea deal, Strawberry pled guilty to one count oftax evasion.[42] On November 7, 2025, he was pardoned by PresidentDonald Trump[43] for this 1995 tax evasion conviction,[44] for which he had served 6 months of home confinement and two years of probation.[45]
On December 19, 1995, Strawberry was charged inCalifornia with failing to make child support payments. When he missed a June 5, 1996, deadline to pay the child support, a Los Angeles judge set a trial date of July 17, at which time Strawberry agreed to use his signing bonus to pay the debt.[46]
In August 1998, Strawberry was sued by attorneyRobert Shapiro for failing to pay $100,000 in legal fees, dating back to 1994, when Shapiro represented him in a contract with the Dodgers.[47]
On October 1, 1998, Strawberry was diagnosed withcolon cancer. Two days later, he had surgery to remove a tumor. On October 14, doctors announced that cancer had been detected in alymph node so he would also have to undergochemotherapy.[48]
On April 3, 1999, Strawberry was arrested inTampa, Florida for soliciting sex from a policewoman posing as a prostitute and for having a small amount of cocaine. On April 24, he was suspended for 140 days by Major League Baseball for the incident. On May 29, he pleadedno contest to the charges and was sentenced to 21 months probation and community service.[49]
On July 28, 2000, aC.T. scan suggested that Strawberry's cancer had spread to hislymph nodes. The next month, he had surgery to remove atumor near his leftkidney on August 7.[50]
On September 11, 2000, inTampa,Florida, Strawberry tried to drive to see his probation officer after taking painkillers. While driving, heblacked out, rear-ended another car, and then tried to drive away. An off-duty police officer witnessed the episode and arrested him at gunpoint. The next day, Strawberry admitted to the charges and his probation was changed to two years of house arrest.[51] On November 21, he was sentenced to a year of probation and community service.[52] On October 25, 2000, Strawberry left a Tampa drug treatment center to use drugs with a female friend, violating his house arrest and parole. On November 9, he was sentenced to 40 days in jail with credit for time served.[53] On November 3, 2000, Strawberry told a judge in Tampa that he had lost his will to live and had stopped chemotherapy. On November 30, he was released from jail and sent back to rehab.[54] On April 2, 2001, Strawberry was arrested for again disappearing from his house arrest drug treatment center in Tampa. On May 1, he was sentenced to more time at a drug treatment center.[55]
On March 12, 2002, Strawberry was back in jail for violating several non-drug rules at the drug treatment center where he was on probation inOcala, Florida. On April 29, he was ordered to serve the 22-month suspended prison sentence from 1999.[56] On April 8, 2003, he was released from prison after 11 months.[57]
In September 2005, Strawberry was charged with filing a false police report after he claimed his SUV was stolen. He admitted that he had lied on the report but was not arrested because it was a misdemeanor.[58]
On or about March 11, 2024, Strawberry suffered aheart attack, underwent astent procedure and reported that he was recovering in a hospital inLake St. Louis, Missouri.[59] He recovered and was able to attend the ceremony where the Mets retired Gooden's number 16 on April 14, as well as his own retirement ceremony on June 1.
Strawberry appeared on the cover ofSports Illustrated seven times: five times by himself, once withDon Mattingly, and once withDwight Gooden.[citation needed]
In 1988, he was featured heavily in the William Goldman and Mike Lupica bookWait Till Next Year, which looked at life inside the Mets over a whole season (among other New York sports teams). It gives a frank account of both his importance to the team and his problematic behavior.[citation needed]
In 2004, theRebecca Gilman playThe Sweetest Swing in Baseball premiered at theRoyal Court Theatre in London. The lead character ‒ Dana, as portrayed byGillian Anderson ‒ adopts the personality and speech of Darryl Strawberry in an attempt to pass herself off as schizophrenic. The title is a reference to Strawberry's playing skills.[citation needed]
Strawberry appeared, as himself, inThe Simpsons episode "Homer at the Bat".[60] He was a featured pro on the second season of the physicalreality game showPros vs. Joes. He currently does occasional commentary for baseball onSportsNet New York.[citation needed]
In 2010, Strawberry appeared on NBC'sThe Apprentice withSharon Osbourne,Cyndi Lauper,Bret Michaels, and others. At the end of the third episode, Strawberry was fired after he admitted he was the weakest contestant, was tired, and wanted to go home.Donald Trump sent him home. After Strawberry made a successful return in the season finale to assist Bret Michaels, the show made a donation of $25,000 to The Darryl Strawberry Foundation. Strawberry placed 12th.[citation needed]
On February 8, 2011, Strawberry appeared along withClara Hughes andStephane Richer on a Canadian documentary byMichael Landsberg to talk about his battle with depression.[61]
On Wednesday, November 15, 2017, Strawberry appeared onThe Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon to talk about his new bookDon't Give Up on Me, which sheds light on addiction and recovery.[62]
| Preceded by | National League Player of the Month September 1987 | Succeeded by |
Awards | |
|---|---|
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Other | |
