Strawberry continued to produce at the plate and help put fans in the seats. Attendance at Shea Stadium was now more than double that of his rookie year: 2.
Strawberry was also married that year to Lisa Andrews, a tumultuous relationship that resulted in court appearances and ultimately divorce. While it was enough to earn Strawberry a trip to his second consecutive All-Star Game, his performance was not enough to help power the Mets into the postseason. But that would change the next season. They went on one of the greatest runs in franchise history, reeling off 11 wins in a row before losing a game, then winning another seven in a row.
The Mets were on fire through May. Although he was having a great year on the field, off it Strawberry continued to alienate himself from teammates as his ego grew. His head was as large as the Goodyear Blimp, and with each new magazine cover story and autograph request it only got bigger.
His teammates felt he was vicious and selfish, taking a great deal of pride in making others feel inferior. Under the MLB drug policy in place in the s, no team could compel a player to take a drug test, and with the Mets winning in amazing fashion on a regular basis, no one was willing to rein in Strawberry and get him under control. For most of the season the Mets were the first-place team and the others in the division futilely chased them. The win Mets were heavy favorites to capture the World Series.
The National League Championship Series, went six games and included two thrilling extra-inning contests before the Mets emerged victorious over Houston. After six games the teams were tied with three victories apiece, and Strawberry was a nonfactor at the plate. But in Game Seven , when it came time to deliver, Strawberry stepped up.
Strawberry was able to hide his demons throughout the season and produced at the plate. He had career highs with runs scored, RBIs, 36 stolen bases, and 39 home runs. Despite his increased offensive output, the Mets finished second in the division and missed the playoffs. The Mets finished in first place in the NL East, winning games.
In Strawberry was unable to repeat the success of the two previous seasons. Across the board his numbers fell off dramatically and the turmoil in the Mets clubhouse spilled out in front of the media when Strawberry and teammate Keith Hernandez got into a scuffle during team picture day with the cameras rolling. When Davey Johnson was fired early in the season, Strawberry declared he would leave the Mets at the end of the season as a free agent.
He performed well and earned a seventh consecutive All-Star appearance. His last season as a Met concluded with 37 home runs and a career-best runs batted in. In Strawberry played in only 43 games before injuring his back. He had back surgery in September. He tried to return far too soon and was off and on the disabled list of much of , getting just at-bats as his batting average tumbled to a disappointing.
He was going through a messy and public divorce from Lisa, and the ever-present drug- and alcohol-abuse rumors swirled around him despite his claims of sobriety. Eventually Strawberry came clean to the Dodgers about his addiction and they placed him on the disabled list, and sent him off to the Betty Ford Clinic. When he was finally released from treatment, the Dodgers cut ties with the once-hailed hometown hero.
After being away from the game for a little over a year, Strawberry found a team willing to take another chance on him and signed with the San Francisco Giants on June 19, Strawberry was now 32 and promised the team he was ready to live a drug-free lifestyle. The Giants felt his guarantee of sobriety was genuine and took a chance on the slugger.
Despite his less than overwhelming numbers — 4 home runs, 17 RBIs, and a. But Strawberry would not get the chance to go back to the Bay Area. Troubles with the IRS arose over unreported income from card-show appearances, and, facing the prospect of jail time, Strawberry relapsed into using hard drugs and began to fail drug tests and display erratic behavior. While he was prepared to go to jail for the income-tax charges, Strawberry was let off with probation, community service, and a hefty bill for back taxes.
But once again he would get another chance to turn his baseball career around, this time with the New York Yankees. Yankees owner George Steinbrenner believed he could rehabilitate Strawberry and that the foot porch in right field was no match for his uppercut swing. He was never able to recapture the glory he had experienced across town at Shea Stadium. The season was full of setbacks for Strawberry.
His legal troubles resulted in court-ordered restrictions that dictated where he could reside and the hours he was able to be away from his residence. In he played in 31 minor-league games for the Tampa Yankees, Gulf Coast League Yankees, and the Columbus Clippers before rejoining the big-league club for 32 games toward the end of the season. Strawberry spent 63 games in with the big-league club and hit 11 home runs. In injuries derailed Strawberry and he played in only 16 minor-league games and 11 for the Yankees.
For the first time in his career he failed to hit a home run that season. Then was a bounce-back season for Darryl at the plate, as he played in over games for the first time since the season. In a part-time role he belted 24 home runs and had 57 RBIs to go along with a. For the third time in his career he became a World Series winner, but that accomplishment was overshadowed by a diagnosis of colon cancer that kept him from playing in the World Series. In after cancer treatments after a day MLB-mandated suspension for possessing cocaine and soliciting an undercover police officer for sex, the year-old Strawberry returned to the Yankees.
In limited playing time he managed only three home runs. However he was able to recapture postseason glory once again when he hit a decisive three-run home run that played a critical role in helping the Yankees sweep the Texas Rangers in the Division Series, then hit another homer as then the Yankees knocked off Boston in the ALCS before moving on to another World Series championship, over Atlanta. Louis, says he now has purpose and is living a fulfilling life.
Years ago, after his playing career ended, he found himself in bad shape. He felt he had nothing to lose, so he partied and used drugs. His lowest point came when Tracy had to scrape and claw to remove him from drug houses. She assured him God had a plan for him. What they said: Mets relive iconic Game 6 World Series victory. Darryl and Tracy — who have now been married 14 years — met 21 years ago at a Narcotics Anonymous convention in South Florida.
At the time, Tracy was one year clean during her recovery, while Darryl had been using. She saw him not as a former baseball superstar, but as a broken man searching to get his life back on track. She was the turning point. Crack vs. Heroin: Drug wars' racial double standard saw millions of blacks arrested, compassion for whites. To that point, Strawberry had been miserable and felt hopeless. Strawberry is an evangelical born-again Christian. He contrasted his commitment to God with his former days as a selfish baseball star whose life plummeted into the abyss of womanizing, alcoholism, drug addiction, criminal arrests and prison time.
Stressing his love for his family and God, he also told the crowd that fame and fortune do not make a person. Besides his personal turmoil, Strawberry has also beaten cancer. Strawberry spoke during the a. He also appeared at the Tabernacle in as part of its summer speaker series. On Sunday, Strawberry ended his sermon by reading from scripture. Afterward, Strawberry chatted with audience members and posed for pictures. Sign in. Log into your account.
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