NEW YORK Darryl Strawberry stated he wanted to share something with the fans from the bottom of his heart during his statement to retire his jersey. Strawberry was a former star of the New York Mets. Thus, for a little while, the unceasing applause subsided and the cries of “Dar-ryl!, Dar-ryl” were suspended. Everyone merely paid attention.
Then Strawberry said, “I’m so sorry for ever leaving you guys.”
He is here to stay this time. Strawberry’s No. 18 will be permanently displayed at Citi Field as of this Saturday.
Strawberry gave a direct, passionate statement that perfectly captured his captivating personality. He thanked the supporters for standing with him in the good times and making him answerable for the bad. He gave credit to mentors like Jim Frey who encouraged him to arrive early and put in effort. He gave colleagues like Keith Hernandez high marks; Strawberry described Hernandez as the most aggressive player he had ever seen and gave Hernandez credit for teaching him how to hit left-handed pitchers.
Darryl Strawberry to Mets fans: “I mean this from the bottom of my heart: I’m so sorry for ever leaving you guys.”
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— SNY (@SNYtv) June 1, 2024
Most significantly, Strawberry conveyed her appreciation for being able to attend the event at all. He mentioned that in March, Tracy, his wife, realized he needed to see the hospital. Strawberry ended up suffering a major heart attack the day before his 62nd birthday.
“Had it not been for my wife,” Strawberry said, “I might not be here today.”
In a press conference earlier in the day, Strawberry said, “It means more than ever to be able to be here. I came close to losing my life. I’m sitting here today because it’s a gift from the Lord, and I don’t take that for granted.”
Strawberry said that he would need another year to heal and that he was “still in the process.” He said that it can be difficult at times to take a pair of tablets twice a day. However, he claimed that the event opened his eyes to how quickly life might end. Strawberry claimed he would “win” whether or not he survived the heart attack. Strawberry has made it his mission to promote faith in a way similar to a second life. Even so, he expressed his gratitude for being present.
The Mets made it tough to forget who the day belonged to all around Strawberry Saturday. In center field, the No. 18 was carved into the grass. The Mets transformed their Home Run Apple into a strawberry as an appropriate tribute to Strawberry, the team’s all-time home run leader, who is retiring his jersey. And Strawberry entered the field through a passageway made of two bushes laden with plastic strawberries.
Strawberry spent eight seasons with the major league team, culminating in the 1986 World Series championship, after being selected by the Mets with the first pick in the 1980 draft. In 1983, Strawberry hit a club rookie record 26 home runs, earning him the title of National League Rookie of the Year. He was selected seven times for the All-Star team. His total home runs (252), RBIs (733) and walks (580), extra-base hits (469), runs (662), and slugging percentage (.520) are all career highs for the Mets.
“My eight seasons here,” Strawberry said, “were the greatest years of my career.”
Strawberry claimed that his difficult upbringing (he was raised in Los Angeles and claimed that his father was an absentee drinker), his nature, and the way he welcomed pressure were the reasons he succeeded on the field in New York City. He claimed to possess “a little touch of crazy.” But some of that mindset also resulted in bad choices Strawberry made off the field; previous drug-related issues and arrests are part of Strawberry’s problems.
Strawberry claimed that the Mets executive management advised him to have a strong season before to his platform season. After a.229 season in 1989, which was his lowest as a Met, he managed a.779 OPS, 125 OPS+, and 29 home runs. In 1990, he hit 37 home runs with an OPS of.879, which was exactly what the front office was hoping for.
“You can’t challenge a kid from the ghetto,” Strawberry said.
He claimed that the Mets had only extended a two-year offer to him. With that, he bid farewell. He considered the connection with the front office to be “broken.”
“I wish I never left,” Strawberry said. “That’s my biggest regret.”
Not much to get worked up over.
Strawberry’s number will always be hanging from Citi Field.
(Photo of Darryl Strawberry: Adam Hunger / Getty Images)
