Former major leaguer Darryl Strawberry posted on Instagram that “all is well” as he recovers from a heart attack suffered on Monday. Strawberry, who turned 62 on Tuesday, thanked the medical team at St. Joseph West in Lake St. Louis, Missouri, for helping him through a stent procedure.
Strawberry is a New York sports icon and a walking story of resilience, after recovering from drug and alcohol problems that plagued his MLB career during the ’80s and ’90s, to become a preacher, spreading the word of God and sharing stories of his salvation.
Darryl Strawberry Is New York Mets Legend
Strawberry played 17 years in the major leagues with the New York Mets, Los Angeles Dodgers, San Francisco Giants and New York Yankees.
The 6-foot-6 multi-talented baller hit 335 homers and drove in 1,000 runs, and along with teammate Dwight Gooden, led an unprecedented era of winning from 1983, when Strawberry arrived and won NL Rookie of the Year, to 1991, when he left to join the L.A. Dodgers. Strawberry hit 37 homers, banged out 108 RBI and finished third in the NL MVP voting in his final season at the old Shea Stadium in Queens.
Strawberry won three World Series, one with the Mets and two with the New York Yankees at the end of his career.
Darryl Strawberry Has Overcome Drugs, Alcohol and Cancer
This isn’t the first health battle that Strawberry is sure to overcome. He missed the 1998 Yankees’ championship run while being treated for colon cancer.
Twenty-six years later, the legend’s No. 18 jersey is scheduled to be retired by the Mets on June 1, in recognition of his role as the top offensive force on the 1986 World Series team that captivated New York and secured their place in MLB lore. The 24-year-old phenom hit 27 homers and stole 28 bases, while driving in 93 runs that season, making his third of eight All-Star appearances.
“On behalf of the entire organization we are sending positive thoughts to Darryl Strawberry, his wife Tracy and his entire family after last night’s heart attack,” said Mets owner Steve Cohen and his wife Alex in a statement. “Darryl was in Port St. Lucie working with the team as a guest instructor just a few weeks ago. We are looking forward to Straw’s speedy recovery and welcoming him for his number retirement ceremony on June 1.”
Few players in MLB history have captivated the fans like Darryl Strawberry. When he stepped to the plate, everyone stopped, looked and listened. He could give you 30 steals and 30 bombs; he had a rifle in the outfield and was one of the smoothest ballers you’ll ever see.
The former No. 1 pick in the 1980 draft is remembered for his sweet lefty swing where in eight seasons with the Mets, Strawberry would help the team capture two division titles, one pennant, and one world Series title.
He is also the franchise leader in career home runs (252), second in RBIs (733) and WAR (36.6), third in OPS (.878), fourth in total bases (2,028) and fifth in stolen bases (191).
Strawberry’s power and grace were his calling cards. On April 4, 1988, Strawberry hit a majestic home run at Montreal’s Olympic Stadium. The ball traveled an estimated 525 feet and struck the stadium’s service ring, which was an incredible height of 160 feet above the playing field. Strawberry’s blast is remembered as one of the most memorable feats of sheer power in baseball history. Nobody had hit the ball in that stadium that high and far until Strawberry took Dennis Martinez’ pitch to the moon.
Wishing this Black baseball legend a fast recovery.
