Mets legend Darryl Strawberry reflects on his life and career ahead of Saturday’s retirement ceremony for his No. 18 at Citi Field. As told to The Post’s Mike Puma.
My life was near rock bottom as I entered a correctional facility in Gainesville, Fla., in the spring of 2002 to begin serving a sentence for violating probation on cocaine possession charges.
I was in an empty state of mind. It wasn’t like I didn’t have great success playing Major League Baseball. I had success, and how do you fall so far? It’s the pitfalls of life that take a person out. I am just grateful this pitfall stopped me instead of taking me completely out, because I could have easily been out of the whole picture — and I mean death.
When you are in addiction and broken, a lot of folks don’t return from those places. I look at myself, and that time spent incarcerated was part of the journey to slow down my process so I wouldn’t die.
I was ultimately released after serving just over half of my 18-month sentence. I got out and started life all over again. There was no way I could have imagined then that a celebration as grand as the one the Mets have planned for Saturday, when my No. 18 will be retired, was possible.
My focus back then was becoming the person that I knew my mother raised me to be. I was raised right but made wrong choices, and I always say: You can pick your sins, but you can’t pick your consequences.
Consequences are real, and that’s for all of us. It doesn’t mean you roll over and die because you have got consequences, but it means you have to pay a price for things, and return and straighten out things in your life and become a different person.
Real life is just like a baseball game to me, because the challenge of facing Nolan Ryan was great. Life is the same thing: I didn’t bail out. Nolan beat me at times, but then I got him. Life beat up on me sometimes, but by persevering I ended up on the other side of it.
I could not imagine many years ago that my number would be retired or even think about that. I was more concerned about becoming the man I was created to be and becoming the father that I needed to become.
When my life turned a different corner, I got back involved with the Mets. Former general manager Omar Minaya was the first reason I returned. He was the one who convinced the organization, when it came to myself and Doc Gooden, “You need to bring these guys back.” I am thankful to Omar.
A lot of times people underestimate how successful I was for those eight seasons with the Mets beginning in 1983. It’s often framed as unfulfilled potential and “what a waste,” but no it wasn’t. When I look back now at those eight seasons, Shea Stadium was home, and this was real. I had fun, and people need to get over the other part of it.
I did leave as a free agent, and it was a broken relationship, but I loved playing for the Mets. The best baseball I ever played in my life was in Queens. Everywhere else that I played I didn’t feel that kind of success. It was more of a part-time me in those other places compared to what I did for those eight seasons with the Mets.
We don’t win the World Series in 1986 without Keith Hernandez and Gary Carter. We were good, but they were two pieces who arrived and showed the team how to play at the highest level. They played a lot of big games and made you better. When you look at that and see Keith’s No. 17 retired, you are like, “Well, that’s long overdue.” And then you start thinking about Strawberry and Gooden, and that’s been long overdue. I was so happy to attend in April, when Doc got his No. 16 retired.
Saturday will be surreal. I am going to thank the fans and all the people who had a part in my getting to the major leagues and growing: My best friend, Eric Davis, will be there, with Lloyd McClendon. I will be able to thank Keith for helping me grow and become a powerhouse player. I really want to thank Carter and Mookie Wilson for being the men they were. They were great baseball players, but they were also an excellent example of what a man looks like. I want to thank former general manager Frank Cashen for bringing me to New York and building the Mets into a championship team.
I’m a lucky guy. I have experienced health problems — addiction, cancer and a heart attack — but still to be standing and see my number retired by the Mets on Saturday will be a miracle within itself.
