Standing on Citi Field’s grass as his No. 18 jersey was retired, Darryl Strawberry addressed New York Mets fans for the first time since leaving the team 34 years ago.
“From the bottom of my heart, I’m truly sorry for ever leaving you guys,” Strawberry expressed to the 30,600-strong crowd, his voice heavy with emotion. “I never played baseball in front of fans greater than you.”
The crowd’s applause reached a crescendo, marking the emotional peak of Strawberry’s 16-minute speech before Saturday’s game against the Arizona Diamondbacks. The tribute included Strawberry’s No. 18 emblazoned in center field, a transformed home run apple resembling a strawberry, and the Beatles’ “Strawberry Fields Forever” playing over the PA system. Former teammates and family members gathered on the infield for the ceremony.
Strawberry’s journey to this moment was uncertain. Last August, the Mets announced that his number would be retired this year, alongside Dwight Gooden’s No. 16. However, a heart attack on March 11, just before his 62nd birthday, landed Strawberry in SSM Health St. Joseph Hospital in Lake St. Louis, Missouri.
“When I came out of surgery, my heart function was at 32%,” he shared, crediting his wife Tracy for insisting he go to the hospital. “I was climbing stairs and felt fatigued. Tracy said, ‘We’re going,’ even though I resisted.”
An eight-time All-Star, seven of which came during his tenure with the Mets from 1983 to 1990, Strawberry’s career stats include a .259 batting average, 335 home runs, 1,000 RBIs, and 221 stolen bases over 17 seasons. Selected by the Mets as the first pick in the 1980 amateur draft, Strawberry struggled to find a lasting home after leaving New York, playing for the Los Angeles Dodgers, San Francisco Giants, and New York Yankees.
Strawberry’s career was marred by the allure of alcohol and drugs prevalent among baseball stars in 1980s New York. Reflecting on his teammates, he said, “Mookie Wilson and Gary Carter were examples I should have followed. I wanted to be like them, but I lacked the courage to make the right choices.”
Dressed in a blue suit with a dark blue tie, Strawberry reminisced about choosing No. 18 when he joined the Mets because his high school number, 8, was already taken. His departure from the Mets after the 1990 season to sign a five-year contract with his hometown Dodgers was driven by tensions with the front office and the need to prove himself.
“Being told to put up a good season meant nothing to a kid from the ghetto,” he said. “I needed to prove myself, and that’s what I did in my free-agent year.”
Strawberry’s ceremony was shared with Gooden, who had his number retired earlier. Their camaraderie was evident, with Strawberry recalling their shared struggles and Gooden humorously countering, “I don’t know about that. I learned from him.”
Since acquiring the franchise in 2021, Mets owner Steve Cohen has emphasized honoring the team’s history. Strawberry’s speech, reflecting on his turbulent past and personal growth, resonated deeply with the fans and symbolized hope for the team’s future.
“Coming from a broken situation, I was broken inside, even when I was successful,” Strawberry said, acknowledging his difficult upbringing. “I’m grateful for every challenge and circumstance, because it made me strive to be a better man than my father. I think I achieved that.”