Former New York Mets legend Darryll Strawberry has announced he received a full pardon from President Donald Trump. The eight-time MLB All-Star and three-time World Series champion confirmed the news via Instagram on Friday, November 7.
Strawberry, 63, stated he received the call from President Trump on Thursday, November 6. He expressed deep gratitude to the president for “finalizing this part of my life, allowing me to be truly free.”
He recounted the unexpected call. “Half asleep, I glanced and saw a call from Washington, D. C.” he explained. “Out of curiosity, I answered, and to my amazement, the woman on the other end said, ‘Darryl Strawberry, you have a call from the President of the United States, Donald Trump.'”
Strawberry put the call on speaker for his wife to hear. President Trump spoke warmly of Strawberry’s playing days in New York and praised him as one of the best players of the 1980s. He then granted the full pardon for Strawberry’s past conviction.
His wife recorded the moment, and Strawberry felt overwhelmed with gratitude. He thanked God for liberating him from his past.
Strawberry’s illustrious baseball career spanned from 1983 to 1999. However, it was also marked by legal troubles and drug abuse.
He pleaded guilty to tax evasion in 1995. He had been accused of failing to declare over $350,000 in income. This income came from autographs, personal appearances, and memorabilia sales between 1986 and 1990.
A White House official confirmed to the New York Times that Strawberry had already served his sentence and paid the outstanding taxes.
The official also noted Strawberry’s post-career journey. After his career, he found faith in Christianity and has been sober for over a decade. He has been actively involved in ministry and founded a rehabilitation center that is still operating today.
Strawberry emphasized that the pardon was not political. “This has nothing to do with politics,” he wrote on Instagram. “It’s about a man, President Trump, who cares deeply about a friend. God used him as an instrument to free me forever!”
His baseball journey began as the Mets’ first overall pick in the 1980 MLB Draft. He debuted in Major League Baseball in 1983.
Strawberry won his first World Series with the legendary 1986 Mets team. This team included stars like Dwight Gooden and Keith Hernandez.
He later played for the Los Angeles Dodgers, San Francisco Giants, and New York Yankees. He won two more championships with the Yankees in 1996 and 1999, where he finished his career.
In 2024, the Mets retired Strawberry’s number 18. During the ceremony, he expressed regret for leaving the team in 1990.
“I am so sorry I left you guys,” he told fans. “I never played baseball in front of better fans than you.”
Strawberry concluded his 17-year career with 335 home runs, 1,000 runs batted in, and 1,401 hits.