Former New York Mets star Darryl Strawberry, a pivotal figure in the team’s 1986 World Series victory, addressed a congregation in Holtsville, New York, on Sunday, not as an athlete, but as a traveling preacher.
Far from the baseball diamond, Strawberry delivered a sermon at the Jesus Is Lord Church, focusing on his personal journey through addiction, fatherhood, and faith. “I know I’m here for a reason,” he told the attendees. “This is your season to be here, too.”
Strawberry’s celebrated career, which also included time with the Los Angeles Dodgers and multiple championships with the New York Yankees, was famously marked by off-field challenges, including drug and alcohol addiction, arrests, and legal battles.
“Being so young and thrust into the New York spotlight, I loved it,” he said after the sermon. “But celebrities, most of us are broken.” He cautioned that the financial rewards of stardom are not a solution for inner turmoil. “If you think money is going to solve the problem, it doesn’t,” Strawberry stated. “It’s still just a Band-Aid.”
After surviving two bouts with cancer and a heart attack, Strawberry and his wife, Tracy, founded Strawberry Ministries. Their mission, according to their website, followed years of addiction, jail time, and “two failed marriages for each of us.”
“I’m not chasing after fans, fortune… I want souls to be saved,” Strawberry said during his sermon, which was held at the same church where his son was baptized.
The event drew both new visitors and longtime fans, several of whom wore Mets jerseys with Strawberry’s No. 18, which the team officially retired last year. “As a kid, I loved him. He was my favorite player,” said Michelle Thomas of Bethpage, who attended with her 10-year-old son, Dylan. “Now my kid is how old I was when I started watching. He plays baseball and he’s number 18.”
Another attendee, 41-year-old Odalis Urena of Baldwin, remarked on Strawberry’s legacy. “Being a Mets fan, we didn’t have that many superstars,” Urena said. “Darryl was that one.”
As the service concluded, Strawberry signed autographs and spoke with parishioners. “It’s a blessing when you finally get to that place in life, and you’re happy,” he shared. “I played baseball for so long, and there were happy moments, but it wasn’t the joy of being free.”
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