He had the perfect swing. But he missed.
He had the speed. But he ran in the wrong direction.
He had fame, fortune and fans everywhere begging for an autograph or even a slight glimpse of his celebrated aura.
Darryl Strawberry had it all. Yesterday, that same baseball prodigy bound for stardom and certainly the Hall of Fame, walked out of the Gainesville Correctional Institution sporting gray sweat pants, a pull-over jacket and that all-too-familiar shiny bald dome. After serving 11 months of an 18-month sentence for violating probation on cocaine possession charges, Strawberry is a free man.
And he has a second chance, yet again.
Strawberry, the number one overall pick in the 1980 draft, led the New York Mets to a 1986 World Series victory over the Boston Red Sox. About the time Derek Jeter entered middle school, Strawberry reigned New York as its favorite son, meandering through the streets of the Big Apple as if he were mayor. He hit 252 home runs and collected 733 RBIs in eight seasons (1983-90) for the Mets, both of which remain team records to this day.
Strawberry's fortunes turned sour, however, as countless disputes with teammates in New York began to wear out his welcome. Following the 1990 season, Strawberry was persuaded by a chance to play in front of his hometown friends and family, and a lucrative $20.3 million contract, to leave New York for the Los Angeles Dodgers. But problems with alcohol and drugs hampered his on-field production, resulting in a short three-year stint in Dodger Blue. The eight-time-all-star signed with San Francisco the following season. One year later, Strawberry tested positive for cocaine and was suspended 60 games. The Giants released him, opting not to deal with any more of Strawberry's antics.
While he was serving a six month home confinement sentence for tax evasion, Yankees owner George Steinbrenner signed the troubled star to a contract for the 1995 season. In limited action, Strawberry batted .417 and hit three home runs in the 1996 ALCS against Baltimore to eventually propel the Yankees to a World Series crown. But the troubles returned just when Strawberry gained borderline respectability. In April 1999, Strawberry was placed on probation after pleading no-contest to charges of cocaine possession and soliciting a prostitute. Finally, after violating probation for the sixth time, he was sentenced to prison.
Meanwhile, Strawberry's son, Darryl Jr., will play basketball for the University of Maryland next season. The younger Strawberry chooses to go by \D.J."" in order to remove himself from his father's past, which among other things included signing baseballs for inmates in exchange for cigarettes.
It's just another obstacle Darryl Sr. must overcome and a relationship he hopes to rekindle.
""He's doing well,"" Strawberry's attorney Darryl Rouson told the Associated Press before his release on Tuesday. ""He's been clean for a very long time, longer than ever before.""
At age 41, Strawberry might be getting the last chance to turn his life around.
Maybe this time he won't get caught looking.
wrcooney@wisc.edu.
