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|birth_date = March 12, 1962
|birth_date = March 12, 1962
|birth_place = Los Angeles, California
|birth_place = Los Angeles, California
|charges = Tax evasion (federal), Cocaine possession, Solicitation (state)
|charges = Tax evasion (federal); cocaine possession, solicitation (state, Florida)
|sentence = 6 months home confinement (tax evasion), 11 months prison (probation violation)
|sentence = 6 months home confinement, 3 years probation (1995 tax case); 18 months state prison (2002 probation violation)
|conviction_date = February 9, 1995 (tax evasion plea)
|judge = Hon. Barrington D. Parker Jr.
|release_date = April 8, 2003
|status = Pardoned
|status = Pardoned
|conviction_date = 1995 (tax evasion)
|release_date = April 8, 2003 (from prison)
}}
}}


'''Darryl Eugene Strawberry''' (born March 12, 1962) is an American former professional baseball player who spent 17 seasons in Major League Baseball as an outfielder. An eight-time All-Star and four-time World Series champion, Strawberry possessed one of the most electric talents of his generation, yet his career got derailed by substance abuse and legal troubles. In 1995, he pleaded guilty to federal [[Tax Evasion|tax evasion]] for failing to report $350,000 in income. Multiple drug-related arrests and probation violations followed throughout the late 1990s and early 2000s, eventually landing him in a Florida prison for 11 months. On November 7, 2025, President Donald Trump granted Strawberry a full [[Presidential Clemency and Pardons|presidential pardon]] for his 1995 tax evasion conviction, pointing to his Christian faith and years of sobriety as reasons for the decision.<ref name="espn-pardon">ESPN, "Trump pardons ex-MLB star Strawberry on tax evasion, drug charges," November 7, 2025, https://www.espn.com/espn/story/_/id/46884107/trump-pardons-ex-mlb-star-strawberry-tax-evasion-drug-charges</ref>
'''Darryl Eugene Strawberry''' (born March 12, 1962) is an American former professional baseball player. He played 17 seasons in Major League Baseball as a right fielder, mostly for the New York Mets and New York Yankees. He was an eight-time All-Star, the 1983 National League Rookie of the Year, and a member of four World Series championship teams. He hit 335 home runs across his career.


== Summary ==
Strawberry's legal record has two distinct parts. In February 1995 he pleaded guilty in federal court in White Plains, New York, to one count of tax evasion. He had failed to report most of the income he earned from autograph signings and baseball card shows between 1986 and 1990. Judge Barrington D. Parker Jr. sentenced him to six months of home confinement, three years of probation, and $350,000 in restitution.<ref name="upi-tax">UPI. "Strawberry gets probation for tax rap." April 24, 1995. https://www.upi.com/Archives/1995/04/24/Strawberry-gets-probation-for-tax-rap/4279798696000/</ref> Years of cocaine addiction followed. A 1999 arrest in Tampa, Florida, for cocaine possession and solicitation led to probation. He violated that probation repeatedly. In 2002 a Florida judge sent him to state prison for 18 months. He served 11 months in Gainesville and was released on April 8, 2003.<ref name="upi-release">UPI. "Darryl Strawberry released from prison." April 8, 2003. https://www.upi.com/Top_News/2003/04/08/Darryl-Strawberry-released-from-prison/77401049819453/</ref>


Darryl Strawberry burst onto the baseball scene as one of the sport's most electrifying talents when the New York Mets selected him first overall in the 1980 MLB Draft. He won the 1983 National League Rookie of the Year award and became a cornerstone of the Mets' 1986 World Series championship team. The combination of power, speed, and athleticism made him a perennial All-Star and earned him comparisons to the game's all-time greats.
He has been sober since 2007 and works in Christian recovery ministry. On November 7, 2025, President Donald Trump pardoned him for the 1995 federal tax conviction.<ref name="espn-pardon">ESPN. "Trump pardons ex-MLB star Strawberry on tax evasion, drug charges." November 7, 2025. https://www.espn.com/espn/story/_/id/46884107/trump-pardons-ex-mlb-star-strawberry-tax-evasion-drug-charges</ref>


But Strawberry's career increasingly became defined by addiction and legal troubles. His father's alcoholism and abusive behavior had scarred him deeply, and he turned to alcohol and drugs to cope with the pressures of stardom. Starting in the late 1980s, his substance abuse led to domestic violence incidents, multiple MLB suspensions, and tax evasion charges. Still, he managed to contribute to three more World Series championships with the New York Yankees in the late 1990s.
== Baseball Career ==


After his playing days ended, Strawberry committed himself to recovery and Christian ministry. He's been sober for over a decade and now runs recovery centers to help others struggling with addiction. The November 2025 presidential pardon represented the final chapter in his legal rehabilitation, with President Trump citing Strawberry's transformation and faith as the basis for clemency.
The Mets drafted Strawberry first overall in 1980 out of Crenshaw High School in Los Angeles. He debuted on May 6, 1983, at age 21. He hit 26 home runs that season and won National League Rookie of the Year.<ref name="baseball-ref">Baseball-Reference.com. "Darryl Strawberry." https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/s/strawda01.shtml</ref>


== Background ==
He spent eight seasons with the Mets. In 1986 he was part of the team that beat the Boston Red Sox in the World Series. In 1987 he hit 39 home runs and stole 36 bases, putting him in the 30-30 club. He led the National League in home runs in 1988, again with 39.<ref name="britannica">Britannica. "Darryl Strawberry." https://www.britannica.com/biography/Darryl-Strawberry</ref> His 252 home runs as a Met stood as the franchise record until Pete Alonso passed it in 2025.<ref name="mlb">MLB.com. "Darryl Strawberry." https://www.mlb.com/player/darryl-strawberry-122864</ref>


=== Early Life and Family ===
Strawberry signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers as a free agent after the 1990 season. Injuries and personal problems cut into his playing time there. He joined the San Francisco Giants in 1994. That year Major League Baseball suspended him 60 days after he tested positive for cocaine, and the Giants released him.<ref name="crime-museum">Crime Museum. "Darryl Strawberry." https://www.crimemuseum.org/crime-library/sports-crimes-2/darryl-strawberry/</ref>


Darryl Eugene Strawberry was born on March 12, 1962, in Los Angeles, California, to Henry and Ruby Strawberry.<ref name="sabr">Society for American Baseball Research, "Darryl Strawberry," https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/darryl-strawberry/</ref> He was the third of five children, with two older brothers (Michael and Ron) and two younger sisters (Regina and Michelle). The family lived in the Crenshaw neighborhood of South Central Los Angeles, just two miles from Dodger Stadium.
The Yankees signed him in 1995. He played a part-time role and produced in spots. In the 1996 American League Championship Series against Baltimore he batted .417 with three home runs. The Yankees won the World Series that fall. In 1998 he hit 24 home runs in 100 games. Doctors diagnosed him with colon cancer that October, and he had surgery before the World Series. He returned in 1999 and the Yankees won a third title in four years. The cancer came back in 2000. His playing career ended there.<ref name="sabr">Society for American Baseball Research. "Darryl Strawberry." https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/darryl-strawberry/</ref> He finished with 335 home runs, 1,000 RBIs, and a .259 batting average across 17 seasons.<ref name="baseball-ref" />


Trauma marked Strawberry's childhood. His father Henry, who worked for the postal service, struggled with alcoholism and gambling. He was verbally and physically abusive to his sons, and the couple divorced when Darryl was around 13 years old.<ref name="sabr" /> Ruby Strawberry raised her five children as a single mother while working for the telephone company. Strawberry later attributed his initial alcohol and drug use to childhood pain and his ongoing substance abuse to the crushing pressures of performing in New York.
== Legal Troubles ==


=== High School and Draft ===
=== Federal Tax Evasion (1994-1995) ===


At Crenshaw High School, Strawberry became a star athlete on the baseball team alongside future major leaguer Chris Brown. Scouts noticed his exceptional talent, and in 1980, the Mets selected him with the first overall pick in the amateur draft.<ref name="baseball-ref">Baseball-Reference.com, "Darryl Strawberry," https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/s/strawda01.shtml</ref> His older brother Michael was also a talented athlete who played professional baseball.
A federal grand jury indicted Strawberry on tax evasion charges in 1994. Prosecutors said he earned about $422,250 from autograph signings, card shows, and personal appearances between 1986 and 1990 but reported only $59,685 of it on his tax returns.<ref name="yahoo">Yahoo Sports. "Darryl Strawberry tax evasion, explained: Why Donald Trump pardoned former MLB star 30 years after jail time." November 2025. https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/celebrity/articles/darryl-strawberry-tax-evasion-explained-223056254.html</ref><ref name="roanoke">Roanoke Times. "Strawberry pleads guilty." February 10, 1995. https://scholar.lib.vt.edu/VA-news/ROA-Times/issues/1995/rt9502/950210/02100109.htm</ref>


== MLB Career ==
He pleaded guilty to one count on February 9, 1995. The plea covered tax years 1989 and 1990. On April 24, 1995, U.S. District Judge Barrington D. Parker Jr. sentenced him in White Plains, New York. The sentence was six months of home confinement, three years of probation, and 100 hours of community service. The court ordered $350,000 in restitution to the Internal Revenue Service.<ref name="upi-tax" /> The conviction stayed on his record for 30 years, until the November 2025 pardon.


=== New York Mets (1983-1990) ===
=== Cocaine and Solicitation Arrests (1999-2002) ===


Strawberry made his major league debut on May 6, 1983, at just 21 years old. In his rookie season, he hit 26 home runs with 74 RBIs and 19 stolen bases, earning the National League Rookie of the Year award.<ref name="baseball-ref" /> He quickly established himself as one of baseball's most feared sluggers, combining exceptional power with outstanding speed.
On April 3, 1999, police in Tampa, Florida, arrested Strawberry. He had solicited sex from an undercover officer and was carrying a small amount of cocaine. Major League Baseball suspended him 140 days on April 24. In May he pleaded no contest and received 21 months of probation plus community service.<ref name="abc-arrest">ABC News. "Darryl Strawberry Arrested." https://abcnews.go.com/Sports/story?id=100603&page=1</ref> The court also imposed a 22-month prison term and suspended it on the condition that he complete drug treatment and follow probation rules.<ref name="espn-violation">ESPN. "Strawberry gets 18-month jail term for violating probation." April 29, 2002. https://www.espn.com/mlb/news/2002/0429/1375423.html</ref>


In 1986, Strawberry was key to the Mets' World Series championship team, helping them defeat the Boston Red Sox. The following year, he achieved something rare. He hit 39 home runs and stole 36 bases, making him a member of the exclusive 30/30 Club.<ref name="britannica">Britannica, "Darryl Strawberry," https://www.britannica.com/biography/Darryl-Strawberry</ref>
He did not complete the conditions. On September 11, 2000, he took painkillers, blacked out behind the wheel, rear-ended another car, and tried to leave before an off-duty officer stopped him at gunpoint. On October 25, 2000, he left a Tampa treatment center to use drugs, which violated his house arrest. A judge gave him 40 days in jail with credit for time served.<ref name="crime-museum" /> In April 2001 he again disappeared from court-ordered treatment. By the time the matter reached its final hearing, prosecutors counted six separate probation violations.<ref name="espn-violation" />


Strawberry led the National League in home runs in 1988 with 39, along with a .545 slugging percentage. His 252 home runs as a Met stood as the franchise record until Pete Alonso surpassed him in 2025.<ref name="mlb">MLB.com, "Darryl Strawberry," https://www.mlb.com/player/darryl-strawberry-122864</ref> Eight times he was selected to the All-Star team during his career.
== Incarceration ==


=== Los Angeles Dodgers and San Francisco Giants (1991-1994) ===
On April 29, 2002, a Florida circuit judge sentenced Strawberry to 18 months in state prison for the probation violations.<ref name="espn-violation" /> The court had jailed him the previous month, on March 12, 2002, after he broke rules at the Ocala drug treatment center where he was assigned.<ref name="crime-museum" />


After the 1990 season, Strawberry signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers as a free agent. Injuries and personal problems hampered his time there. In 1994, he briefly joined the San Francisco Giants, but MLB suspended him for 60 days after he tested positive for cocaine. The Giants subsequently released him.<ref name="crime-museum">Crime Museum, "Darryl Strawberry," https://www.crimemuseum.org/crime-library/sports-crimes-2/darryl-strawberry/</ref>
Strawberry served his time at a state facility near Gainesville, Florida. He was released on April 8, 2003. He served 11 months of the 18-month term. Florida law required him to serve 85 percent of the sentence, and he received credit for jail time already served while awaiting the ruling.<ref name="upi-release" /> Department of Corrections officials described him as a model inmate.<ref name="sabr" />


=== New York Yankees (1995-1999) ===
In September 2005 prosecutors charged Strawberry with filing a false police report. He had reported his SUV stolen and later admitted the report was false. The offense was a misdemeanor and he was not jailed for it.<ref name="crime-museum" />


Strawberry returned to New York with the Yankees in 1995. It was a comeback story. Despite serving as a part-time player, he showed flashes of his former brilliance. In 1996, he hit 11 home runs and delivered a memorable performance in the American League Championship Series against Baltimore, batting .417 with three home runs and five RBIs. The Yankees won the World Series that year, giving Strawberry his second championship ring.<ref name="sabr" />
== Life After ==


In 1998, Strawberry hit 24 home runs in 100 games and became the first American League player to hit two pinch-hit grand slams in the same season. The Yankees won another World Series title, but his celebration came with bad news. A colon cancer diagnosis kept him from playing in the World Series. He underwent surgery in October 1998 and made a remarkable comeback in 1999, helping the Yankees win their third consecutive championship.<ref name="britannica" />
Strawberry left prison in 2003 and turned to Christian faith and addiction recovery. He has said he has been sober since 2007.<ref name="mlb-ministry">MLB.com. "Darryl Strawberry now anti-addiction minister." https://www.mlb.com/news/darryl-strawberry-now-anti-addiction-minister-c194344466</ref> He became an ordained minister. He and his wife Tracy married in 2006 and built their public work around recovery.


The cancer returned in 2000. That effectively ended his playing career. Over 17 seasons, Strawberry hit 335 home runs with 1,000 RBIs and a .259 batting average.
The couple founded Strawberry Ministries. The organization works with people in addiction, troubled teenagers, and families in crisis, and frames its work around Christian faith.<ref name="strawberry-ministries">Strawberry Ministries. https://findingyourway.com/strawberry-ministries.php</ref> In St. Cloud, Florida, Strawberry opened the Darryl Strawberry Recovery Center in partnership with Oglethorpe Healthcare Inc. The center pairs detox and long-term sobriety programs with faith-based counseling.<ref name="christian-post">Christian Post. "MLB Great Darryl Strawberry Opens Addiction Treatment Center." https://www.christianpost.com/news/mlb-great-darryl-strawberry-opens-addiction-treatment-center-113486</ref> The Strawberrys later started a recovery program at an Oglethorpe behavioral hospital in Longview, Texas.<ref name="mlb-ministry" />


== Criminal History ==
Darryl and Tracy Strawberry both hold roles with Liberty University's Global Center for Mental Health, Addiction, and Recovery.<ref name="liberty">Liberty University. "Darryl and Tracy Strawberry, Th.D." https://www.liberty.edu/mental-health/faculty/darryl-tracy-strawberry/</ref> The Mets inducted Strawberry into their team Hall of Fame in 2010.<ref name="sabr" />


=== Domestic Violence Incidents (1987-1993) ===
=== Presidential Pardon (2025) ===


Multiple domestic violence incidents marked the start of Strawberry's legal troubles during his playing career. In 1987, his then-wife filed for legal separation, alleging that he broke her nose. In 1990, he was arrested for alleged assault with a deadly weapon during an argument with his wife, accused of hitting her and threatening her with a semiautomatic handgun. He was released on $12,000 bail.<ref name="crime-museum" /> In 1993, he was arrested after allegedly striking the woman he lived with, though no criminal charges were filed.
President Donald Trump pardoned Strawberry on November 7, 2025. The pardon covered the 1995 federal tax evasion conviction.<ref name="espn-pardon" /> A White House official said Strawberry "served time and paid back taxes after pleading guilty to one count of tax evasion" and noted that he "found faith in Christianity and has been sober for over a decade."<ref name="cnn-pardon">CNN. "Trump pardons MLB great Darryl Strawberry on 1995 tax evasion charge." November 7, 2025. https://www.cnn.com/2025/11/07/politics/trump-pardons-mlb-great-darryl-strawberry-on-1995-tax-evasion-charge</ref>


=== Tax Evasion (1994-1995) ===
Trump called Strawberry to tell him about the pardon. Strawberry later recounted the call: "You know you did some very bad things. But he said, 'Today, the way your life is and what you're doing, your faith and helping people and being sober, I'm giving you a full pardon.'"<ref name="foxnews">Fox News. "Darryl Strawberry thanks Trump for pardon that makes him 'truly free and clean from all of my past.'" November 2025. https://www.foxnews.com/sports/darryl-strawberry-thanks-trump-pardon-makes-him-truly-free-clean-from-all-my-past</ref> Strawberry thanked Trump on Instagram and again on November 23, 2025, during a sermon at a church in Tulsa, Oklahoma.<ref name="washtimes">Washington Times. "Former Mets slugger Darryl Strawberry thanks Trump for pardon during sermon at Tulsa church." November 23, 2025. https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2025/nov/23/former-mets-slugger-darryl-strawberry-thanks-trump-pardon-sermon/</ref> He was the second alumnus of Trump's television show ''The Celebrity Apprentice'' to receive a pardon. He had appeared on the show in 2010.<ref name="cnn-pardon" />
 
In 1994, Strawberry was indicted on federal [[Tax Evasion|tax evasion]] charges for failing to report approximately $350,000 in income from autographs, personal appearances, and memorabilia sales.<ref name="yahoo">Yahoo Sports, "Darryl Strawberry tax evasion, explained: Why Donald Trump pardoned former MLB star 30 years after jail time," November 2025, https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/celebrity/articles/darryl-strawberry-tax-evasion-explained-223056254.html</ref> In 1995, he pleaded guilty to one count of tax evasion to avoid a prison sentence. As part of the plea agreement, he agreed to pay more than $430,000 in back taxes and penalties.
 
Strawberry received six months of home confinement and two years of probation. This conviction stayed on his record for 30 years until the 2025 presidential pardon.
 
=== Drug Arrests and MLB Suspensions (1995-2000) ===
 
Cocaine addiction led to multiple arrests and suspensions throughout the mid-to-late 1990s:
 
* '''1995:''' MLB suspended Strawberry for 60 days after he tested positive for cocaine while with the San Francisco Giants.<ref name="crime-museum" />
* '''1995:''' He was charged in California with failing to make child support payments and agreed to use his signing bonus to pay the debt.
* '''1999:''' On April 3, Strawberry was arrested in Tampa, Florida, for soliciting sex from an undercover police officer posing as a prostitute. He was also charged with possession of a small amount of cocaine. On April 24, MLB issued a 140-day suspension. In May, he pleaded no contest and was sentenced to 21 months of probation plus community service.<ref name="abc-arrest">ABC News, "Darryl Strawberry Arrested," https://abcnews.go.com/Sports/story?id=100603&page=1</ref>
* '''2000:''' On September 11, Strawberry tried to drive to see his probation officer after taking painkillers. He blacked out behind the wheel, rear-ended another car, and attempted to flee the scene before being arrested at gunpoint by an off-duty police officer. On October 25, he left a Tampa drug treatment center to use drugs, violating his house arrest and parole. On November 9, he was sentenced to 40 days in jail with credit for time served.<ref name="crime-museum" />
 
=== Prison Sentence (2001-2003) ===
 
* '''2001:''' On April 2, Strawberry was arrested for disappearing from his court-ordered drug treatment center in Tampa. On May 1, he was ordered to serve additional time at a drug treatment facility.
* '''2002:''' On March 12, Strawberry was jailed again for violating several rules at the Ocala, Florida drug treatment center where he was on probation. On April 29, 2002, a judge ordered him to serve the 22-month suspended prison sentence from his 1999 case.<ref name="crime-museum" />
 
Strawberry served approximately 11 months at a minimum- to medium-security prison in Gainesville, Florida. He was released on April 8, 2003, after receiving 122 days credit for time already served and 82 additional days for good behavior as a model prisoner.<ref name="sabr" />
 
=== False Police Report (2005) ===
 
In September 2005, Strawberry was charged with filing a false police report after claiming his SUV was stolen. He admitted to lying on the report but wasn't arrested because it was a misdemeanor offense.<ref name="crime-museum" />
 
== Presidential Pardon ==
 
On November 7, 2025, President Donald Trump granted Darryl Strawberry a full [[Presidential Clemency and Pardons|presidential pardon]] for his 1995 federal tax evasion conviction.<ref name="espn-pardon" /> A White House official announced it this way: "President Trump has approved a pardon for Darryl Strawberry, three-time World Series champion and eight-time MLB All-Star."<ref name="cnn-pardon">CNN, "Trump pardons MLB great Darryl Strawberry on 1995 tax evasion charge," November 7, 2025, https://www.cnn.com/2025/11/07/politics/trump-pardons-mlb-great-darryl-strawberry-on-1995-tax-evasion-charge</ref>
 
The official also noted that "Strawberry served time and paid back taxes after pleading guilty to one count of tax evasion" and that "following his career, Mr. Strawberry found faith in Christianity and has been sober for over a decade. He's become active in ministry and started a recovery center which still operates today."<ref name="espn-pardon" />
 
Trump personally called Strawberry to inform him of the pardon. According to Strawberry, Trump told him: "You know you did some very bad things. But he said, 'Today, the way your life is and what you're doing, your faith and helping people and being sober, I'm giving you a full pardon. You're going to be clean. I'm wiping everything out.'"<ref name="foxnews">Fox News, "Darryl Strawberry thanks Trump for pardon that makes him 'truly free and clean from all of my past,'" November 2025, https://www.foxnews.com/sports/darryl-strawberry-thanks-trump-pardon-makes-him-truly-free-clean-from-all-my-past</ref>
 
Strawberry thanked Trump in an Instagram post, writing: "Thank you, President @realdonaldtrump for my full pardon and for finalizing this part of my life, allowing me to be truly free and clean from all of my past."<ref name="espn-pardon" />
 
He was the second alumnus of Trump's reality television show "The Celebrity Apprentice" to receive a pardon from the president. Strawberry had appeared on the show in 2010 and developed a relationship with Trump. Trump had previously pardoned fellow contestant and former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich in February 2020.<ref name="cnn-pardon" />
 
On November 23, 2025, Strawberry publicly thanked Trump for the pardon during a sermon at a church in Tulsa, Oklahoma.<ref name="washtimes">Washington Times, "Former Mets slugger Darryl Strawberry thanks Trump for pardon during sermon at Tulsa church," November 23, 2025, https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2025/nov/23/former-mets-slugger-darryl-strawberry-thanks-trump-pardon-sermon/</ref>
 
== Recovery and Ministry ==
 
After his release from prison in 2003, Strawberry committed himself to recovery and Christianity. He's been sober for over a decade and became an ordained Christian minister.<ref name="mlb-ministry">MLB.com, "Darryl Strawberry now anti-addiction minister," https://www.mlb.com/news/darryl-strawberry-now-anti-addiction-minister-c194344466</ref>
 
=== Strawberry Ministries ===
 
Strawberry and his wife Tracy founded Strawberry Ministries, which focuses on helping people struggling with addiction, troubled teens, and others in need. The ministry's primary mission is to lead people to Christ while providing resources for recovery and restoration.<ref name="strawberry-ministries">Strawberry Ministries, https://findingyourway.com/strawberry-ministries.php</ref>
 
=== Darryl Strawberry Recovery Center ===
 
In St. Cloud, Florida, Strawberry founded the Darryl Strawberry Recovery Center in partnership with Oglethorpe Healthcare Inc. The center combines Christian faith with detox programs and long-term sobriety programs to help people recover from substance abuse.<ref name="christian-post">Christian Post, "MLB Great Darryl Strawberry Opens Addiction Treatment Center," https://www.christianpost.com/news/mlb-great-darryl-strawberry-opens-addiction-treatment-center-113486</ref>
 
He and his wife also started a Christian recovery program at Oglethorpe's behavioral hospital in Longview, Texas. When not traveling for speaking engagements, Strawberry visits his recovery centers two to three days per week, participating in group therapy sessions and speaking with patients.
 
=== Academic Role ===
 
Darryl and Tracy Strawberry serve in roles with Liberty University's Global Center for Mental Health, Addiction, and Recovery, contributing to education and awareness about addiction treatment.<ref name="liberty">Liberty University, "Darryl and Tracy Strawberry, Th.D," https://www.liberty.edu/mental-health/faculty/darryl-tracy-strawberry/</ref>
 
== Public Recognition ==
 
Strawberry has been recognized for his contributions to baseball despite his troubled history:
 
* '''2005 and 2008:''' Served as an instructor for the New York Mets
* '''2010:''' Inducted into the New York Mets Hall of Fame<ref name="sabr" />
* '''2004:''' Received a Hall of Fame nomination (didn't gain induction)


== Frequently Asked Questions ==
== Frequently Asked Questions ==
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{{FAQ
{{FAQ
|question = What did Darryl Strawberry do?
|question = What did Darryl Strawberry do?
|answer = Strawberry was convicted of federal [[Tax Evasion|tax evasion]] in 1995 for failing to report approximately $350,000 in income from autographs, personal appearances, and memorabilia sales. He pleaded guilty to one count and received six months of home confinement and two years of probation. He also had multiple drug-related arrests in the late 1990s and early 2000s, including cocaine possession and solicitation charges, which eventually led to an 11-month prison sentence in 2002-2003 for violating probation.<ref name="yahoo" />
|answer = Strawberry pleaded guilty to one federal count of tax evasion in February 1995. He had reported only $59,685 of about $422,250 he earned from autograph signings and baseball card shows between 1986 and 1990. He received six months of home confinement, three years of probation, and $350,000 in restitution. He was later arrested in Florida in 1999 for cocaine possession and solicitation, and he served prison time in 2002 and 2003 for violating his probation.<ref name="yahoo" />
}}
}}


{{FAQ
{{FAQ
|question = Was Darryl Strawberry pardoned?
|question = Did Darryl Strawberry go to prison?
|answer = Yes. On November 7, 2025, President Donald Trump granted Strawberry a full [[Presidential Clemency and Pardons|presidential pardon]] for his 1995 federal tax evasion conviction. The White House cited Strawberry's embrace of Christianity and his decade-plus of sobriety as reasons for the pardon. Trump called Strawberry personally to deliver the news, telling him the pardon would make him "clean" from his past.<ref name="espn-pardon" />
|answer = Yes, but not for the tax case. The 1995 tax sentence was home confinement and probation, with no prison time. Strawberry went to state prison in Florida in 2002 after repeated violations of the probation tied to his 1999 cocaine and solicitation arrest. A judge sentenced him to 18 months. He served 11 months at a facility near Gainesville and was released on April 8, 2003.<ref name="upi-release" />
}}
}}


{{FAQ
{{FAQ
|question = How long was Darryl Strawberry's prison sentence?
|question = How long was Darryl Strawberry's tax sentence?
|answer = For his 1995 tax evasion conviction, Strawberry received six months of home confinement and two years of probation, avoiding prison. However, after repeated probation violations from drug use and leaving treatment facilities, he was ordered in 2002 to serve a previously suspended 22-month sentence from his 1999 drug and solicitation case. He served approximately 11 months at a minimum- to medium-security prison in Gainesville, Florida, before being released in April 2003.<ref name="crime-museum" />
|answer = On April 24, 1995, Judge Barrington D. Parker Jr. sentenced Strawberry to six months of home confinement and three years of probation in federal court in White Plains, New York. The court ordered him to pay $350,000 in restitution to the IRS. He did not serve any prison time for the tax conviction.<ref name="upi-tax" />
}}
}}


{{FAQ
{{FAQ
|question = What was Darryl Strawberry's MLB career?
|question = Was Darryl Strawberry pardoned?
|answer = Strawberry was an eight-time All-Star and four-time World Series champion who played 17 MLB seasons (1983-1999). He was the first overall pick in the 1980 draft and won the 1983 NL Rookie of the Year with the Mets. He won World Series titles with the Mets (1986) and Yankees (1996, 1998, 1999). He hit 335 career home runs, led the NL in home runs in 1988 with 39, and his 252 home runs as a Met was the franchise record until 2025.<ref name="baseball-ref" />
|answer = Yes. President Donald Trump pardoned Strawberry on November 7, 2025, for the 1995 federal tax evasion conviction. The White House cited his sobriety and his work in Christian recovery ministry. Trump called Strawberry directly to tell him about the pardon.<ref name="espn-pardon" />
}}
}}


{{FAQ
{{FAQ
|question = What is Darryl Strawberry doing now?
|question = What was Darryl Strawberry's baseball career?
|answer = Strawberry is an ordained Christian minister who's been sober for over a decade. He and his wife Tracy founded Strawberry Ministries and the Darryl Strawberry Recovery Center in St. Cloud, Florida, helping people struggling with addiction through faith-based treatment. He speaks publicly about his addiction struggles and was inducted into the New York Mets Hall of Fame in 2010.<ref name="mlb-ministry" />
|answer = Strawberry played 17 MLB seasons from 1983 to 1999. The Mets drafted him first overall in 1980, and he won National League Rookie of the Year in 1983. He was an eight-time All-Star and won four World Series titles, one with the Mets in 1986 and three with the Yankees in 1996, 1998, and 1999. He hit 335 career home runs.<ref name="baseball-ref" />
}}
}}


{{FAQ
{{FAQ
|question = How many times was Darryl Strawberry suspended by MLB?
|question = What does Darryl Strawberry do now?
|answer = Strawberry was suspended three times by Major League Baseball for substance abuse. In 1995, he received a 60-day suspension after testing positive for cocaine with the Giants. In 1999, he was suspended 140 days following his arrest for cocaine possession and solicitation. His final suspension came in 2000 after testing positive for cocaine while with the Yankees. These suspensions contributed to the premature end of what many considered a Hall of Fame-caliber career.<ref name="crime-museum" />
|answer = Strawberry is an ordained Christian minister and has been sober since 2007. He and his wife Tracy founded Strawberry Ministries and the Darryl Strawberry Recovery Center in St. Cloud, Florida, which provides faith-based addiction treatment. He speaks publicly about addiction and recovery.<ref name="mlb-ministry" />
}}
}}


{{FAQ
{{FAQ
|question = Did Darryl Strawberry have cancer?
|question = Did Darryl Strawberry have cancer?
|answer = Yes. Strawberry was diagnosed with colon cancer in October 1998 and underwent surgery to remove a tumor. He made a comeback with the Yankees in 1999, helping them win the World Series. The cancer returned in 2000, effectively ending his playing career. He's since become an advocate for cancer awareness and early screening.<ref name="britannica" />
|answer = Yes. Doctors diagnosed Strawberry with colon cancer in October 1998 and he had surgery to remove a tumor. He returned to play for the Yankees in 1999. The cancer returned in 2000 and ended his playing career.<ref name="britannica" />
}}
}}


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* [[Presidential Clemency and Pardons]]
* [[Presidential Clemency and Pardons]]
* [[Supervised Release]]
* [[Supervised Release]]
* [[Drug Trafficking]]


== References ==
== References ==
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[[Category:High-Profile_Federal_Offenders]]
[[Category:High-Profile_Federal_Offenders]]
[[Category:Tax_Fraud]]
[[Category:Pardoned]]
[[Category:Pardoned]]
[[Category:Tax_Evasion_Cases]]
[[Category:Athletes]]
[[Category:Athletes]]


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|title=Darryl Strawberry — Tax Evasion Case, Florida Prison, Pardon | Prisonpedia
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{{MetaDescription|Darryl Strawberry, MLB legend and 4-time World Series champion, received a presidential pardon in November 2025 for his 1995 tax evasion conviction.}}
{{MetaDescription|Darryl Strawberry — eight-time MLB All-Star, four-time World Series champion, federal tax evasion case, Florida state prison time, and 2025 presidential pardon, on Prisonpedia.}}

Revision as of 13:31, 3 June 2026

Darryl Eugene Strawberry
Born: March 12, 1962
Los Angeles, California
Charges: Tax evasion (federal); cocaine possession, solicitation (state, Florida)
Sentence: 6 months home confinement, 3 years probation (1995 tax case); 18 months state prison (2002 probation violation)
Facility:
Status: Pardoned


Darryl Eugene Strawberry (born March 12, 1962) is an American former professional baseball player. He played 17 seasons in Major League Baseball as a right fielder, mostly for the New York Mets and New York Yankees. He was an eight-time All-Star, the 1983 National League Rookie of the Year, and a member of four World Series championship teams. He hit 335 home runs across his career.

Strawberry's legal record has two distinct parts. In February 1995 he pleaded guilty in federal court in White Plains, New York, to one count of tax evasion. He had failed to report most of the income he earned from autograph signings and baseball card shows between 1986 and 1990. Judge Barrington D. Parker Jr. sentenced him to six months of home confinement, three years of probation, and $350,000 in restitution.[1] Years of cocaine addiction followed. A 1999 arrest in Tampa, Florida, for cocaine possession and solicitation led to probation. He violated that probation repeatedly. In 2002 a Florida judge sent him to state prison for 18 months. He served 11 months in Gainesville and was released on April 8, 2003.[2]

He has been sober since 2007 and works in Christian recovery ministry. On November 7, 2025, President Donald Trump pardoned him for the 1995 federal tax conviction.[3]

Baseball Career

The Mets drafted Strawberry first overall in 1980 out of Crenshaw High School in Los Angeles. He debuted on May 6, 1983, at age 21. He hit 26 home runs that season and won National League Rookie of the Year.[4]

He spent eight seasons with the Mets. In 1986 he was part of the team that beat the Boston Red Sox in the World Series. In 1987 he hit 39 home runs and stole 36 bases, putting him in the 30-30 club. He led the National League in home runs in 1988, again with 39.[5] His 252 home runs as a Met stood as the franchise record until Pete Alonso passed it in 2025.[6]

Strawberry signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers as a free agent after the 1990 season. Injuries and personal problems cut into his playing time there. He joined the San Francisco Giants in 1994. That year Major League Baseball suspended him 60 days after he tested positive for cocaine, and the Giants released him.[7]

The Yankees signed him in 1995. He played a part-time role and produced in spots. In the 1996 American League Championship Series against Baltimore he batted .417 with three home runs. The Yankees won the World Series that fall. In 1998 he hit 24 home runs in 100 games. Doctors diagnosed him with colon cancer that October, and he had surgery before the World Series. He returned in 1999 and the Yankees won a third title in four years. The cancer came back in 2000. His playing career ended there.[8] He finished with 335 home runs, 1,000 RBIs, and a .259 batting average across 17 seasons.[4]

Federal Tax Evasion (1994-1995)

A federal grand jury indicted Strawberry on tax evasion charges in 1994. Prosecutors said he earned about $422,250 from autograph signings, card shows, and personal appearances between 1986 and 1990 but reported only $59,685 of it on his tax returns.[9][10]

He pleaded guilty to one count on February 9, 1995. The plea covered tax years 1989 and 1990. On April 24, 1995, U.S. District Judge Barrington D. Parker Jr. sentenced him in White Plains, New York. The sentence was six months of home confinement, three years of probation, and 100 hours of community service. The court ordered $350,000 in restitution to the Internal Revenue Service.[1] The conviction stayed on his record for 30 years, until the November 2025 pardon.

Cocaine and Solicitation Arrests (1999-2002)

On April 3, 1999, police in Tampa, Florida, arrested Strawberry. He had solicited sex from an undercover officer and was carrying a small amount of cocaine. Major League Baseball suspended him 140 days on April 24. In May he pleaded no contest and received 21 months of probation plus community service.[11] The court also imposed a 22-month prison term and suspended it on the condition that he complete drug treatment and follow probation rules.[12]

He did not complete the conditions. On September 11, 2000, he took painkillers, blacked out behind the wheel, rear-ended another car, and tried to leave before an off-duty officer stopped him at gunpoint. On October 25, 2000, he left a Tampa treatment center to use drugs, which violated his house arrest. A judge gave him 40 days in jail with credit for time served.[7] In April 2001 he again disappeared from court-ordered treatment. By the time the matter reached its final hearing, prosecutors counted six separate probation violations.[12]

Incarceration

On April 29, 2002, a Florida circuit judge sentenced Strawberry to 18 months in state prison for the probation violations.[12] The court had jailed him the previous month, on March 12, 2002, after he broke rules at the Ocala drug treatment center where he was assigned.[7]

Strawberry served his time at a state facility near Gainesville, Florida. He was released on April 8, 2003. He served 11 months of the 18-month term. Florida law required him to serve 85 percent of the sentence, and he received credit for jail time already served while awaiting the ruling.[2] Department of Corrections officials described him as a model inmate.[8]

In September 2005 prosecutors charged Strawberry with filing a false police report. He had reported his SUV stolen and later admitted the report was false. The offense was a misdemeanor and he was not jailed for it.[7]

Life After

Strawberry left prison in 2003 and turned to Christian faith and addiction recovery. He has said he has been sober since 2007.[13] He became an ordained minister. He and his wife Tracy married in 2006 and built their public work around recovery.

The couple founded Strawberry Ministries. The organization works with people in addiction, troubled teenagers, and families in crisis, and frames its work around Christian faith.[14] In St. Cloud, Florida, Strawberry opened the Darryl Strawberry Recovery Center in partnership with Oglethorpe Healthcare Inc. The center pairs detox and long-term sobriety programs with faith-based counseling.[15] The Strawberrys later started a recovery program at an Oglethorpe behavioral hospital in Longview, Texas.[13]

Darryl and Tracy Strawberry both hold roles with Liberty University's Global Center for Mental Health, Addiction, and Recovery.[16] The Mets inducted Strawberry into their team Hall of Fame in 2010.[8]

Presidential Pardon (2025)

President Donald Trump pardoned Strawberry on November 7, 2025. The pardon covered the 1995 federal tax evasion conviction.[3] A White House official said Strawberry "served time and paid back taxes after pleading guilty to one count of tax evasion" and noted that he "found faith in Christianity and has been sober for over a decade."[17]

Trump called Strawberry to tell him about the pardon. Strawberry later recounted the call: "You know you did some very bad things. But he said, 'Today, the way your life is and what you're doing, your faith and helping people and being sober, I'm giving you a full pardon.'"[18] Strawberry thanked Trump on Instagram and again on November 23, 2025, during a sermon at a church in Tulsa, Oklahoma.[19] He was the second alumnus of Trump's television show The Celebrity Apprentice to receive a pardon. He had appeared on the show in 2010.[17]

Frequently Asked Questions


Q: What did Darryl Strawberry do?

Strawberry pleaded guilty to one federal count of tax evasion in February 1995. He had reported only $59,685 of about $422,250 he earned from autograph signings and baseball card shows between 1986 and 1990. He received six months of home confinement, three years of probation, and $350,000 in restitution. He was later arrested in Florida in 1999 for cocaine possession and solicitation, and he served prison time in 2002 and 2003 for violating his probation.[9]



Q: Did Darryl Strawberry go to prison?

Yes, but not for the tax case. The 1995 tax sentence was home confinement and probation, with no prison time. Strawberry went to state prison in Florida in 2002 after repeated violations of the probation tied to his 1999 cocaine and solicitation arrest. A judge sentenced him to 18 months. He served 11 months at a facility near Gainesville and was released on April 8, 2003.[2]



Q: How long was Darryl Strawberry's tax sentence?

On April 24, 1995, Judge Barrington D. Parker Jr. sentenced Strawberry to six months of home confinement and three years of probation in federal court in White Plains, New York. The court ordered him to pay $350,000 in restitution to the IRS. He did not serve any prison time for the tax conviction.[1]



Q: Was Darryl Strawberry pardoned?

Yes. President Donald Trump pardoned Strawberry on November 7, 2025, for the 1995 federal tax evasion conviction. The White House cited his sobriety and his work in Christian recovery ministry. Trump called Strawberry directly to tell him about the pardon.[3]



Q: What was Darryl Strawberry's baseball career?

Strawberry played 17 MLB seasons from 1983 to 1999. The Mets drafted him first overall in 1980, and he won National League Rookie of the Year in 1983. He was an eight-time All-Star and won four World Series titles, one with the Mets in 1986 and three with the Yankees in 1996, 1998, and 1999. He hit 335 career home runs.[4]



Q: What does Darryl Strawberry do now?

Strawberry is an ordained Christian minister and has been sober since 2007. He and his wife Tracy founded Strawberry Ministries and the Darryl Strawberry Recovery Center in St. Cloud, Florida, which provides faith-based addiction treatment. He speaks publicly about addiction and recovery.[13]



Q: Did Darryl Strawberry have cancer?

Yes. Doctors diagnosed Strawberry with colon cancer in October 1998 and he had surgery to remove a tumor. He returned to play for the Yankees in 1999. The cancer returned in 2000 and ended his playing career.[5]


See also

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 UPI. "Strawberry gets probation for tax rap." April 24, 1995. https://www.upi.com/Archives/1995/04/24/Strawberry-gets-probation-for-tax-rap/4279798696000/
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 UPI. "Darryl Strawberry released from prison." April 8, 2003. https://www.upi.com/Top_News/2003/04/08/Darryl-Strawberry-released-from-prison/77401049819453/
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 ESPN. "Trump pardons ex-MLB star Strawberry on tax evasion, drug charges." November 7, 2025. https://www.espn.com/espn/story/_/id/46884107/trump-pardons-ex-mlb-star-strawberry-tax-evasion-drug-charges
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Baseball-Reference.com. "Darryl Strawberry." https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/s/strawda01.shtml
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Britannica. "Darryl Strawberry." https://www.britannica.com/biography/Darryl-Strawberry
  6. ↑ MLB.com. "Darryl Strawberry." https://www.mlb.com/player/darryl-strawberry-122864
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 Crime Museum. "Darryl Strawberry." https://www.crimemuseum.org/crime-library/sports-crimes-2/darryl-strawberry/
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 Society for American Baseball Research. "Darryl Strawberry." https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/darryl-strawberry/
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 Yahoo Sports. "Darryl Strawberry tax evasion, explained: Why Donald Trump pardoned former MLB star 30 years after jail time." November 2025. https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/celebrity/articles/darryl-strawberry-tax-evasion-explained-223056254.html
  10. ↑ Roanoke Times. "Strawberry pleads guilty." February 10, 1995. https://scholar.lib.vt.edu/VA-news/ROA-Times/issues/1995/rt9502/950210/02100109.htm
  11. ↑ ABC News. "Darryl Strawberry Arrested." https://abcnews.go.com/Sports/story?id=100603&page=1
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 ESPN. "Strawberry gets 18-month jail term for violating probation." April 29, 2002. https://www.espn.com/mlb/news/2002/0429/1375423.html
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 MLB.com. "Darryl Strawberry now anti-addiction minister." https://www.mlb.com/news/darryl-strawberry-now-anti-addiction-minister-c194344466
  14. ↑ Strawberry Ministries. https://findingyourway.com/strawberry-ministries.php
  15. ↑ Christian Post. "MLB Great Darryl Strawberry Opens Addiction Treatment Center." https://www.christianpost.com/news/mlb-great-darryl-strawberry-opens-addiction-treatment-center-113486
  16. ↑ Liberty University. "Darryl and Tracy Strawberry, Th.D." https://www.liberty.edu/mental-health/faculty/darryl-tracy-strawberry/
  17. ↑ 17.0 17.1 CNN. "Trump pardons MLB great Darryl Strawberry on 1995 tax evasion charge." November 7, 2025. https://www.cnn.com/2025/11/07/politics/trump-pardons-mlb-great-darryl-strawberry-on-1995-tax-evasion-charge
  18. ↑ Fox News. "Darryl Strawberry thanks Trump for pardon that makes him 'truly free and clean from all of my past.'" November 2025. https://www.foxnews.com/sports/darryl-strawberry-thanks-trump-pardon-makes-him-truly-free-clean-from-all-my-past
  19. ↑ Washington Times. "Former Mets slugger Darryl Strawberry thanks Trump for pardon during sermon at Tulsa church." November 23, 2025. https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2025/nov/23/former-mets-slugger-darryl-strawberry-thanks-trump-pardon-sermon/


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