Trump Pardons Ex-mets Star Darryl Strawberry Over Past Tax And Drug Conviction

Donald Trump has pardoned erstwhile New York Mets awesome Darryl Strawberry connected past taxation evasion and supplier charges, citing nan 1983 National League Rookie of nan Year’s post-career clasp of his Christian religion and longtime sobriety.

Strawberry was an outfielder and eight-time All-Star, including 7 pinch nan Mets from 1983 done 1990. He deed 335 homers and had 1,000 RBIs and 221 stolen bases successful 17 seasons.

Plagued by later legal, wellness and individual problems, Strawberry was indicted for taxation evasion and yet pleaded blameworthy successful 1995 to a azygous felony count. That was based connected his nonaccomplishment to study $350,000 successful income from autographs, individual appearances and income of memorabilia.

Strawberry agreed to salary much than $430,000 arsenic portion of nan case. He was diagnosed pinch colon crab and underwent room and chemotherapy successful 1998.

The pursuing year, Strawberry was sentenced to probation and suspended from shot aft pleading nary title to charges of possession of cocaine and soliciting a prostitute. He yet said successful tribunal astir struggling pinch depression, and was charged pinch violating his probation galore times – including connected his 40th day successful 2002.

Strawberry yet served 11 months successful Florida authorities prison, and was released successful 2003.

A White House charismatic said Friday that Trump approved a pardon for Strawberry, who had served clip and paid backmost taxes. Speaking connected information of anonymity to item a pardon that had not yet been formally announced, nan charismatic noted that Strawberry recovered religion successful Christianity and has been sober for much than a decade, and that he’d go progressive successful ministry and started a still-active betterment center.

Strawberry posted connected Instagram a image of himself and Trump and wrote, “Thank you, President @realdonaldtrump for my afloat pardon and for finalizing this portion of my life, allowing maine to beryllium genuinely free and cleanable from each of my past.”

He described being location Thursday afternoon, caring for his wife, who was recovering from surgery, “when my telephone kept ringing relentlessly.”

“Half asleep, I glanced complete and saw a telephone from Washington DC. Curious, I answered, and to my amazement, nan woman connected nan statement said, ‘Darryl Strawberry, you person a telephone from nan President of nan United States, Donald Trump,’” Strawberry wrote. “I put it connected speakerphone pinch my woman nearby, and President Trump said warmly astir my shot days successful NYC, praising maine arsenic 1 nan top subordinate of nan ’80s and celebrating nan Mets. Then, he told maine he was granting maine a afloat pardon from my past.”

Trump was a New York existent property mogul earlier becoming a reality tv prima and doubly winning nan presidency.

Strawberry said he was “overwhelmed pinch gratitude — thanking God for mounting maine free from my past, helping maine go a amended Man, Husband and Father.”

“This acquisition has deepened my religion and committedness to moving for His kingdom arsenic a existent follower of Jesus Christ,” Strawberry wrote, while besides noting, “This has thing to do pinch authorities – it’s astir a Man, President Trump, caring profoundly for a friend. God utilized him arsenic a alloy to group maine free forever!”

Darryl Strawberry, center, plays referee pinch Doc Gooden and Mike Tyson during his New York Mets heyday. Photograph: New York Daily News Archive/NY Daily News/Getty Images

The president has wide law powers to assistance pardons, which don’t expunge nan recipient’s criminal grounds but tin beryllium seen arsenic acts of justness aliases mercy, often successful cases that tin further nationalist welfare.

Strawberry’s followed Trump issuing pardons this week for a erstwhile Republican speaker of nan Tennessee House and a onetime adjutant connected nationalist corruption charges. It besides adds to a database of celebrities and governmental friends who person likewise received improbable pardons – including a erstwhile Republican politician of Connecticut, an ex-GOP congressman and reality TV stars who had been convicted of cheating banks and evading taxes.

Strawberry played for nan Mets, New York Yankees, Los Angeles Dodgers and San Francisco Giants betwixt 1983 and 1999. He won nan World Series pinch nan 1986 Mets, starring alongside nan likes of Dwight Gooden and Keith Hernandez, and pinch nan Yankees successful 1996, 1998 and 1999.

Strawberry was hospitalized pinch a bosom onslaught successful March 2024, a time earlier he turned 62. That aforesaid year, nan Mets retired his No. 18 and an affectional Strawberry told nan Citi Field crowd: “I’m truly, profoundly sorry that I ever near you guys. I ne'er played shot successful beforehand of fans greater than you guys.”