NORTH LITTLE ROCK — Darryl Strawberry had to reclaim and reassemble every critical part of his life.
That included his career, his health, his sobriety — and especially his faith.
The former major-league baseball player doesn’t smash 400-foot home runs in front of 40,000 fans anymore. He appears in front of smaller crowds, describing for them the long process of reconnecting with God and living a life made better by making good decisions.
Strawberry, 58, is a highly sought-after public speaker these days, and he said Wednesday during an appearance in North Little Rock that he is much more appreciative of the new career he has forged for himself compared with the one he had 30 years ago — one that consisted of way more fame and fortune.
“No question about it. I’m much happier,” he said moments after posing for photos and signing autographs at Dickey-Stephens Park. “I’ve crossed over to a whole different life.”
Strawberry — who won four World Series rings with the New York Mets and Yankees, hit 330 career home runs and drove in 1,000 runs during a 17-year major-league career — was the keynote speaker during a fundraiser at the ballpark organized by Pathway to Freedom, a faith-based, nonprofit organization that provides counseling and services to felons in an effort to help prepare them for life outside prison.
“Programs like this are so important,” Strawberry said. “It’s such a phenomenal program because it’s about people helping people. No one gets through life on a free pass. We’ve all made mistakes. We all need help.”
Just before the sun went down, about 75 people took seats in the stands while a list of speakers — including Pathway to Freedom founder Scott McLean, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette publisher Walter E. Hussmann Jr., and Lt. Gov. Tim Griffin — talked about the goals and the effectiveness of the program.
Hussmann and Griffin are on the organization’s board of directors.
McLean said Pathway to Freedom is a “grassroots organization” that recognizes the importance of reducing the recidivism rate of those released from prison. Doing so, he said, means “changing hearts” and giving people more hope than they had before they wound up in prison.
“It takes change to make a difference,” McLean said.
Strawberry took the microphone, stood on the third-base dugout and spoke to those in the audience, some of whom are still active members of the program.
He told the audience that at one point in his life, he was cancer-ridden, in the throes of addiction and seemingly unable to stop his destructive behavior.
Numerous times, after his 1999 retirement from baseball, he wound up in and out of detention facilities and rehab clinics across central Florida. During one of his numerous court hearings, Strawberry told a judge that he had lost his will to live. He had colon cancer and was refusing his treatment. He was in debt. He said it felt like everyone in the world was laughing at him.
His mother, who is now deceased, always kept praying for him, he said.
Strawberry is now free of cancer. He is sober. He is happily married. He is also telling whoever will listen that hope is never lost, no matter how hard rock bottom feels or how low it is. Faith matters, he said.
“Jesus is the game-changer,” he told the crowd.
Dan Hoggatt of Sherwood is a volunteer with Pathway to Freedom. He attended Wednesday’s fundraiser for a chance to see Strawberry, not only because he is a sports fan but because he likes comeback stories.
“I’ve heard his testimony over the years,” Hoggatt said. “I know what he’s been through. It’s a real treat to get to see him.”
Strawberry spoke the day after the team that once signed him to a $20 million contract, the Los Angeles Dodgers, took a 1-0 lead in the World Series. He also lived in Florida for years after his playing career was over, so maybe he had a soft spot for the Tampa Bay Rays.
He admitted he has no rooting interest and was indifferent when asked about it. He played in four World Series and his teams won all four, but he doesn’t reflect on them much, not even in October.
“I’m about ministry,” Strawberry said. “I’m on a different journey. It’s nothing personal. I’m just not that person anymore.”
During the past few months, some of the greatest players in baseball history have died. Strawberry knew a few of them — Tom Seaver, Bob Gibson and Lou Brock — and noticed that people reminisced about watching them play, but soon returned to their normal lives.
Strawberry said he has learned in life that people don’t fully value others based on what that person’s accomplishments were, whether on a baseball field or elsewhere. People make their biggest impact on others on a personal level.
“I have my faith, and that’s what defines me,” he said. “I’m not defined by baseball.”