About the Author

Darryl Strawberry was born in Crenshaw, California. An eight-time All-Star, a four-time World Series Champion, and a National League Rookie of the Year, he played for the Mets, Dodgers, Giants, and Yankees during his headlining career. In 2008, Straw­berry began serving as a special ambassador for the Mets. He has five children and lives in Missouri with his wife, Tracy. 

Book Description

Former baseball slugger Darryl Strawberry, whose achievements on the field were often overshadowed by his struggles off the field, recounts the highs, the lows, and the lessons of hope and survival he learned along the way. 

The youngest son of Henry and Ruby Strawberry, Darryl grew up in a working-class neighborhood in Los Angeles, where he channeled his energy into baseball and basketball. The New York Mets drafted him in 1980, and he won the National League Rookie of the Year Award in 1983. Strawberry became the first National League player voted to the All-Star Game in each of his first four full seasons. 

Throughout the eighties and nineties, however, Strawberry faced many personal challenges, including drug use, tax evasion, solicitation, and allegations of domestic violence. His seasons with the Dodgers, Giants, and Yankees were interrupted by suspensions, visits to rehab, and treatment for colon cancer. But in 2006, Strawberry's life changed course dramatically. With his wife, Tracy, he devoted himself to his church and to his work with children and adults affected by autism and other developmental disorders. 

For the first time, in his own words, Darryl Strawberry delivers his inspirational narrative—the extraordinary story of his life. 

Editorial Reviews

"Darryl has written a profound book on the meaning of celebrity, sports and manhood. Reading his story, you follow an incredibly talented ballplayer who fell prey to his demons off the field. This is a riveting and memorable account of one man's pursuit of a meaningful life. " (David Cone)

"Straw is the story of a guy who had two strikes against him in the middle innings of life and hit one out of the park." (Reggie Jackson)

"Darryl Strawberry hit more than 300 homers and shared in four championships, but he will be remembered as much for what he didn't accomplish as for all of the things he accomplished. In Straw, he tells you why." (Buster Olney, Author of The Last Night of the Yankee Dynasty)