Darryl Strawberry, 62-year-old eight-time All-Star of the New York Mets, had his No. 18 retired by the team on Saturday.

Strawberry addressed the adoring crowd for about 15 minutes.
“Nothing like being home! First, I’d like to give honor to God. I’d like to thank Him for His grace, His mercy, and His love for my life… The greatest gift I’ve ever received, was accepting the Lord in my life. Not just becoming a baseball player, but becoming a man.”

Sports Spectrum reports, “Strawberry was the No. 1 overall pick by the Mets in 1980 out of Crenshaw High School in Los Angeles. He made his major league debut in 1983 at 21 years old, winning National League Rookie of the Year. He made his first of eight consecutive All-Star teams the following season, and two years later led the Mets to the team’s latest World Series title.”

“Strawberry amassed 335 home runs in a career that was in part derailed by his well-documented alcohol and drug abuse.” Since his darkest days — Strawberry has become a devout follower of Christ. He now travels around, preaching the Good News of the Gospel.

His heart attack in March disrupted his travel plans, and on Saturday, Strawberry revealed just how severe it was. “I came close to losing my life, I’m sitting here because it’s a gift from the Lord and I don’t take it for granted.”

“There are so many wonderful things I can sit here and say ‘thank you’ for and be thankful for,” Strawberry began. “For us to be here, and being able to share the Good News of Jesus Christ and His love for us no matter what we go through.”
He continued later, “I can see this [heart attack] as another open door to reach more people for God, to show them that faith is the most important part of your life and that you have to be able to hold onto your faith regardless of the circumstances of life. If God’s gonna call me to preach about storms — being in a storm, coming out of a storm, storms on the way — then I gotta live that too.”

“The Gospel is the truth. Jesus said it in John 14:6 — ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.’ He is the way. And knowing that Easter was yesterday, and that He got up with all power in His hands for us, that’s what we gotta learn to live. We gotta learn to live the book. Which book? Not just any book, but I’m talking about the Bible.

“Strawberry said his Bible is the most important item he has. “Something great happened when I picked this Bible up,” he said. “I couldn’t put it down, and it was never done. I think people need to understand that it’s so alive, it’s so rich, it’s so well written, it’s for us and it’s for us to live out this life this way. … I think that’s what we all come to realize when we do find the cross and find a relationship with Jesus. He uses every last one of us when we come to the end of ourselves and say, ‘It’s not me, it is He that is great inside of me’ that helps others come to know they can live this way.”

I Love Baseball. When I watched Darryl start playing in 83, I thought to myself, DADGUM that kid Can Play !!
Anyway It warms my soul to see him accept the Lord and Preach the Gospel
Especially in front of a bunch of liberal New Yorkers ....... 🕊🙏🏻🕊

I thought My Sister here would appreciate this. Maybe even a couple Brothers too.

I know that it touched my Heart.
To be a better Man. IF and when
the Father puts the right woman in front of me again. I am gunna
"get more Hangers" ...🥲