Yankees Birthday of the Day: Darryl Strawberry

Darryl Strawberry turns 64 today, and while the slugging outfielder will always be linked to the 1986 champion Mets, the final act of his turbulent 17-year major-league career unfolded in the Bronx, where he helped transform the late-1990s Yankees from contenders into a budding dynasty.

Born March 12, 1962, in Los Angeles, Strawberry overcame an abusive home life to become the No. 1 overall pick in the 1980 draft. By 24 he owned a World Series ring, a National League Rookie of the Year trophy, two Silver Slugger awards and eight consecutive All-Star selections, but off-field drug issues derailed his stay in Queens and Los Angeles. Suspended for cocaine in 1995, he accepted an invitation from owner George Steinbrenner and resurfaced in New York as a left-handed DH, posting a 112 OPS+ as the Yankees snapped a 14-year playoff drought.

Unsigned the following winter, Strawberry resurrected his swing with the independent St. Paul Saints, hitting .435 with 18 home runs in 29 games—numbers so gaudy Steinbrenner brought him back in July 1996. He slugged three homers in the ALCS against Baltimore and walked off the White Sox with the 300th home run of his career, earning a championship ring as the Yankees captured their first title since 1978.

Limited playing time followed, yet Strawberry’s impact remained outsized. In 1998 he cracked 24 home runs in 101 games and became the first player in franchise history to swat two pinch-hit grand slams in the same season. Diagnosed with colon cancer during the ALDS, he missed the World Series sweep of San Diego but returned in 1999 to hit .327 down the stretch and slug two more postseason homers as the Yanks repeated.

A February 2000 drug violation triggered a season-long suspension and effectively ended his time in baseball, closing the book on a résumé that includes four World Series crowns, 335 lifetime home runs and a reputation—especially among teammates—for clutch swings and a whip-quick left-handed stroke that no hurler ever forgot.

Sober for more than two decades, Strawberry now frequents Yankees Old-Timers’ Day and saw the Mets retire his No. 18 in 2024. On this birthday, the organization and its fans salute the man who found redemption in pinstripes and helped restore championship glory to the Bronx.

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