This transcript was automatically generated and might contain errors.

[0:08] Al Malafronte: Hello and welcome to the Break a Bat Podcast where baseball meets Broadway. An attempt to show that my two favorite mediums don't have to live in such separate worlds and maybe even break some stigmas. We're happy to have you with us. Now let's play ball.

[0:25] Al Malafronte: Hello and welcome to Break a Bat where baseball meets Broadway. I'm your host, Al Malafronte, coming at you for the Broadway Podcast Network. Today we're joined by one of the most talented ball players to ever perform on Broadway. At two of Broadway's most famous theaters in Shane Yankee Stadium, my guest tonight was known for his beautiful swing, incredible power, and brilliant instincts on the base paths over the course of 17 seasons in the big leagues. He's just written a new book with Lee Weeks titled Turn Your Season Around: How God Transforms Your Life. An eight-time All-Star, a four-time World Series champion. Whether you're a Met or a Yankee fan, you just love this guy. Now batting Darryl Strawberry.

[1:06] Darryl Strawberry: Al, welcome to Break a Bat.

[1:09] Darryl Strawberry: All right. Thanks for having me, Al. So I'm batting again. I didn't know I was batting again. I haven't got into battles box in a long time, but I guess it's good to be back in the battles box.

[1:20] Al Malafronte: Well, I know I'm not exactly Bob Shepherd introducing you, but hopefully that introduction did you some justice, right?

[1:26] Darryl Strawberry: Oh, it did. It was great. I appreciate it. Thanks for having me.

[1:29] Al Malafronte: Oh, it's my pleasure. You know, one thing they got to update on your baseball reference is that you're a New York Times best-selling author. You're just crushing it in retirement, man. Congratulations on all the success.

[1:40] Darryl Strawberry: Yeah, thank you. I appreciate it. You know, after baseball, life has to change, you know. And you know, a lot of guys never get to that place and they still stay stuck with the uniform on. So I kind of removed the uniform off and kind of just move forward.

[1:54] Al Malafronte: You know, your legacy performing here in the city is really as great as anyone's, and I have to tell you how inspired I was reading your book because some of the things you just talked about, in many ways, though, I could really relate to it because, like I try to do with this podcast, you literally took the two things you're most passionate about and used them to parallel one another. And for you, that's baseball and your faith. And I know you've written some books in the past, but you know, what inspired you to take that sort of approach and turn your season around?

[2:21] Darryl Strawberry: Well, it was just a different project. I had written books before. Stroll, you know, New York Times bestseller. I really written the book, Don't Give Up on Me talking about addiction. But I really never got into a book about my faith. And Turn Your Season Around, How God Transforms Your Life was really the book that I've always been waiting to write for a very long time because what I've been doing for a very long time has been totally opposite from what I used to do, you know, putting on a uniform, hitting home runs and playing ball games. But, you know, I got into a field of helping people and you know, got into ministry and everything and just started loving people and helping and caring for people that were having struggles and people that didn't believe.

And you know, I just felt like that this was the time. I didn't know I'd be in the midst of a pandemic when I was writing the book, but I guess the title works out well for, you know, turn your season around because after 2020, you're coming into 2021. We're all gonna have to turn our season around for the better. So, you know, hopefully the book fits right into where people are at. And my hope is that they will read it where it will encourage them, you know, to be able to not lose sight that it's over and that their life doesn't matter, you know, all kind of things because it's gonna give you all kind of information and revelation about yourself through the word of God at the same time.

[3:43] Al Malafronte: And how tough was that for you to discover while you were playing? I know you obviously faced your share of adversity, but um, you know, is that something that you struggled with, you know, during your playing days?

[3:53] Darryl Strawberry: Oh, no question. I think most guys do struggle with that. I don't think a lot of guys walk in faith because of the lifestyle. The lifestyle was pretty much set up for, you know, do whatever you like, have fun. Um, and it's kind of loose, and there's really not a lot of principles laid out in a lifestyle being a professional athlete. You know, you do whatever you want, you're making millions of dollars. Who's gonna tell you what to do? Nobody. You know, so you kind of weave your way through life and weave your way through things that you think are good or think are not good. You know, and most of them are really not good. You know, the lifestyle is very fast and it's very expensive too. It costs you more than you can ever imagine.

And it'll cost you your marriage, it'll cost you your family, and it may cost you your life, you know, and some people do end up losing their life in the midst of it and not having a great career because you know, all the things that are at your fingertips, when you know, when they dangling at your fingertips, like here, you can have this and you can have that.

[4:53] Al Malafronte: You know, Darryl, you were certainly blessed with God-given talent, but you know, one parallel that I loved was when you talk about your favorite home run that you hit off Nolan Ryan in that LCS in 1986. You know, you had a tough series up to that point, but you talked about hitting that home run enlightened you to not dwell on past mistakes. It's very much the same here for Broadway performers. You know, you can't go into each audition thinking about the last one that didn't go so well. You faced a lot of challenges after 1986, and while, you know, you certainly had that God-given talent that I mentioned earlier. Was it ever tough to not dwell on your past mistakes? You know, when you were trying to pick yourself up after some pretty tough falls?

[5:31] Darryl Strawberry: No, not really. I started moving forward because I had such a beautiful wife, you know, and she was so strong. And she was not stronger than I was at the time, and she kept pushing me forward. And I think that's the reason why I sit here today and I'm the man I am today, and all the different things I've really have accomplished is because of her pushing me. And when everybody else had given up on me and turned, turned and looked the other way, you know, because of all the trials and tribulations. She became the most important person in my life, leading me and making me understand that there was a greater purpose than just putting on the uniform. I think a lot of times as athletes, you can't see far than that, no far than what you put a uniform on, and you think that's just it, you know.

And it's really not, that's just the beginning of your life, and there's a second half of your life. So my wife encouraged me to live the second half of my life, be the best half of my second life, and do the right things in the second half of my life. And I'm so grateful for her, you know, being in my life and really helping me get through some really hard times.

[6:34] Al Malafronte: You know, I think the ministry work that you and your wife do is just absolutely incredible. And I know you have a really strong following of people who you've been able to help over the years. Another thing that you had mentioned in the book was about how much Gary Carter also inspired you to be an all-star both on and off the field. And he was a man of great faith as well. Can you take the folks at home a little through your relationship with Gary and how that helped you get to where you are today?

[6:57] Darryl Strawberry: Well, Gary was just a phenomenal person. I think a lot of people, you know, really didn't understand him because he was so happy and he was always smiling. And the reason why he was happy and he was smiling was because he was free. He had a relationship with Christ. He didn't have a relationship with the baseball uniform or the fame and the fortune. He had a real relationship with God. And he didn't condemn anybody. Him and Mookie Wilson lived a just a separate life. You know, they were always to go out to dinner with her. They were always nice. And, you know, when it was time to go back to the hotel, they would get in the taxi and they will head back to the hotel and the rest of us would be headed out somewhere, you know, to party all night or something like that.

But you know, when you see players like that and you realize that they live like that, that's a blessing. You know, Carter was more concerned about his family and his family life and his kids, and he wasn't consumed with the lifestyle. And so many, I was young, I was consumed with the lifestyle. So many other players were so consumed with the lifestyle. And some guys laughed at him and thought it was funny because you know, he would drink milk all the time, you know. I wish I could have drink milk all the time, you know. No question about it. I mean, his impact, the Mookie Wilson impact impacted my life, made me realize that it can't be done. And you can take the uniform off and you can live a productive life and don't have to be the baseball player all the time and be on.

[8:21] Al Malafronte: Well, you know, Darryl, I think given the times that we're living in, if a lot more people had a heart that embraces humility, like you say in the book, much like Gary did and you do now, they'd be a lot better off. And uh, you know, I'm not gonna sit here and say that playing on the 86 Mets was a simpler time for you personally, but on the baseball front, I do have to ask, you know, when you look back on a sports pinnacle like that now, you know, especially winning the World Series the way you did, does it seem surreal that this year marks the 35th anniversary of that team? Or in some ways does it feel like it was just yesterday?

[8:52] Darryl Strawberry: No, it's been a long time, you know, since that championship, you know, and then you remember you will always remember it because of the memories and the way we had to go through it, and you know, being down in that series we had to play against Houston and then being down against Boston, then almost being over, and them saying congratulations to the Boston Red Sox. And, you know, it's never over till it's over. And we realized that to the end part of it, you know, we just had to continue to play. And we went through it. You know, what a team. What a team to start off that year. I think people look at the end of the year, yeah, we became the champs, but what a team that started off the year that we started off in spring training from day one.

We knew from day one in spring training that we were going to go all the way and win it. That was our goal. We set our goals early. And I think when you don't set your goals early, I kinda, a lot of teams do set them early, but they fall into the middle of the trap and they don't play as well. But we set our goals from day one and we pushed all the way through to the end.

[9:53] Al Malafronte: And it's amazing with everything going on off the field, you know, all that craziness, the fact that you guys were able to accomplish what you did is, you know, just truly incredible. I you know, I'm a Manhassa guy originally, by the way. Lived in Port for a couple years as a young kid, but not gonna lie, with some of the stories I've heard, is it kind of amazing that Finn McCools is still standing today, Darryl?

[10:13] Darryl Strawberry: Finn McCool's, yeah, that was one of our favorite places in Port Washington. I mean, it was just it was a place where a lot of players lived in that area, and we all kind of went there and we just hung out. The people there loved us, they were nice, they were always Met fans, and you know, it was just a fun time, you know, back in the 80s, like we had you didn't have all the social media outlets where people could be video you and filming you, and you could just be who you were. And I think the people respected us, you know, because the fact is, you know, we were a team. We were a team on the field that was just completely dominated other teams. And I think people love that, the fact that they saw that when we were bad boys, we had a little chip on our shoulders.

We had a little swagger about ourselves. But at the same time, when they saw us on the field, they were like these guys are gangbusters. You know, they play together. You don't, they fight, they fight, they don't let teams come in and bully them and stuff. They don't back down from anybody. So I think that's what was important in those days of fans seeing baseball. You know, you don't see a lot of that no more. But back in those days, that's what it was like for us.

[11:15] Al Malafronte: Yeah, it's just so different today. You couldn't get away with half the stuff.

[11:17] Darryl Strawberry: Or even more, you can't get away with anything. These days, everyone always has a cell phone out, that's for sure.

[11:24] Al Malafronte: I do have to know, is it true that you guys used to drag race on Port Boulevard?

[11:28] Darryl Strawberry: I'm quite sure we did.

[11:29] Darryl Strawberry: You know, a lot of guys did, you know. We had a lot of guys with a lot of personality. So we had a big personality team. So everybody did a little bit of everything. Uh, it wouldn't surprise me if some of them I never got down there and drag race, but I'm quite sure Lenny lived over there, and you know, a lot of other guys lived over there, Bobby O'Hita, Doc, uh, Sid, a bunch of guys lived in that area.

[11:52] Al Malafronte: That's so funny. And you know, Port Washington's a stone's throw from Manhattan. And as you know, we are on the Broadway Podcast Network, and we're just so excited to have you on today. Uh, in the spirit of our show, were you catching many Broadway shows back in your playing days or even now in retirement?

[12:07] Darryl Strawberry: I didn't, you know, I didn't go into Manhattan a lot, you know, in my days of playing. I lived out in Long Island, I live in Port Washington, I lived in Rosalind. So I spent most of the time in Long Island area, you know, with my family, because I had a family. And I think a lot of guys went in the city a lot. Some guys lived in the city back in those days. I know Hernandez and Darling, those guys, Rusty Staub, they were like city guys, you know, so they entertained a lot of plays and a lot of different things. You know, I had a lot of opportunities to go, but I just never went.

[12:35] Al Malafronte: Now, Darryl, these days, are you rocking the '86 Mets ring or the '98 Yankees ring?

[12:40] Darryl Strawberry: Well, I don't rock any of them. You know, I just, you know, I remove myself from all of that, you know. But I cherish, you know, the World Series that I played in with the Mets, uh, with the Mets and with the Yankees, you know. Um, you know, it's memories that you could never take away. Those are memories that you always remember the importance of what it was like playing in New York. And I think more than anything, what it's like winning in New York. You that's the most incredible feeling that a player goes through when you win in New York.

[13:08] Al Malafronte: You were all about winning. Do you think that's why George Steinbrenner took such a liking to you?

[13:13] Darryl Strawberry: I think so. I think he knew that underneath that it was, you know, a winning attitude about being the best. And you know, he saw me for years, you know, and when I finally got over to there, he said he just watched me from a distance and saw me for years. And he just knew he said, when you were a free agent, you know, I would never let you leave New York, you know, and when you became a free agent, but he was he was out then, you know, he was suspended from baseball. So, you know, he couldn't be there. So that's why I went out west. So I because I didn't even think the Yankees wanted any parts of me when I became a free agent. Had I known that, I surely would have stayed in New York, trust me, because New York is a fun place to play.

[13:56] Al Malafronte: When you look back on it now, do you regret going to LA?

[14:00] Darryl Strawberry: Uh, I probably do. You know, and nothing, nothing to do with LA. You know, it has to do with me being an East Coast player and learning what the fans were like and on the East Coast compared to the West Coast. And, you know, great fans, you know, just different, you know. Um, East Coast fans playing the New York fans, they are really crazy about, you know, winning. They're crazy about when you play well and they're crazy when you don't play well. So they let you know, you know. So there was a big difference of playing baseball from the East Coast to the West Coast.

[14:37] Al Malafronte: You know, we talk about great baseball theater here on Broadway and just how intense the fans can get. Um, and I know the '96 World Series was obviously pretty amazing, but I think that really one of the craziest I've ever seen at Yankee Stadium was that night in June of '98 against the Baltimore Orioles. And um, you know, I don't think I've ever seen a wilder brawl than that night, you know, when you guys took on Armando Benitez or when he tried to take on you, I should say. Can you take me through your vantage point rushing from the dugout to the mound after Benitez decided to drill Tino in the back and all the craziness that ensued after?

[15:11] Darryl Strawberry: That's just frustration. You know, you frustrated a guy, you know, Bernie hits a grand slam off of him next guy up, you know, he hits him right in the back and then he looks in our dugout like throws his hand up. You know, and that's it. You know, you asked for it there, you know. We the fight is on. However we're gonna get to you, we had to get to him. It just had to make sense for us to get into a fight with him to show them that we're not playing. And I think, you know, a lot of teams respected us for that and understood that, you know, we're the Yankees, we don't play. Um, you know, you can't just drill a guy just because the guy put a big run home run off you in a situation and the next guy had nothing to do with it.

So, you know, it's all about respect, man. When you have a uniform on, uh, you gotta respect. If you don't respect, you know, who we are, then we gotta take your business. That's just the way it is, you know. That's the way the game is supposed to be, you know. That's the way I learned the game in my years of playing, you know, when somebody wanted to do something that and say, look at me, then we had to make sure that they pay a price for it.

[16:14] Al Malafronte: And you know, you mentioned that like, you know, band of brothers mentality before with the '86 Mets. Do you think, you know, the Yankees have primarily been known, you know, for having a more corporate type of structure in the clubhouse. Do you think that that really brought you guys together, even though you were having a lot of success up until that point?

[16:30] Darryl Strawberry: Well, I don't know. I you know, I think we all knew that as a team, who we were. And it just brought a great deal of respect, you know, on all of us, you know, for doing what we did to protect Tino because he was one of our key players, and we just know you can't be hitting our key players in any type of situation. So you're gonna have to pay a price for that.

[16:50] Al Malafronte: Now, Darryl, my favorite moment of yours actually comes in my first real year of following baseball. Um, and it was the '99 ALCS. And to this day, I know the '98 Yankees won 125 games, but that '99 Yankee team that went 11 and 1 in the playoffs, I think is the greatest postseason team I've ever seen. Uh, you won the World Series, you personally absolutely crushed it down the stretch. That October, the Yankees and Red Sox faced off in the playoffs for the first time in history. You had a bit of a rocky relationship with Red Sox fans throughout your career, going back to '86. What do you remember about the rivalry that particular season and then your sweet revenge in game four of that LCS?

[17:28] Darryl Strawberry: Well, it's a great rivalry, you know, but with the Red Sox. It always will be, you know, it goes back in the history of Yankee baseball and Red Sox baseball, you know, because the Yankees are the crown, you know. They over everything, you know, and then National, I mean American League I don't think about the National League East, you know, but um American League and you know, it's up to the Red Sox to be able to come up and try to beat them in those type of situations and they just could never beat us in those times, you know. Um, they would go on later on to win, but they wouldn't be beating us in those years, you know. We had some really, really good teams, you know, for the Yankees, you know, that '96, '98, '99 team they were strong and we just had players, man.

We had players that came out to play, it didn't matter, you know. Joe Torre knew that he just could rely on whoever he put in the lineup that we can get the job done and that's what it was all about. But it was always great beating the Red Sox, I can tell you that anytime you play any kind of New York baseball beating the Red Sox is a big thing, it's a big deal.

[18:34] Al Malafronte: Yeah, you talk about some of the talent on those teams. Did you know Jeter was going to be a star right away?

[18:34] Darryl Strawberry: Oh yeah, you could tell that in '95 when he came up and they didn't even play him in '95. And you know, I played with him down in Columbus and I saw him down there and I said dude, you're gonna be in the big leagues and you're gonna play, you're gonna play up there, you're gonna be good. And you could realize that he had everything that it takes to be a leader and when he was young and when he got to the big leagues he just rolled it out, you know, the way he played the game. He ran hard, he was consistent and the good thing about Jeter is he's never said a bad thing about anybody. I've never heard him say one bad thing about anybody.

[19:15] Al Malafronte: And that's a real class act because that's hard to do when you got other players that envy you and have jealousy towards you, and you don't say anything about them. They say some things about you, but you don't say anything about them. I mean I would have back in those days, I probably would have clocked somebody in the mouth. You know, I know I was. I wasn't that type of guy you could just run off and say some things, you know. And but Jeter, I respect Jeter for that. I respect him that he's never said a bad thing about anybody.

[19:42] Al Malafronte: So are you saying that if you were in Derek Jeter's shoes, you would have clocked A-Rod in the mouth?

[19:47] Darryl Strawberry: No, I'm not saying that. You know, I'm just saying that, you know, back in my days when I was playing, you know, I'm saying Jeter wasn't that person. He just let it roll off his sleeves and keep on moving. And I respect him for that. That's a class act. That's what you call a class act player.

[20:03] Al Malafronte: Oh, absolutely. And you know, you guys just had such a great team. There was so much depth. Um, let me ask you, does it bother you in some ways, you know, being an old school guy? And I know you're a little separated from baseball now, but the fact that there's this like lack of intensity at times and hatred of the opponent in today's baseball, does that you know frustrate you in any way?

[20:24] Darryl Strawberry: No, not at all. I mean, that's for those guys to figure that out. You know, there was no real friendship, you know, with us when we were playing against teams like the Cardinals. You know, we hated them and they hated us, you know. And once we was on the field, it was all business. You know, if I saw you off the field, I'll say hello, you know, no big deal. But you know, you ain't gonna be my buddy pal, and I'm not gonna be playing around with you on the field when I'm trying to kick your behind. That's just that's not gonna happen. That wasn't happening in the '80s for us, you know. When we came out, we were gangbusters, and we just let people know that we were coming out to bury you. You especially when I was playing at the Mets, you know, in the early '80s. If you came to Shea, you'd be lucky to get one game out of a four-game series because we weren't playing around.

[21:07] Al Malafronte: And I know you've said in recent years that you think that the '86 Mets would beat the '98 Yankees. And I mean, obviously, both teams had phenomenal records and you know, great camaraderie. But do you think that that's sort of the reason, you know, kind of tying back to that intensity that you guys had in the mid '80s?

[21:23] Darryl Strawberry: Well, yeah, I think for me, the '86 Mets were a team, the intensity level was so high, you know, we just we refused to lose. You know, that's just the way it was. You know, we just we started that year off, and man, we won the division by I don't know what, 20 games or something, maybe, you know. We just ran away with the division. It wasn't even close, you know. So we had so much room to give, and we still buried people. We won a hundred uh 108 games total that year, you know. And but you look at the kind of players, you know, that we had, um, they didn't back down. That's what I liked about, you know, the '86 Mets, you know. And going to the Yankees in the '90s was just a different time, you know.

You had a lot of great players, but you know, they lived clean, you know, clean lives and everything. It wasn't wild and crazy. You know, we were a little bit wild and crazy in the '80s, off, you know, off the block a little bit. You know, we didn't play around. We loved to fight, you know, we loved to get into fights, you know. It was just a part of who we were.

[22:26] Darryl Strawberry: And one thing that you touched on in the book too is that, you know, in so many ways, everything you've gone through, you're such a survivor, Darryl. And you know, does it ever upset you to, you know, see some of your teammates from the '86 Mets who haven't necessarily gotten their act together, let's say like a Lenny Dykstra or a Doc Gooden?

[22:44] Darryl Strawberry: Doesn't upset me, you know, it's just it you're just concerned about their well-being, you know, that they would, you know, get better and get past, you know, some of the things that we were doing back in our younger days. Because you can't do it forever, you know, you can't live like that forever.

[22:58] Darryl Strawberry: Eventually it's gonna catch up to you, you know, and you can eventually die, you know, especially from drugs, you know. You so many celebrities have OD'd and died in the last I don't know, decade or so, you know, just because nobody ever said they had problems. All you have to do is admit you have a problem and try to work through it and try to really get some serious help and try to turn the page on your life. But that doesn't happen until you take off the uniform, you know. It's nothing wrong with celebrating, you know, that we play, but that's not who I am anymore, you know. And I think so many guys still live in that, you know, that I'm still this, I'm still that. No, you're not. I don't you we don't play anymore.

We're we're we're you're you're a fan now of baseball. You just like everybody else, you watch it. Yes, you're you're a part of the family. We will always be a part of the baseball family, but I'm not a player anymore, so I don't really get caught up into that I have to be in the front line talking about baseball or being on the field or uh it's good for some people, that's what they want to do, but that wasn't what it was for me. I needed to do a different life and you know, I'm glad I fell into the life that I fell into.

[23:58] Al Malafronte: You know, I'm glad that you did too, Darryl. And you know, it served you well in so many ways. And I know for a lot of guys, you know, it's such a big ego thing. And you know, we see that a lot in Broadway too. You know, that's um, you know, just being able to separate yourself from the uniform or the stage. Um, you know, it really gets in the way of your pride sometimes. And you know, I think the fact that you've been able to accomplish everything that you have is just absolutely incredible.

[24:27] Darryl Strawberry: Well, thank you. I think it's important that you get rid of the ego. Ego's a three-letter word, easing God out. See, and that's what happens to so many of us. We ease God out and it becomes about us. And and then there's no room because when it's when it becomes about you, then there's no room for growth. You can't grow, you know, because there's no room for you there. Because, you know, don't you know who I am? That's what so many people live on instead of living on the humility of who we are and be grateful that we had the opportunity and the time to do what we did. And your time is over. You must you must you must pass and move forward. And I think a lot of guys can't get past the past and move forward.

[25:11] Al Malafronte: You know, speaking of moving forward, Darryl, obviously you have quite a bit of excitement over in Queens right now. I'm sure there's no one happier than you that the Wilpons are out. I know in recent years because of the Wilpons, you know, your relationship with the Mets has been slightly fractured. Have you had a chance to speak with Steve Cohen at all since he bought the team?

[25:30] Darryl Strawberry: No, I haven't and it's not important to me you know if they reach out to me they do. If they don't I'm still good you know and and it has nothing to do with them. Yeah the relationship that was with the other ownership was you know just not good at all so I stay away from the ballpark stayed away from baseball and everything. But I see that this um new organization that's coming with the match and with Steve there and and what he's doing he's doing a lot of great things and moving the team in the right direction and and trying to build their fan base back up because that's the most important thing is is your fans you know you got to get your fans to the ballpark so they can be excited about your team not just a one year hit or miss you know the Yankees are good.

The Yankees will always be in it. They're going to be consistent excuse me they're going to be consistently in it at the top. You know, and you got to be with that in New York. So the Mets got some work to do, but you know, they look like they're starting to do it and move in that direction. So I tip my hat to them. I'm not looking for anything. I'm not looking for a job or anything. That's I have a great job working for the Lord, and I'm good with that. And I just hope they can get back on the right track, you know, and be consistent just year after year, bring a team that has a chance to win. I think that's what the fans are looking for. You don't have to win every year, but just keep us in it. Let us go through September's where we might lose one by one or two games, but we're in it, and that's the most important thing.

[26:54] Al Malafronte: Right. And it's not like you're in a situation now where you have to force Pedro Martinez uh out there with uh you know a sore elbow just to try to sell tickets on the Saturday night. So hopefully, hopefully this is a bit of a different direction.

[27:07] Darryl Strawberry: Well, I think they are headed in a different direction. I think, you know, this th those those past years are are gone. You leave them alone, you know. If I could have shoulda, that's over. Now move forward. You got the new coming in, you got Steve coming in taking over as the owner, and you got Sandy coming back. And and Sandy's a baseball man, he knows baseball, and he's been around baseball a long time and he knows how to build. He knows what's important. Build your farm system, build the younger players down there, develop them. You know, that's why the Yankees are so good and been so good. You know, they develop guys in their farm system and they come up and play at the major league level. Mets have to get back to doing that because that's what the farm system used to be like in the days when I were playing. We built that up, and a lot of young players came through there and we played at the major league level.

[27:55] Al Malafronte: Yeah, no, it would be so great for the city just to have both teams be competitive like that. And uh, you know, I mentioned the illusion earlier of you being in the batter's box, Darryl. There's a uh little segment that we use to wrap every show here uh on Break A Bat. It's called Fastball Derby. Um I want you to picture yourself in the ninth inning. There's two outs, games on the line. Aroldis Chapman is on the mound throwing 105 miles an hour. You gotta think quick, but you're also a master storyteller, so feel free to throw some stories in there. Uh, I'll ask you a question and you tell me what comes to mind. How does that sound?

[28:29] Darryl Strawberry: Sounds great.

[28:30] Al Malafronte: Awesome. Favorite New York City meal.

[28:35] Darryl Strawberry: Ribs.

[28:38] Al Malafronte: If you could be the lead in one Broadway musical, what would it be?

[28:44] Darryl Strawberry: Maybe the Temptations.

[28:47] Al Malafronte: Temptations, okay.

[28:49] Darryl Strawberry: I like being too proud.

[28:51] Al Malafronte: Yeah. That's a great choice. Did you see the Hamilton movie by any chance?

[28:56] Darryl Strawberry: I didn't.

[28:57] Al Malafronte: No, I didn't. But I heard the Temptations were great on Broadway.

[29:02] Darryl Strawberry: That would be a good role for you. Maybe we could get like we could get Doc in there. We could get, I'm trying to think of some of your more, you know, uh charismatic teammates. Tino could be fun in that show. You played with a lot of great characters, so I'm sure we could find some uh good guys in that.

[29:17] Darryl Strawberry: Yeah, I heard it was good. I never got a chance to see it, though.

[29:21] Al Malafronte: Your all-time favorite film.

[29:25] Darryl Strawberry: The one who flew over the cuckoo nest.

[29:29] Al Malafronte: Classic. America's Band, The Beach Boys or the Eagles.

[29:34] Darryl Strawberry: Uh The Beach Boys.

[29:38] Al Malafronte: Toughest pitcher you ever had to face.

[29:41] Darryl Strawberry: Nolan Ryan.

[29:43] Al Malafronte: How about a guy you owned?

[29:46] Darryl Strawberry: Um Tom Browning.

[29:51] Al Malafronte: I know this one may be difficult because they were both teammates of yours. Bonds and Clemens. Do you put them in the Hall of Fame?

[29:58] Darryl Strawberry: Yes.

[30:00] Al Malafronte: How about A-Rod?

[30:04] Darryl Strawberry: Yes, he should be in too.

[30:06] Darryl Strawberry: If you go put other players in, you gotta put those guys in. There's a lot of question marks about a lot of players that just got in.

[30:15] Al Malafronte: So very fair point. You can have dinner with three players in baseball history. Who would they be?

[30:25] Darryl Strawberry: Oh, who would they be? Uh Pete Rose. Probably uh Roberto Clemente. And probably Willie Mays.

[30:42] Al Malafronte: Most embarrassing on the field moment.

[30:46] Darryl Strawberry: Well, I think it was we're in Cincinnati, and we got it, it was a game, and I just and fly ball came to me, bases remote and I loathed under it and thought I had it and made a play, and the ball went past me, and it was all three runs scored. It was just the most embarrassing moment.

[31:06] Al Malafronte: Proudest moment of your career.

[31:08] Darryl Strawberry: Proudest moment is was winning. Um overall just winning uh was a very proud moment. I don't take individual situations or anything like that. I take it overall winning.

[31:22] Al Malafronte: And what's the best piece of advice anyone ever gave you?

[31:26] Darryl Strawberry: Don't ever give up. Keep fighting. No matter what.

[31:36] Al Malafronte: Well, I think that's just so perfect, you know, when it comes to your story, Darryl. And um, you know, I hope all the folks at home order a copy of your book. Um, you know, last question on that front is you know, if there's one takeaway for folks who go out and return your season around, what do you hope that that is?

[31:53] Darryl Strawberry: Well, I would hope that they would understand the grace that God gives to us that we don't deserve. Every day that we wake up, he allows us to wake up because we don't have to wake up. That's not a guaranteed. And when we do wake up, there's the grace that he's given to us to be able to extend to somebody else. And what I mean by that, people have to learn to forgive others. And my chapter five, I talk about the forgiveness that I gave to my father, you know, for his him rejecting me and my family and left us crippled like he did and left us scarred. But God would give me the grace and he'll show me how to give it to my father. So I hope people will learn the importance of that. That grace is something I don't deserve, but God's giving it to me anyway.

[32:39] Al Malafronte: You just have so many wonderful parables in there. And uh, you know, if everyone wants to connect with what you're doing, Darryl, on the ministry front, on social media, um, where's the best place for them to find you?

[32:50] Darryl Strawberry: You can go to finding your way.com. That's our ministry page. And my social media is Darryl Strawberry18, um, Instagram, and I'm on Facebook, Darryl Strawberry.

[33:03] Al Malafronte: So that's awesome. Well, Darryl, this was truly such an honor. Uh, last question for you, and I gotta know. We've got spring training coming up in a few weeks here. You think the Yanks are gonna go all the way this year?

[33:17] Darryl Strawberry: They surely have a good chance. They have a good chance every year. They they have a powerhouse team, and you know, if they can get their pitching straightened out, you know, they'll they'll be right back in it again, no question about it.

[33:28] Al Malafronte: Awesome. Well, Darryl, thank you so much again for joining us. And uh, you know, to the folks at home, be sure to order Turn Your Season Around wherever you get your books. Um, that'll close out the ball game here on Break A Bat. This is Al Malafronte signing off for the Broadway Podcast Network.

[33:45] Al Malafronte: We'll see you next time. Thanks for listening to Break a Bat. This is produced by the fine folks at the Broadway Podcast Network. Visit and subscribe at bpn.fm slash breakabat. You can find me online at break underscore a underscore bat underscore podcast. And you can also find the Broadway Podcast Network on Instagram at Broadway Podcast Network. It's been so great having you here with us today, and we'll see you next time.