Former MLB All-Star right fielder Darryl Strawberry said he’s “praising God for His amazing grace and loving mercy” after surviving a heart attack in Lake St. Louis, Missouri, and asked supporters for continued prayers. In a social media post, the 62-year-old shared a picture of himself in the hospital bed and opened up about the health scare.
Strawberry captioned the photo, “Praising God for His amazing grace and loving mercy in saving my life this evening from a heart attack. I am so happy and honored to report that all is well. So thankful for the medical team and staff at St. Joseph West in Lake St. Louis for responding so quickly and bringing me through a stent-procedure that has brought my heart to total restoration!!! Your prayers are so absolutely appreciated as I continue to recover, in Jesus’ Name!”
Mets spokesman Jay Horowitz said that Strawberry was stricken a day before his 62nd birthday and is now resting comfortably at home. Strawberry is one of the most celebrated sluggers in baseball. He’s an eight-time all-star and four-time World Series champion who played for the New York Mets, Los Angeles Dodgers, and New York Yankees over 17 years. The athlete, who has survived cancer twice, has also been open about his struggles with drugs and alcohol and how his experiences led him to Christ.
Today, he leads Strawberry Ministries with his wife, Tracy, which exists to “lead people to Jesus, teach them how to grow in their faith, and experience freedom in Christ through step-by-step resources and daily encouragement.” Strawberry said during an appearance at Greg Laurie’s 30th annual Southern California Harvest Crusade in 2019, “I have been privileged my whole life to live behind community gates in [million dollar] homes and everything. But at the end of the day, I was empty on the inside. I didn’t have what I needed on the inside.”
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He continued, “We can accumulate all these great things, but if you don’t have Jesus on the inside of you, you are not going to be well as a person. It doesn’t matter what another kind of material stuff we have. I have searched for so long to have such a relationship with God myself, but I didn’t know Him.” Strawberry explained that he got to a place in his life where he didn’t want to be a “hypocrite” any longer.
He said, “I didn’t know Jesus. I just knew His name and everything. When you truly know Him, you become a true follower of Jesus, [and] the Lord allows you to be a vessel for Him, [and] to be able to do great Kingdom work. It is never about us. It is always about leading other people to the Cross so they can get saved and set free from the bondage and [experience] the change in their life.” At the time, the athlete told those in the audience who are dealing with addiction that “whatever is killing you, Jesus already killed it.”
“I get a chance to stand on platforms that I could never imagine because of what Romans 8:28 talks about. It says, ‘And we know all things work together for the good of them who love the Lord through those called according to His purpose,’” Strawberry said.
“When we know that we are called according to God’s purpose and His great plan, He is going to exalt you and put you in a place that you are not qualified to do. People, tonight, if you hear, just say yes to Jesus. It is a three-letter word. Y-E-S. You enjoy salvation; you get to be set free forever.” The Mets will retire Strawberry’s No. 18 on June 1. “We are looking forward to Straw’s speedy recovery and welcoming him for his number retirement ceremony on June 1,” Mets owner Steven Cohen and wife Alex said in a statement.