Former MLB slugger looks back on career marred by addiction
He was NL Rookie of the year, and with his distinctive high kick swing eventually went on to have 1,000 RBIs and win 4 World Series.
However, it turns out that much of his career was a blur of drugs and sex. As reported by Newsday, the Mets star concentrates on helping those struggling with drug and alcohol addiction.
“I don’t look back,” Strawberry, 55, said while speaking about addiction and his new book — “Don’t Give Up on Me . . . Shedding Light on Addiction” — at Zucker Hillside Hospital in Queens on Monday afternoon. “I don’t talk about baseball. I don’t even like it.”
After a 17-year major league career that featured a much-publicized battle with substance abuse, Strawberry said he’s been clean for “over 14 years.’’
“I’m not into baseball,” he continued. “I’m really into life. My passion is about kids. What I’ve seen across the country has broken my heart. I have a tremendous passion [for] helping young people.”
Strawberry’s devotion to the cause takes him all over the country. He speaks at recovery rallies and meets with elected officials to try to bring programs to communities that need help dealing with drug addiction issues.
“Addiction is a disease,” he said. “It’s just like cancer or anything else. We have rallies for cancer, why not rallies for addiction? . . . The problem is with the pharmaceutical companies, [which are] distributing and making billions of dollars while people are dying. That’s a problem. No one wants to talk about it, but it’s a real problem.”
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To read more about Darryl Strawberry’s struggles with addiction, please visit Newsday.com.