Former New York Mets standout Darryl Strawberry captured headlines after landing a surprise pardon from President Donald Trump.
The ruling, which is one of many Trump has doled out as of late, is related to Strawberry's 1995 arrest for tax evasion, as well as a handful of drug-related charges. Strawberry's pardon is believed to be related to his about-face on religion — Strawberry is now a devout Christian — and sobriety.
At his peak, Strawberry was one of MLB's most talented sluggers. The Los Angeles native was among the league's most valuable players during his time with the Mets — he tallied 36.6 bWAR across seven seasons in the Big Apple, the 11th-best mark of any hitter.
With that, here's what you need to know about Trump's decision to pardon Strawberry.
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Why did Donald Trump pardon Darryl Strawberry?
According to ESPN, a White House official cited Strawberry's scrupulous payment of back taxes and time in prison as reasons why Trump approved of his pardon. The official also noted Strawberry's renewed faith in Christianity as well as his sobriety, which has lasted for more than a decade. Strawberry is involved in ministry and bankrolls a Florida-based recovery center.
Strawberry rejoiced in news of his pardon, taking to Instagram to celebrate the occasion. He posted a gallery of himself and Trump and wrote, "Thank you, President @realdonaldtrump for my full pardon and for finalizing this part of my life, allowing me to be truly free and clean from all of my past."
Strawberry said he received a call from Trump on the afternoon he was officially pardoned.
"President Trump spoke warmly about my baseball days in NYC, praising me as one the greatest player of the '80s and celebrating the Mets," Strawberry said. "Then, he told me he was granting me a full pardon from my past."
It's not inconceivable to think that Trump and Strawberry ran around in similar circles in the 1980s. The former was a brash real estate mogul whose properties lined some of New York City's glitziest blocks. The latter, meanwhile, was one of MLB's best hitters, tallying 252 home runs across eight seasons with the Mets.
"This has nothing to do with politics," Strawberry wrote. "It's about a Man, President Trump, caring deeply for a friend. God used him as a vessel to set me free forever!"
Trump has offered pardons to a number of celebrities and political supporters, including a former Tennessee house speaker convicted on federal corruption charges, a businessman alleged to have swindled the Oglala tribe out of $60 million and a police officer convicted for murdering a 20-year old D.C. Resident.
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Darryl Strawberry tax evasion case
In 1995, Strawberry was indicted for tax evasion. He pled guilty to one federal charge of tax evasion. The crime, which involved Strawberry's failure to report $350,000 in income from autographs and sales of memorabilia, carried a maximum prison sentence of five years. Strawberry's plea bargain ensured he avoided jail time; he served sixth months of home confinement and two years probation as a result of his indictment.
Was Darryl Strawberry in prison?
Strawberry went to prison. But his sentence wasn't related to his tax evasion case. Rather, the former Mets and Dodgers standout was sentenced to 18 months in prison in 2002 after being found to have violated the terms of his probation related to a 1999 conviction on drug and solicitation of prostitution charges.
Strawberry served 11 months in a minimum- to medium-security prison in Gainesville, Fla. He was released after receiving 122 days credit for time served and another 82 days time credit after proving himself to be a model prisoner, prison officials told The Gainesville Sun in 2003.
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Darryl Strawberry history of legal trouble
Strawberry has been arrested several times following the end of his career. In 1999, he was arrested in Tampa after reportedly soliciting sex from a policewoman posing as a sex worker. In 2000, he was arrested at gunpoint after attempting to drive away after rear-ending a car. Later that year, he was found to have violated his house arrest and parole after leaving his drug treatment center to use drugs with a friend.
All told, Strawberry has been arrested more than half a dozen times.
- 1987: Strawberry's then-wife files petition for legal separation, alleging that he broke her nose
- 1990: Strawberry arrested for alleged assault with deadly weapon during argument with wife. Released on $12,000 bail after being accuses to have hit her in the face with an open hand, threaten her with a semiautomatic handgun.
- 1993: Strawberry arrested after allegedly striking the woman he lived with. No criminal charges were filed.
- 1994: Strawberry arrested and indicted on federal tax evasion charges. Strawberry pleads guilty on one count to avoid prison sentence.
- 1995: MLB suspends Strawberry 60 days after he tests positive for cocaine. The San Francisco Giants summarily release him, citing a clause in his contract.
- 1995: Strawberry charged with failing to make child support payments, one count of willful failure to provide child support, two counts of violating court order to provide child support and another other to provide spousal support.
- 1996: Strawberry forced to pay $260,000 Yankees signing bonus as partial payment of support owed to ex-wife, children.
- 1999: Strawberry charged with possession of cocaine, solicitation of prostitution after allegedly soliciting undercover police officer for sex. Subsequently placed on administrative leave. Eventually, he enters a no-contest plea.
- 2000: Suspended one year by MLB after testing positive for cocaine.
- 2001: Arrested and charged with violating probation warrant after disappearing for four days from drug treatment clinic.
- 2002: Jailed for 18 months after violating rules of drug treatment center. Released after 11 months on time served.