Darryl Strawberry, a name synonymous with Major League Baseball greatness, faced a dire health crisis. He suffered a heart attack that could have ended his storied life.
Despite this scare, he continued to express his deep faith. From his hospital bed, he shared his gratitude to God on Instagram. “Praising God for His amazing grace and loving mercy in saving my life this evening from a heart attack,” he wrote.
This act of faith came after years of struggle with substance abuse, legal issues, and a battle with cancer. Strawberry’s story is one of redemption, love, and transformation through faith.
Darryl Strawberry Testimony
Strawberry, who had a celebrated career in Major League Baseball, found himself at a low point in 2000. Battling cancer and addiction, he told a judge, “I have no desire to live anymore.” It was a dark time filled with legal troubles and personal despair. However, his life began to change when he met Tracy at a 2003 Narcotics Anonymous convention in Florida, who had overcome her own challenges with addiction. Tracy’s influence and their shared journey towards faith marked the beginning of a new chapter in Strawberry’s life.
The turning point came when Tracy emphasized the need for a spiritual awakening. “She started saying we needed to get our life right and get in church. She was reading the Bible every morning and studying, and she just woke up one morning and she said, ‘We’re not having sex anymore.’ I realized right there there’s something really wrong with my life, and I needed to do something about it,” Strawberry recounted. This commitment to change laid the groundwork for their future together.
Strawberry’s transformation was profound. “I got seriously into the Bible, I got serious into church, I got serious about going to help homeless people. … I got away from everybody and everything. I had no friends, I had no money, I had nobody. But I had God.” This newfound faith led to a complete overhaul of his life and priorities.
In 2006, Strawberry and Tracy married. Their union was not just a personal victory but also the beginning of a shared mission to spread hope and faith. Strawberry recalls the initial connection with Tracy, highlighting her compassion and indifference to his baseball fame. “One thing that struck me about her: She was kind and compassionate. She never talked about my baseball career. Everybody else wanted to talk about my baseball and how great I was. She thought it was just foolish. She thought, ‘This man is dying, and people want to talk about him as a baseball player,'” he said.
With Tracy by his side, Strawberry’s life took on new meaning. Together, they founded Strawberry Ministries, embarking on a mission to share the message of hope and restoration in Christ with others facing their own battles.
Today, Strawberry is fully immersed in his ministry, traveling the country to share his story and the message of hope in Christ. “I am busier than ever,” Strawberry revealed, noting his packed schedule with 65 speaking engagements and plans to open more recovery centers. “God has multiplied my life. I could never have imagined myself being in the ministry and doing what I’m doing. I already had the worldly stuff. I’ve already had the possessions. I already know that doesn’t work. I know that the Bible works. I know people’s lives can be transformed, people can be saved, people can be liberated.”
Darryl Strawberry’s story reminds us that no matter how lost we may feel, God can transform anyone into a vessel for His work. Let us always turn to Him for guidance and redemption.
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” – 2 Corinthians 5:17