Strawberry recalls rewarding debut season with gratitude, pride
NEW YORK – The Mets had been in fifth place within the National League East on May 4, 1983, 7 1/2 video games behind the first-place Phillies.
New York had identify gamers on its roster like Rusty Staub, Tom Seaver and Mike Torrez, however they had been previous their prime. Dave Kingman and George Foster had been supposed to produce thump within the batting order that yr, however that they had points making contact on the plate.
After his membership misplaced to the Astros, 4-3, that day, then-Mets normal supervisor Frank Cashen determined to advertise the staff’s high prospect, Darryl Strawberry, to the large leagues. Strawberry got here to the Big Apple with lots of hype. He was the No. 1 total decide within the 1980 Major League Draft, labeled the “Black Ted Williams” due to his candy swing from the left aspect of the plate. He had spectacular numbers with Triple-A Tidewater to warrant the callup, hitting .333 with three dwelling runs, 13 RBIs and a .465 on base proportion.
Strawberry made his Major League debut two days later in opposition to the Reds, batting third and going 0-for-4 with two walks and a run scored in a 7-4 victory.
For some, together with Strawberry, it’s onerous to consider that was 40 years in the past.
“The memories always come back when I do think about it,” Strawberry mentioned. “Oh, what a time. What a young pup I was. … The dream was to get to the Major Leagues. Also, at the same time, you know it’s going to be a great challenge with that level of competition. I was nervous about it. Why? It’s because you are playing against the best.”
During batting observe previous to his debut, Strawberry acquired a pleasant shock, noticing his mom, Ruby, in a field seat at Shea Stadium. He had no thought she was going to attend the particular second.
“She gave me the biggest smile. She was so happy for me,” Strawberry mentioned. “She was everything to me and my life. It was something that I dreamed of. I remember the long nights I was playing in the Minor Leagues. I started out at Kingsport [in Rookie Ball] and I used to call home every night saying, ‘I want to come home.’ And she goes, ‘No, No, No. You made this decision because you wanted to play baseball. You are going to have to figure it out.’”
It took Strawberry some time to determine massive league pitching. From his debut by way of July 31, Strawberry hit .215 with 12 dwelling runs and 40 RBIs. Some even questioned his work ethic throughout that interval.
One day in June, Strawberry and then-hitting/first-base coach Jim Frey made plans for Strawberry to take early batting observe. Strawberry was imagined to arrive at 1 p.m. however confirmed up two hours late. Frey approached him and mentioned, “I’m never going to wait for you again. You want to be great at this level and play at this level, you have to be at this ballpark early every day.”
From that time till the top of the season, Strawberry was on the ballpark early, engaged on his hitting and defensive expertise, with Frey displaying him the way to do issues proper.
“[Frey] said, ‘You are talented enough to play here,’” Strawberry remembered. “I got a chance to reach out to him before he passed away [in 2020]. I heard he was sick. I got his number. I called him and I said, ‘Jim, Darryl Strawberry.’ He goes, ‘How’s it going, kid?’ I said, ‘I want to tell you, thank you. You made me become the best Major League player I was by getting in my face and [asking me] if I want to be great at doing this. I needed to work no matter how much talent I had.’”
Strawberry took Frey’s phrases to coronary heart. From Aug. 2-Oct. 1, Strawberry regarded just like the second coming of Williams, hitting .312 with 14 homers and 34 RBIs. The tear helped Strawberry win the National League Rookie of the Year honors.
“I was very proud. It was the hard work I put in to get there,” Strawberry mentioned about profitable the award. “It was a battle for me [at first]. I feel the stress and the expectations had been far higher than I might ever think about.
“The expectations were that I was going to change the franchise. The expectation of that was there through the media, through the fans. The fans were great. They loved me when I struggled, and they knew the potential and the sign of me becoming a player that everybody hoped the Mets would have.”
Even extra superb, the Mets confirmed enchancment amid an in any other case troublesome season, going 29-29 throughout the closing two months of the season after a 39-65 begin.
“It was Darryl,” former teammate Keith Hernandez remembered. “Darryl started hitting. He was young, and I knew he was something special. … I could see the swing and the talent there.”
Strawberry would go on to play eight years for the Mets, ending his profession with seven All-Star nods and serving to the Mets win two division titles, one pennant and one World Series title, which got here in 1986. He remains to be the franchise chief with 252 profession dwelling runs. Strawberry left the Mets after the 1990 season, signing with the Dodgers as a free agent.
