One thing for sure is that Darryl has had his share of uphill battles, some self inflicted, some by the hand of God, but nonetheless he has struggled to fight these battles. Hopefully he has reached a point in his life that his demons have finally been defeated and he can continue to do the good that, because of both his successes and downfalls, he is so capable of doing.
And this is what's important to Darryl today.
Not the great ballplayer he was then or what could have been... but the great teacher he can be today and I and this fansite support him wholeheartedly in this new chapter of his life..
Therefore this site is dedicated to

"The Straw Man"

Thanks for the memories, good luck in the new road you have chosen & God bless you Darryl....

Deb Hartzog, Webmaster
deborahhartzog.com

Addenum 12-12-2006

Shortly after creating this site and writing the dedication above I finally had the opportunity to meet Darryl Strawberry and spend a short time working with him for two days at two events.
What I discovered confirmed what I had believed since I became a fan of Darryls many years ago.
I found a man with a heart bigger than life especially when it comes to fans and children and also a man who was quiet, gracious,very humble and very dedicated to his goal.
I worked with him at two shows and saw him interact with fans, never once refusing the many, many requests for photos with him, never losing patience, never being anything but totally gracious and accomodating to each and every fan.

I watched him,at a seminar he gave for charity,instruct young children, many donned in their little league uniforms and so anxious to learn, the techiques of swinging the bat . I saw someone who thrived off of giving. I saw as he came alive as the young faces and little eyes looked to him to tell them how they too can become a great ball player one day.
He worked with each and every child and as they finally got the "sweet swing" down pat, their eyes just lit up as he gave them the thumbs up.

We all know that Darryl had God given talent to play ball but he also has talent as a gifted teacher with so much to offer. And this is the direction Darryl wants his life to go. He wants to give back for all that God has given him.
He will always be the great baseball player but that is in the past, the future for Darryl is helping others.
As I watched those young faces and eyes rivited on Darryl and the proud parents in the background I realized that Darryl is a natural at conveying his talent and his heart.

See Photos

Darryl and his wife are currently very active in Autism awareness and Darryl has visited the Autism center many times and each and every time he gives his heart to the children he visits. And in the true Darryl Strawberry fashion he wants to help these children.
For this reason Darryl and his wife have started the The Darryl Strawberry Foundation which will benefit Autism awareness.
After spending time with him I can truly see that what I believed about him all these years was right. He is a man who is human, and, who like each and every one of us, has occasionally made a bad choice in life.
But he is someone with a big heart, and a non waivering committment to helping others and the God given ability to do so. And this is the real Darryl Strawberry, giving his heart and his time to help those in need. And I have no doubt that he will accomplish his goal. I feel blessed that I was able to meet and spend a short time with Darryl and witness his cause and dedication. And after spending just a little time wth him, it is very evident that Darryl Strawberry is even more of a superstar in his role now now than he was as a ballplayer.

At the Mets Mania show in Secaucus, NJ