During a recent sermon at a Tulsa church, former New York Mets outfielder Darryl Strawberry expressed gratitude toward President Donald Trump for pardoning his past offenses, NBC New York reported. In the presence of over 400 congregants at Sheridan Church, the eight-time All-Star and 1983 National League Rookie of the Year credited his newfound freedom to divine intervention and the political actions of Trump. "God just completely set me free when he gave me a pardon from President Donald J. Trump," said Strawberry, who had served 11 months in a Florida state prison in the early 2000s after charges involving tax evasion and drug offenses.
Having hit 335 home runs and garnered 1,000 RBIs in his 17-season career, the now-63-year-old retired athlete has dedicated much of his time speaking about his Christian faith and sobriety, Strawberry's journey from legal and health troubles to redemption was punctuated by his joke during the service that the devil "should have killed me when he had a chance," a sentiment met with laughter, and his eventually overcoming the personal and legal problems that once beset him, sharing that he had been sober for more than two decades, as reported by NBC New York.
Jackson Lahmeyer, the lead pastor of Sheridan Church who is also the founder of Pastors for Trump, introduced Strawberry to the congregation. He revealed in an interview that he and Trump had previously discussed Strawberry's transformation while meeting at the White House, noting that the former president is a "huge fan of Darryl Strawberry" but that they hadn't spoken about a possible pardon, Politico detailed.
Strawberries connection to Trump dates back to his appearance on "Celebrity Apprentice" in 2010, and according to what Strawberry told The Associated Press, he received a call from Trump on November 6 informing him of the pardon, which centered around his past offenses involving $350,000 in unreported income, to which Trump remarked, "You know you did some very bad things." Strawberry recounted that Trump appreciated his current path, saying, "Today, the way your life is and what you're doing, your faith and helping people and being sober, I’m giving you a full pardon," an act that left the former Mets player overwhelmed with thanks towards God for the profound changes in his life, as per Politico.
Strawberry's regular engagements take him across the country nearly 270 days a year to share his narrative of transformation; he had postponed a planned visit to Sheridan Church in September held due to the passing of Davey Johnson, his former Mets manager, as he told congregants, according to NBC New York. The impact of his story is palpable among attendees—Shirley Carson, a churchgoer and Trump supporter expressed, "That's what the power of Jesus does," while another, Steve Smith, fulfilled a 40-year dream to meet his baseball hero and have his Mets poster signed by Strawberry.
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