© REUTERS / Mike Segar & Tom Brenner
(Washington, DC) – Mets legend Darryl Strawberry has been pardoned by President Donald Trump. Having pled guilty to federal tax fraud in 1995, Strawberry eventually paid paid $350,00 in taxes and received three years’ probation.
Strawberry also served 11 months in prison in 2003 for drug crimes. He was not eligible for a federal pardon on those charges, as they were brought by state prosecutors. Strawberry and Trump have a long-standing friendship dating back to their time as fellow New York City celebrities in the 1980s.
The White House notes that Strawberry paid back the money he owed and served his debt to society. A longtime standout in Major League Baseball, Strawberry rose to prominence as a high school star in LA and was eventually drafted by the Mets. He was the Rookie of the Year in 1983 and helped lead the Mets to the World Series Championship in 1986. After signing with the LA Dodgers as a free agent, Strawberry spent time with the San Francisco Giants before re-emerging with the Yankees in 1996.
After having his number retired by the Mets in recent years, Strawberry also saw first baseman Pete Alonso pass him on the club’s all-time home run list.
