Straw: Finding My Way

by Darryl Strawberry

Overview

“Straw is the story of a guy who had two strikes against him in the middle innings of life and hit one out of the park.”
—Reggie Jackson

 

“A riveting and memorable account of one man’s pursuit of a meaningful life.”
—David Cone

 

Former New York Met and Yankee slugger Darryl Strawberry has subtitled his autobiography Straw, “Finding My Way”—and his path was never easy. A National League Rookie of the Year, eight-time MLB All Star, and four-time World Series Champion, Strawberry’s baseball achievements were often overshadowed by his struggles off the field. In Straw, he tells it all: his boyhood in Crenshaw, Los Angeles; his rise to baseball superstardom; the high life and low life; his brushes with the law; his triumphant battle over cancer; his religious awakening, and his marriage to the love of his life.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780061704215
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	05/04/2010
Pages:	237
Product dimensions:	5.31(w) x 8.00(h) x 0.65(d)

About the Author

Darryl Strawberry was born in Crenshaw, California. An eight-time All-Star, a four-time World Series Champion, and a National League Rookie of the Year, he played for the Mets, Dodgers, Giants, and Yankees during his headlining career. In 2008, Strawberry began serving as a special ambassador for the Mets. He is the father of five and lives in Missouri with his wife, Tracy.

What People are Saying About This

Reggie Jackson

“STRAW is the story of a guy who had two strikes against him in the middle innings of life and hit one out of the park.”

David Cone

“Darryl has written a profound book on the meaning of celebrity, sports and manhood. Reading his story, you follow an incredibly talented ballplayer who fell prey to his demons off the field. This is a riveting and memorable account of one man’s pursuit of a meaningful life.”

Editorial Reviews

STRAW is the story of a guy who had two strikes against him in the middle innings of life and hit one out of the park.” — Reggie Jackson

“Darryl Strawberry hit more than 300 homers and shared in four championships, but he will be remembered as much for what he didn’t accomplish as for all of the things he accomplished. In STRAW, he tells you why.” — Buster Olney, Author of THE LAST NIGHT OF THE YANKEE DYNASTY

“Darryl has written a profound book on the meaning of celebrity, sports and manhood. Reading his story, you follow an incredibly talented ballplayer who fell prey to his demons off the field. This is a riveting and memorable account of one man’s pursuit of a meaningful life.” — David Cone

“If you’re looking for an interesting book about a chaotically interesting life, Straw makes for good reading.” — St. Louis Post-Dispatch

From the Publisher

If you’re looking for an interesting book about a chaotically interesting life, Straw makes for good reading.

St. Louis Post-Dispatch

Darryl Strawberry hit more than 300 homers and shared in four championships, but he will be remembered as much for what he didn’t accomplish as for all of the things he accomplished. In STRAW, he tells you why.

Buster Olney

Darryl has written a profound book on the meaning of celebrity, sports and manhood. Reading his story, you follow an incredibly talented ballplayer who fell prey to his demons off the field. This is a riveting and memorable account of one man’s pursuit of a meaningful life.

David Cone

STRAW is the story of a guy who had two strikes against him in the middle innings of life and hit one out of the park.

Reggie Jackson

Straw [has] the virtue of sincerity and of seeming profoundly felt. Its narrator emerges as a real and complex man: humble in the face of his failures, palpably hungry for redemption, and yet still capable of myopia and self-righteousness. You feel for him in a way you never did—at least I never did—when you were merely cheering and/or booing him at Shea.
—The New York Times

Bruce Handy

A former major leaguer's paint-by-numbers story of redemption. Strawberry-a New York Mets icon (he also played for the Dodgers, Giants and Yankees), eight-time All-Star and four-time World Series champion-was an enigma. Blessed with limitless talent but frequently injured, often standoffish with the media and occasionally at odds with teammates, he spent his potential hall-of-fame career logging more time in the trainer's room and the courtroom than the outfield. Highly publicized legal drama-fueled by his addition to drugs, alcohol and women-followed him constantly. Twice divorced, Strawberry admits to following in his delinquent father's footsteps and assaulting his first two wives-unlike his father, however, he never turned his wrath on his children. A career spent battling addiction reached its nadir with a colon cancer diagnosis in 1998. Forced to retire, Strawberry continued to self-destruct, squandering his fortune and serving time behind bars. After blaming everyone from his abusive father to the vindictive media to his ex-wives, Strawberry finally began to take responsibility. He admitted his mistakes and, after finding God, got himself clean and on the path to recovery. He dedicated his life to his third wife, his five children and charitable causes, such as the Darryl Strawberry Foundation, which aids children with autism. Unfortunately, Strawberry won't garner much sympathy from readers. His angst-filled insistences that he's a good person with a bad addiction problem quickly wear thin, and his monotonous relapses are so predictable that one begins to wonder why so many people continued to aid him. There's nothing original in this tale of woe, but it's unlikely that thesporting public will ever tire of seeing its fallen heroes repent and make amends. Author appearances in Los Angeles and New York City

Kirkus Reviews