Big-League Heart

Darryl Strawberry was a great baseball player. A lanky slugger with a phenomenal left-handed swing, he could mash, drive in runs and field with aplomb. But those days are in the past; now, he’s trying to be a great man. After struggling with substance abuse, surviving various scrapes with the law and beating colon cancer, Strawberry was out of baseball. But he would have been out of baseball by now even if his off-field life hadn’t been so checkered. And it’s what he’s trying to do with his life now that matters most to him. The Darryl Strawberry Foundation raises money for autism education, Strawberry and his wife are regular churchgoers, and he speaks openly about the lessons he learned (some in a hard manner) in his memoir, Straw: Finding My Way. Written by Strawberry with assistance from John Strausbaugh, Straw details his life’s journey and addresses his mission: proving that nothing good ever happens if you give up. After all, he’s living proof that you can change if you really work at it. Strawberry signs copies of his book at 3 p.m. at Left Bank Books’ downtown store (321 North Tenth Street; 314-436-3049 or www.left-bank.com). Buy a copy of Straw through Left Bank and you receive a ticket to the event. Only copies of Straw will be signed — no memorabilia will be autographed.
Sat., May 9, 2009