Former MLB Star Darryl Strawberry Reflects on Two Decades of Ministry

Former Major League Baseball player Darryl Strawberry, who spent 17 seasons in the league and won four World Series titles, has spent the last two decades serving as a Christian minister. Now 64, Strawberry travels approximately 270 days a year to speak at churches, schools, prisons, and hospitals. He focuses his ministry on addressing the root causes of addiction and helping individuals reconcile with God, regardless of their past actions or circumstances.

Strawberry’s personal journey toward faith was heavily influenced by his mother, Ruby, who passed away in 1996. After her death, he discovered a journal under her mattress containing prayers for her children, including a specific request that God would “knock him off of his throne and save him.” Strawberry credits this prayer for his own transformation, noting that he struggled with drug and alcohol addiction, legal issues, and significant debt during his professional career. He now uses his own story to offer hope to others, telling inmates and those in crisis that it is never too late to surrender their hearts to God.