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New York Mets retire Darryl Strawberry's No. 18
Darryl Strawberry stood on the Citi Field grass as his No. 18 was being retired and addressed the New York Mets fans he had jilted 34 years earlier. Fans of the long-suffering team, which hasn't won the World Series since Strawberry's 1986 Mets, responded with a loud ovation, the emotional high point of his 16-minute speech before Saturday's game against Arizona. Strawberry's No. 18 was cut into the center-field grass and the home run apple was transformed into a home run strawberry. The public address system played the Beatles' "Strawberry Fields Forever." Former teammates and family sat on folding chairs in the infield. Strawberry was an eight-time All-Star, including seven during his time with the Mets from 1983 to '90. He hit .259 with 335 homers, 1,000 RBIs and 221 stolen bases in 17 seasons.
Selected by the Mets with the first pick in the 1980 amateur draft, he failed to find a constant home following his departure from Shea Stadium. He played three seasons for the Los Angeles Dodgers, one for the San Francisco Giants and five for the New York Yankees. His career would have been far greater had he not fallen for the temptation of alcohol and drugs surrounding baseball stars in the nightlife of 1980s New York. He said Mookie Wilson, among the teammates on hand, and the late Gary Carter were examples he should have followed.
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