MLB legend Darryl Strawberry hails Trump after tax evasion pardon: 'God used him to set me free'
O’FALLON, MISSOURI: Former MLB star Darryl Strawberry has credited President Donald Trump with playing a divine role in his redemption, saying that God used the president to set him free.
The baseball legend was pardoned by the Republican leader for past tax evasion and drug-related offences, which Strawberry described as a turning point after years of personal and legal turmoil.
Darryl Strawberry's gratitude for Trump
After previously speaking of his battles with depression, Darryl Strawberry has since found faith in Christianity and offered a religious explanation as to why Donald Trump chose to pardon him.
“This has nothing to do with politics — it's about a Man, President Trump, caring deeply for a friend. God used him as a vessel to set me free forever!” Strawberry wrote on Instagram.
He received the news of his pardon as he was caring for his ailing wife, Tracy Boulware, who is battling early-stage cancer. He highlighted that she was recovering from surgery when he got a call from the president.
“President Trump spoke warmly about my baseball days in NYC, praising me as one the greatest players of the '80s and celebrating the Mets,” he recalled of their conversation.
“Then, he told me he was granting me a full pardon from my past. My wife captured the moment on video, and I was overwhelmed with gratitude—thanking God for setting me free from my past, helping me become a better Man, Husband, and Father.”
He added, “This experience has deepened my faith and commitment to working for His kingdom as a true follower of Jesus Christ.” The former New York Mets player also thanked Trump for "allowing me to be truly free and clean from all of my past."
Darryl Strawberry reveals his wife's major health battles
The last couple of years have been difficult for Darryl Strawberry and his family, as he was hospitalized with a heart attack in March last year, a day before his 62nd birthday.
In July of this year, he revealed on social media that Tracy was preparing for major surgeries to battle cancer and a hip replacement at the end of this year.
Last month, he announced that Tracy had undergone back-to-back surgeries and faced “major health challenges.”
Darryl Strawberry's troubled past
Darryl Strawberry, an eight-time All-Star best known for his time with the Mets, struggled with legal, health, and personal problems, and pleaded guilty in 1995 to a single count of tax evasion.
As part of the case, he paid more than $430,000 but later served 11 months in Florida state prison from 2002 to 2003 after pleading no contest to charges of drug possession and solicitation of prostitution.
Though initially sentenced to probation, he was eventually charged with violating his probation several times.
