THE ED MYLETT SHOW - Darryl Strawberry: From Baseball Legend to Redemption

Episode Date: October 20, 2026

Approval in minutes, small business funding same day for up to $500k. Apply Now https://cardiff.co/ED You are not stuck with the person you have been. Darryl Strawberry is back on the show! His last visit was one of the most shared episodes we have ever done. This time he went deeper, and I got emotional sitting across from him.Darryl was one of the greatest players I have ever watched: seventeen years in the big leagues, Rookie of the Year, four World Series. He has also lived through addiction, cancer twice, the loss of a kidney, and a heart attack. When they wheeled him into surgery, he told God he was okay either way. He has had to start over more than once, and he tells you exactly how he did it. I ask him the question so many people are carrying right now: Who am I when the thing I built my identity on is gone? A marriage, a business, a career, a title? I share how the imposter syndrome still shows up for me and how i handle it. Then I lay out my belief that God plants two or three real gifts in each of us, and that they get revealed through pain and through serving others. I push Darryl on how you stay confident and fierce while still surrendering your life to God, and Darryl answers with total honesty. Here's what you'll gain from this episode: Identity after the loss: What to do when the thing you built yourself on is gone. The disqualification lie: Why the mistakes you think rule you out may be what qualifies you. Pain and service: The two doors that reveal gifts you did not know you had. Surrender and self-belief: How to stay fierce while still giving up the wheel. Other people's opinions: How Darryl handled millions of people forming a view of him. The operating room: What he said to God on the way in, and why it will stay with you. Game 6, 1986: What really went on in that dugout, and I make this Red Sox fan relive it. Darryl said it better than I can: you did not get into this mess overnight, so you will not get out of it overnight. But if you refuse to believe it is over, you get another life. Get up. #MAXOUT 👉 SUBSCRIBE TO ED'S YOUTUBE CHANNEL NOW 👈⁠ → → → CONNECT WITH ED MYLETT ON SOCIAL MEDIA: ← ← ← ➡️ ⁠INSTAGRAM⁠ ➡️ ⁠FACEBOOK ⁠➡️ ⁠LINKEDIN⁠ ➡️ ⁠X⁠ ➡️ ⁠WEBSITE Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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Real growth, fast funding, Cardiff, borrow better. This is the Edmunds show. Welcome back to the show, everybody. So today's one of my favorite people I've ever had on the show. I didn't tell him that off camera. I'm telling him that on camera. I enjoyed our time so much together. He's really special, ma'am.

You know him because he's one of the greatest baseball players, literally of all time. In my lifetime, he's on one hand of the greatest players I've ever seen. 17 years in the major leagues. let's see four world series rookie of the year home runs stuff they just bananas he's awesome and that's not why i wanted him back on the show i wanted him back on the show because he's one of the most remarkable people he's changed his life multiple times he also loves jesus which is something that we share in common and just there's something happens when we get together there was a

flow is one of the most shared shows of all time and i'm hoping that's the case again today the great darrell strawberry welcome back to the show Well, thank you so much, Ed. Man, it's got so good to see you, man. It's been too long. It's been a couple of years. You didn't move out of California now in Florida. And you've had a heart attack and a bunch of other things.

Yeah, all the good stuff. By the way, before we begin, he has a new book out called Another Life and it's outstanding. And that's kind of what we're going to talk about today. So let's start, let's go back. You've had multiple lives. In fact, you're lucky to be alive, right? I don't know if everybody knows this, but Darrell's been pretty public with the fact that when he played, he was this unbelievable player. But he had a good time on the side.

So there was some drugs and stuff and had some issues happen. Then once all that gets going, then he has colorectal cancer. We almost lose you then. And now just in 2024, you've had a heart attack. Yes. Well, thanks for reminding me about the good time I had when I was a player. Yeah. I really was a wild, wild man, heathen lifestyle playing here in New York City.

It was wide open in the 80s. I was young. I was 21. So I experienced a lot of things and got caught up into a lot of things. But it didn't derail me from plant. baseball because that's what I always wanted to do. So I knew how to do that. I just didn't know how to live. So it cost you later on in your life at some point. I always tell people that you can pick your sins but you can't pick the consequences of it. And the reality is as I had

a lot of consequences that came with it. And so I paid a lot of price for that. And also for my health issues. I paid a big price for that. And it's just all part of life. Life is just like a journey, a journey that you go through. And I always tell people there's three phases of life. There's your childhood, there's your middle part, and then your end part. Which way you want to finish, how you want to finish your race. Well, my goal is to finish the race strong. I had all all the things that I wanted to have in life, had all the fun, and was at the top of the mountain and looking down and realizing that nobody's really up there. Everybody pretends to be your friend because of what you have and who you are.

But when the real reality comes and when things really hit, you'll find out what people are really like. And I'm grateful for that, that I was able to go through that and experience all that and really turn out to reinvent myself. Multiple times. Yes. Those people, one dude never leaves us. You and I both know that.

But also, like this book, you did part of the reason you wrote. this was your wife, right? I mean, how important has she been through this whole journey for you? Well, she's been the creator for everything, you know, to help me really straighten out my life. Yeah. She was the one that led me back into church. And I sat for seven years of going through discipleship because she was already there. She's a brainiac of the family. So she's smart as ever so she can create a lot of things. And she had found her way. And she was just waiting for me and she started showing me why you're telling me you got to pick up the pieces you created it you're responsible for it you made the mess and you got to clean it out seem like like i've had

a little bit of this in my life but nowhere near like what you've had like people love who they think darrell strob they love the baseball player like they love the achievements they love what comes with being your friend when that's all there seems to me like she loves you like you know the difference, right? Not the image of you, but the you with all of the difficulties and the trials and the tribulations. She actually loves you, which is different than loving the idea of somebody. That's so true, Ed, because I had nothing when I met her. So we were talking about I was in debt, in trouble, in addiction. She was pulling me out of places and telling me that God has a plan for your life. I said, well, you and that God just leave me here and let me die.

And she pointed her finger at me and told me, you're just not that lucky. Really? Were you, you didn't tell me that last time? Were you really okay with dying at some point? Were you that, were you almost killing yourself, do you think? Like, almost subconsciously with the partying and the difficulty that you went through?

Were you at a point where you're like, I'm okay? Most addicts do. Most celebrities end up dying because nobody ever tell them they have a problem. They always kind of sweep it under the rug, and that's why you see so many them die. Whitney, Prince, and it's sad, Elvis, you know, you go down the list. Matthew Perry, you know, you go down the list of people and people don't want to tell

them, you know, you really need help. You really need to go in a different direction and seek after some serious help. Are you going to die? I think a lot of times people don't think the drugs are going to kill you. At one point, at some point, it's going to kill you. You can only take so much. The heart can only take so much. The heart can only take so. much. And I was at their place many times where I just felt like, just let me die out here. Wow. Let me just die. I was never concerned about the Great Dall Strawberry at baseball player. I think more people were concerned about that. I was concerned about my mother. And Tracy became just like my mother because I said, God, if you really want me to live, send me somebody like my

mother. And she was the one that came. My mother. My mother. My mother. was a wonderful woman. And why I say that, because she raised me right. It wasn't like she raised me wrong. I'm the one got out there in the lifestyle, the atmosphere, and just continue to live a sinful lifestyle. And I think people don't realize it's a price to pay, and especially when celebrities live it,

because we've been given so much. And I'm a strong believer in to whom much is given, much as required. There's a great requirement out of it. And I wanted to always be the right person because I saw it in Gary Carter, my teammate. Yeah. And I saw it in Mookie Wilson.

I saw two guys throughout my whole career actually really live according to the right way. Really? And that was amazing to see that because Carter already knew he was going to the Hall of Fame. Right. He had already been a great... He had already probably qualified with the Expos.

Yeah. Right. He's already been a great baseball player. And I was wondering, why is this guy so happy? Why is he not struggling? Why is he not drinking? Why is he not messing with other women? And it was because of his faith.

And he didn't, like, throw it up on anybody. Yeah. You know, it was just a guy that lived it every day. And that was special. And Mukhi, too. And he was very quiet. And he just lived his life in a special way. And I was like, man, that's what I want.

Well, can I tell you, brother, I feel like, I don't even know why I have something right now, I'm even a little emotional about it. I do feel that way about you. I just want you to know, I don't think you give yourself enough credit. First off, it takes a whole lot of courage to be as transparent with your sins and mistakes that you've had. Most people, especially in the public eye, never would do that. And I want to give you credit for that because I think it connects you with people, especially the people listening or watch this, millions of people, that maybe they can turn their life around too because you did.

So that's number one. But number two, when I met you, you came to my house that first time. You were Daryl Strawberry when you walked in my door. I mean, I'm like, oh, my gosh, this is this guy that was one of the greatest players literally I've ever seen in my life. And by the time you left that day, and two right now, when I think of you, I act, baseball's about fifth on the list of things. Like, I want you to know that.

When you come up in my mind or people bring you up, they know that we're friends, it is actually how much you love the Lord that comes up first for me in my life. I mean, it's the thing I think of first. It's like, oh, and he also played baseball. baseball. And the reason I mentioned that to you is, I'd like you to, this is a hard question, but there's a lot of people that find themselves right now. Their identity was tied to something other than maybe who they really are. They were, they've had a divorce and somehow that marriage was their identity and they're feeling lost right now. Or they had a business that failed. Maybe

they were an athlete and it's gone away. But something's left them that their identity was tied to, right? You had that happen in your life. How does someone remorse? How does someone remit? make themselves and find themselves because, you know, you, you're not only were a player, you were one of the greats. That identity leaves, that's kind of like a crisis for a lot of people. Who am I without baseball? Who am I without that relationship I was in? Who am I without my money or my business? For someone listening to that, what would you say to them? I would tell them that failure is a part of life. It's just like succeeding. If you can accept the part that you're going to have some failures, that means you've got to learn how to get up.

and you can't quit. And I think a lot of that comes from where I grew up. I'm from South Central, L.A. So you see a lot of different things when you're growing up in those neighborhoods and you see a lot of guys over there having failure and never get up. And I know that it's a part of life

and it's a part of life playing baseball. You're going to have some failures in baseball. And if you can accept that, you will never be successful. And that's the way I grew myself, you know, by playing baseball, you know, okay, I got to balance this out. It's the same way with life. You have to balance it out.

You have to understand that you are going to have some difficult times, some trials and tribulations. And my wife is so incredible. She taught me about that. It's like you have to get up. You can't just lay here because if you lay here, you're going to die with anxiety, depression, loneliness. You're going to start filling that way for yourself.

and I started to realize that even more when I got connected to divine, when I mean when I got connected to Jesus, when I got connected to the Word, I started realizing that so much more about accepting my shortcomings more than anything instead of saying, well, this is just the way life is

is the way it's supposed to be. No, that's not the way it is. Because when I started understanding Christ, I started understanding that He has, had completed the task for every last one of us. So why am I sitting here and saying, this is the way it is? Wow. Had he not done that for us?

And if you don't know that, then you don't know that you can get up because he got up. Right. So he's... That's right. So he taught us how to get up. And I think that's been the greatest success that I've ever learned is giving God my heart. And not my ability, not my skills, not my... education, not my conversations, but my heart.

And when that happened, I realized more than anything that I had became a different person, and I started to be able to accept anything that would come through my household, if we're gonna get through it. Wow. That amazing we're sitting here talking about this. I mean, you know, for a lot of people too, myself included,

every once in a while I'm doing this show, I'm like, why would anybody listen to me? You know what I mean? Like, why would people listen to me? I have that like imposter still floats up for me. The other thing I always think of is I think a lot of people feel like they're disqualified in life from having a second act or having another life based on mistakes they've made previously. So like this sin I've had, this disqualifies me, my divorce disqualifies me, this failure

disqualifies me. I think for a lot of people, the fact that they've just maybe always felt average or invisible means they're disqualified for now. You've had multiple lives. I have to think that at least occurred to you at one point. Like, oh, now I'm going to talk about Jesus. I'm going to be a minister. I'm going to preach. Did you ever feel like, hey, these past transgressions, mistakes disqualify me? Because I think a lot of people feel that way. I felt that way when he was calling me. And I was like, no, you got the wrong guy. I was like, no, he's like, I got the right guy. I said, don't you know what I've done? God says, I know what everybody has done.

And I said, I'm not qualified. He said, no one is qualified. I qualify the call. And when you start to learn that, that he's not looking and condemning you for your shortcomings, he knew you were going to fall short. Wow. You know, I think most of us don't really get that,

you know, when they go back to Genesis 3, Adam and Eve in the beginning, you know, one man opened the door for all of us falls short. And then he brings his son Jesus through the gospel, Matthew, Mark, Mark, Luke, and John that would bring grace and extend grace. See, that's what we fail to realize more than anything. It's the grace of who he is.

And he extends it to everybody that freely accept it. But you have to accept it. And then you got to do something with it. Because I always tell people, grace is something I don't deserve, but he gives it to me anyway. And that's what another life is about. Another life is not about me. It's about what he's done through me.

And when you get to that position where he has done the work through you, he's going to send you. Now he's going to send you for others. See, I think a lot of times, Ed, in this life, we think it's really, truly all about us. I agree. What we do, what we have, you know,

I've fallen short. Well, welcome to the club. It's part of the whole journey of everybody's falling short. And I always tell people, pick yourself up, have some faith, and trust God

and let him lead your life, let him lead you the way that he wants to lead you. Because a lot of times we want to lead ourselves. Yes. You know, we have this place of us, which I call the body, and it's our flesh. And I always want to tell us what to do. And you have to get connected to the spirit man of yourself

so it can lead you and guide you. Because God wants you to be successful, no matter what you're doing. If it's in business, if it's in ministry, if it's wherever you're at, he wants you to have that. But don't create this place inside of you that it becomes all about you.

Gosh, you know. You keep your focus on his will, his principles, and he's going to always take care of you. You know, he's going to always, he's taking care of me through cancer, twice losing my left kidney, should have been dead through addiction, diabetic, you know, heart attack two years ago,

I was going through this process of having a heart attack, and I'm rolling into the operating room to have surgery. My wife is going another way, and I'm making this deal with God. I said, God, you know what? I went either way. If you want to take me now, I'm okay. I'm good, because if I'm finished with your work, then take me. I said, but if you really want to leave me here and let me see

because they retire my number next year, I really like to be there. Right. But there I am making a deal with him because of the fact of knowing that he cares for every last one of us. And all he's asking for us is just care for me. Just follow me. You can do all these other things. When you were wheeling in there, you were really okay if that was it? I was okay.

Because you knew you were going. I knew I've done everything. I've had everything. I've seen it all and done it all. There's nothing that I'm. I haven't experienced in this life. And I realized that if this was it, I'm okay. Wow.

You know, everybody... It might have been different 10, 15 years ago. Yeah, it would have been different. Yeah. Yeah. And everybody said, well, you know, that's kind of pretty selfish. No, it's not. No, it's not.

When you've been and lived the life that I lived, and now you live on the other side and you live in faith and you walk, you will be ready when you know that. Because I know that living here, it's... crazy yeah you know chaotic you know everybody's against each other on every issue and every story and and that's not the way it's supposed to be you know we all are people we all got a we well we all have a date a date of birth and a day to death so whenever he decides my time is up I'm not going to miss it I mean the kids and the wife if I'm going before they're her they're going to miss me but I'm going to be

be on the other side. It would be nice to to stick around and get your number retired like you did. It was. It was really cool because I had a lot to say. I had a lot to say to the fans. The platform was there for you. Yeah, the platform was me to go back and tell the fans of New York City, you know, that I'm sorry

that I left the Mets because that's where I grew up. It wasn't anything personal about the Dodgers are attacking them. People were trying to make it. I said, no, this is where I believe I became a baseball. player when I played here in the city because these fans they get after you and I

love that you know because I'm like I said I'm from from South Central so I love that I love that when people dig into me like you can't you can't and I was just like oh wait a minute here let me show you I can yeah yeah yeah don't you let you let me go out Darrow because he's gonna get you well even that didn't bother me the Red Sock fans did that yeah it was the booze when you when you're own when you suck yeah when you two for 30 and they booing you and tell you suck and I I said, okay, well, I'm going to hit two off the scoreboard, and then I'm going to, you want me to come out for that curtain call.

I'm not coming out. See, I wish I could have hit two off the scoreboard. Wish I could have just decided. I'm going to hit two off the scoreboard. I'd hit two right back to the pitcher. Then walk me out at first base. So one thing about you, even if someone's not a believer, this thing you said is really true.

You know, a lot of people that feel sorry for themselves, a lot of actually say you're really an ego. You know, you're the same as an arrogant person when you're down because you've made the world about your self. And one thing I've even observed in you, I've observed it in my own life too, but I want you to speak to this. Well, if I'm right, tell me. And if I'm wrong, tell me. But one thing that happens when you start to serve other people, when you get out of you for a second.

In your case, in my case, most of the time, we're trying to do kingdom work. But even if someone doesn't even know what that means, they're watching this. Just serving another human being. You know what happened to me? skills and talents that I did not know I had began to get revealed to me in that service. You actually learn more and discover more about yourself when you get out of yourself and serve other people. Like your ability to speak and preach. I doubt you knew that when you were a baseball player.

Is this happened to you? Like you've discovered some skills and talents about yourself as you've started to serve and get out of worrying about yourself all the time that you didn't know before? It's the best gift that we give to ourselves. When we finally get out of ourselves and serve others, it's better to give than receive. A lot of times we think it's all about receiving. Me, me, me, me, I want this, I want that.

But when you give, something new happens inside of you. There's like a shift. There's a transformation of all kind of different things. Because now you start to see other people and you become grateful. You start to have love, compassion. sympathy for others because you have been through your own valleys of life, but now you're not there anymore and you see other people that are there and down and out and you're telling them, there is a way.

There's a way to not put all that weight on yourself and allow yourself to be free and go out and share. When you share your experience, strength, and hope, you become better. you know because somebody on the other side need to hear something that you have to say as far as your business and your your struggles or whatever you've been through because everybody can go through struggles

even if you're in business right it's all part of it right you're going to you're going to have some times where it just it just fail you and that's the same thing that I learned so much in baseball and that's why I incorporate that in my life because I learned that from

playing sports. The challenge is real and the challenge of life is real too at the same time. But you have to do something different and go. You know, go see somebody else. Somebody's homeless. Go to a homeless shelter. Go somewhere to a hospital or visit somebody. When you walk out of that place, you're going to feel different inside. You're going to start really activating what's inside of you more than anything. And I think a lot of people don't realize it's more inside of us than we could ever imagine. I could never imagine that I would become a public speaker and travel 270 times and stand in front of thousands of people preaching the gospel. I never went to school.

That's not what God is looking for. He's looking for a person that makes himself available. Oh, wow. You make yourself available for others, not for. for yourself. I had already done what I'd done in life. I had already achieved it. Right. So there was a new life that he wanted to give me. And it's such a better life. It's such a peaceful life. It's such a real life. It's not pressure. It's very comfortable. When I first started, I was like, oh, man, this is not for me. I'm quitting. Just like anything

else. Is he serious? Of course. And God just kept reminded me, it's not about you. It's not about you. Every time I say, I'm done with this, I'm done with traveling. I'm always aware. It's not about you. And I got it. And when I got to that place, I realized it was about others. Wow, I'm unpacked.

You've developed this ability. Even since the last time we talk, you say a lot in a few sentences. Like to unpack what you just said, number one, that phrase I'd not heard that before. You activate a part of yourself. I think everybody ought to reflect on that. Like if you'd like you'd like that you'd like you just said, number one, that phrase that you'd like, to get to know yourself better and find out more about you. You're going to do that when you're serving other people. The other thing you said about availability, there's that saying,

especially even in sports. The best ability is availability, right? Making yourself available to people. I want to know the truth. Like, and shoot straight, does it feel as good, and don't give me the polyana thing. Give me the straw, like the real answer. You hit one off to scoreboard in the postseason. That feeling in your body, you're running, or Around the bases, 50,000 people are going ballistic. You just dominated that pitcher. That moment in your body, be real here, or being on stage in front of 300 people at a church

that no one's even recording it and you're giving your testimony and your message. How do those compare to one another? Well, let me say, the part of the baseball is amazing. running around the basis after crushing the ball off the scoreboard, especially in big games, playoffs and stuff like that. And everybody's going crazy.

Chills run all through the body. Because you know that you have just made a moment. And it was a fantastic moment, and you're making a lot of people happy. And that is one of the most incredible feelings that any athlete would get when he does something like that. Basketball, football, baseball, baseball, hockey. We all have that same feeling that rush, yeah.

You know, I did it. And you like to be in that moment. Great athletes love to be in the big moment. Yes. And I always love that. But when I stand in a pulpit, it's totally the opposite. Anointing falls upon me. And it doesn't belong to me.

It's God's gift. And I can't really understand it a lot because it's supernatural. and it just flow because I always prepare and I always prepare I think I prepare the message that I want to give and the Holy Spirit will lead me and he'll guide me he'll speak through me

because the thing about it is the baseball is going to give all these fans a great feeling inside of what I just did to hit that home run but the spirit is going to come and it's going to affect someone else and touch somebody. And it is the most incredible thing

that I've ever experienced in my life because I know it's not me. Right. I was like, I don't have this. You know, I know it's coming from the source and it's just incredible some of the things that actually come out of me and I'd be like, man, did I say that?

I have to like, no, he'd be like, no, you didn't say it. Keep going. Because I, sometimes I want to deviate, go the other way and go, no, go this way. And I'm very sensitive to that. And I've learned that. It took some time to be able to realize that the education is his. And he knows who's sitting there. He knows what needs to be said at the moment of time.

That's very, very different. Yeah. I know exactly what you're talking about. Yeah. I do. I know exactly. And by the way, for someone listening to this, like I, I get, let me say one thing to what you just said. What you just said is in my own life, the most true thing someone's ever said on the show to me. Because the more I actually get out of it, people always ask me when I'm on stage, how does that happen? I'm like, I have no idea. Right. And the more I make it about me, the week, it's almost, the more I make it about me, it's almost like kryptonite. It's Superman. Yeah. But when it's not me, it's unbelievable. You almost look like Superman because it's supernatural what's happening through you. And a lot of people listen and go, that's great. You're both on stage speaking. This same thing happens in that precious conversation with your daughter at breakfast in the morning.

If you get out of the way and be prayerful and be present with her and just love her, let those words flow through you, the horrible problems in your life that you're going through right now, the trials and tribulations. What if it isn't about you? What if there's going to be a mess? Out of this mess, there's going to be a message that you're going to have someday. Just really reflect on what Daryl just said right there because I've lived that in my life, too. That was an honest answer. So it turns out scoreboard is still pretty good.

Well, scoreboard is great. Yeah, I think the whole thing what most people are at is they don't get out of the way and they don't listen. When you say listen, you've said that a few times today. Do you hear something audibly? Like when you're talking about, I'm talking, a lot of non-believers or even some believers go,

I don't hear anything. So is it something? Is it a think, thoughts that just come to you? Is it a feeling? Or is it actually audible? You'll hear something. No, I mean, it's supernatural. It's spirit.

listen, you know, you listen to what he's saying. You know, once you know his voice, you know who's speaking. But it's just the same with my voice of my kids. I'm not trying to live their life. I listen to them. I think that's what most parents struggle with. They are a different generation. They're not like us.

We were, we didn't have cell phones. We didn't have TikTok. We didn't have this snapshot or whatever, all these different things. And they have that. And you want to try to control them and tell them not to live that. This is what they live in. And you have to allow them to go through it and figure it out for themselves. But I always tell my kids, I say, you see that brick wall?

It's not moving. Yeah, at some point, you have to learn how to walk around it if you don't want to feel the pain of it, walking into it all the time. And that's all. And I think that's where a lot of parents, well, I want to punish them. I want to do this.

I want to do that. And all you're creating is a monster inside. Yeah, they're going to resist you. Yeah, because they're going to run back out there and they're going to get a taste of everything, and then they're going to dive into some things that they shouldn't. I think being a father and the husband that I am today and the man of God that I am today,

I just live in action. Huh. And I think a lot of times people don't live in their action of what's important. Because when you're living in action, people are watching you. That's right. And they're going to always have something to say, like they have towards you, towards me, well, you're this and you're that. But they don't know how you got to where you got.

That's right. They don't know all the hard work we put in to get to where we get. They don't you think that stuff with your kids is caught, not taught. watching you. They're not hearing the things you're saying. By the way, and they're watching a lot closer than you think. How do you deal with that? You still catch flack from people? Do you still have haters when you played? And even now, like, I think for a lot of people, literally the thing that holds them back the most in the life. And by the way, that means you're making it about you again is they're afraid of what people are going to think. I really believe that

that is maybe number one on the list of what holds somebody back from reaching their God-given potential. Is their fear of what some other human being is going to about them and in your case you've had literally millions of people form opinions about you at different parts of your life probably even now still how do you deal with that i never cared wow even when you played even when i played and your face just said that's true by the way i never i never i never cared i mean i never care what the fact that media said what people said i knew my own ability and what i was capable of doing and that's all that matter and just like i am today i know the ability of what I'm capable of doing now.

And I'm not concerned. You know, people say, well, oh, well, they turn to Jesus. They turn to Jesus. Well, well, yeah, probably needed Jesus. Well, one day you're going to need him. One day you're going to be calling on him when you land up in the hospital and you're sick and you've got something going on. Some terminal could be there coming up on you.

And you're laying there and you have no idea where you're going. What's your message you left behind? See, my mother left a legacy. for her children. That's what this is all about, leaving a legacy for my children. That's why you wrote it? I wrote it for more of them and my wife

and the dedication about people and going into places and not judging people, going into maximum security, prisons, and to love on people. And people said, well, how can you go in there and these guys murdered people and did this? I don't know what happened to them

when they were a kid. Right. Just like you don't know what happened to me. I don't know what happened to you. I just know one thing that we all fall short of the glory. Amen. And it doesn't mean judgment. And those that have judgment and those that can get on social media

and be negative and say negative things, go check your own closet. I bet you've got a closet full of skeletons. And if somebody threw them out there publicly, how would you handle them? You don't know how you would handle them. I mean, we, that end up into places like yourself and me

we were built for it. I'm built for criticism. I thrive on it. It's on your face when you say it. Because that's the way I was when I played. I was thriving when you was negative in boo. I was like, I'm going to show you. That dog anything, right?

Like, what is that? Do you miss that or do you have it somewhere else? Like one of the things that to get to where you got in your sport, You got to be a dog. Yes. You're right. And you've got to be a competitor. You do.

And I mean, the level of, when you're around a dude like him, you guys, just so you know, I think I'm a pretty competitive person. But my other, like, high-end, I won't name them, professional athlete buddies in mine, dude, they don't care what you're playing. It could be ping pong, tidly winks, spelling bee. They want to beat you. Right. They want to be competitive. So I know that is in you. There's no way you were that great if you weren't like, okay, you're booing me.

I'm hit one that's off the board. Or that dude with the wrong lid on the mound out there. I'm going to bury this dude. do you still have did you have that and do you have it now or did you have to replace it with something else the competition thing like i got to think that like i mean we always will have that because it was built inside of us because we created that you have to create that inside of yourself because if you want to win and you want to be a winner in life um nobody's going to give it to you you're going to have to take it um and it's just like um a guy hitting me with the ball i'm going out to get you. You know, I'm going to show you with these knuckles, too. That's the way I was when I played baseball. It was just to make people understand, I'm nothing to play with. But, you know, I will always have that.

And, you know, I'm in ministry now, but people say, well, where's their security guards? And people that you need around you, I says, I'm not afraid. I don't need 10 people around me to protect me like I'm not. Do you know my mother taught me something about life more than anything that is not important to be important? So I don't act important. You don't? No. I'm just a normal human being that has had great success playing Major League Baseball and had great failure in the public eyes.

And now I pick myself up. I didn't stay there because of what everybody else had to say. and here I am. I'm a survivor of life. Yeah, you are. It's just like what all of us are. You have to survive here. There's a purpose and a plan for every last one of us,

but we just have to figure it out. What is my purpose? Do you think, by the way, this thing about loving God, because that dog in you is still there? I think sometimes people think if a dude loves Jesus, somehow like he's a wimp or he's something because we rely on God doesn't mean in the real world we don't walk around as men and that we're not strong or a woman and I shouldn't even make that gender specific right like we're still we're still men we're still we're still strong we're

still fighting for our families we're not we're not you have to plant seeds if you're going to expect to harvest in your life right I'm praying for that harvest but I know I'm supposed to be planting seeds every single day of my life I have part of this equation as well yes I think what what most people don't know Most guys don't know, and they think it's weak. No, I'm free. I'm not in bondage. I'm not chasing after anything.

Most of the time you're chasing for affirmation from everybody else. I'm not looking for none of that. So freeing, isn't it? Because I did so much of my life as well. That's just the way I live. I mean, I wake up every day. There's joy. You know, there's peace.

And I'm free inside. I'm not looking for anything. I'm just looking to do my father's will and love people and care for others. I think that's the most important thing that we all should understand when we have been here and we have seen everything. I realize that everybody will not have the opportunity that I have had and you have had. Right. but they still have the opportunity. Okay, they still have the opportunity to plug into that and plug it and put that as a part of their life.

Make that the centerpiece of your life. And then everything will work together for the good. I think people don't really realize that. It's there. It's free. I think you're right. The other thing, there's an interesting, I've never asked anybody this. There's an interesting nuance, too, because like when you rely on God and you surrender your life to God,

There's this part of you that you've given your life there, right? So like I cast my problems to him. Same time, though, I know walking around the world, I have to be a confident person. I have to believe in myself. I have to have strength of my preparation and things like that. It's an interesting nuance as a believer, right? And even for people that are listening to the two of us. So I want to ask you about something I watched the other day.

I was blown away by something. You're on, I don't, I forget the podcast, but basically, someone asked you, who's the greatest baseball player you've ever seen? You said, Barry Bonds. You said, not even close. This dude was a freak show, blah, blah, blah. And I'm watching it. I'm watching it.

And I'll take your word on that. But is there any part of you, be real? Is there any part of you that thinks it's you? Before you answer, the reason I ask that is, I think you have to think in the world because you do have your father in heaven has your back and you're with him. But I also think you have to walk around this life thinking, like what you said, I'm going to hit two off the scoreboard. I'm not to be played with.

So one, where are you in there? And what about that balance of self-confidence and belief, yet reliance and surrender to God? This is a hard question. This is a doozy. But I'm curious what you think. That's going to always be there with me because I always, when I ran out on the field, I was the best player. That's what I told myself.

Yes. It didn't matter who you have to, right? Of course. Okay. Okay. Of course. Of course. That's why you're there.

I'm not underneath anybody. I could do just about anything that everybody else could do. And the reason why I said Barry Bonds was the greatest player that I ever seen and watched, because I watched him when he came up at a young age, and I saw the tools of a guy that could do it all and he can do it well. And he'll let you know, too. And a lot of people don't like him, but I've always liked Barry. And I like the way he, um,

played the game. He played it knowing he was good. Yes. And if you don't play it knowing you're good, it's a different story. Okay. And that was the story for him. That was the story for me.

That's the story for many of us that have played the games and the one that came before us. That set the table for us. So we had an opportunity to be able to prove, not to others, but to prove to our self. It's a self thing.

I think a lot of times people, don't have self confidence in themselves. And guys like us, we do. We know what we want to do. We know what we want to accomplish. We know how to go get it. And that's the same thing people need to learn about life. When I got my life transformed and became another life, I had to go after it.

I couldn't sit. It wasn't going to come to me. I had to do the work. Okay, God said, I want you to be disciplined just like you was in baseball. And I got it. I know how disciplined I was in baseball. I had to train myself. I had to talk to myself.

And that was the same thing I had to do when I was crossing over and having this transistors of life. I had to talk to myself. I say, I got to be this. I got to be this way. But I'm not perfect. But I'm going to live it according to the way the principles are. And when you do that, and when you do that in baseball, you live according to the way the fundamentals of baseball, you're going to be successful. When you live according to the principles of God, you're going to be successful.

Nobody can stop it. A lot of people want to stop people because they're not there. You've got to challenge yourself. It's inside of you. Everybody's got that gift inside of them. It's just when you decide to turn that gift on and say, okay, I can do this. I can do all things. I know some things.

Some people want to do some things, but I always told myself, okay, I can do all things. But I never believe the fact that I would be this. who I am today. And that is what amazed me more than anything. What he's done with you in your life. What he's done, the education that he's given me through his word is far greater than I can ever imagine or think. Yeah, I'm really proud of you. Thank you, brother. You too. I'm proud of you too. Thank you. I really, I, what he's done in your life is really remarkable. It's incredible. And what I've seen come out of you is this like real anointing. Like, look, how tall are you?

Six, five. Six, five. Okay. So, like, God helped you out in the very beginning. You're six foot five. You're fast. You're strong. You had a cannon arm. You had certain tools to play that game. And then you worked your tail off, because there's a bunch of other dudes that have the schools that don't make it, right? So you worked your tail off to become one of the greats of all time. And that was sort of an apparent gift. But what's really remarkable with me watching you, because I've watched interviews of you when you played. I would not say that when you played and I watched you get interviewed, that you had this gift of articulation or verbal,

almost like music the way that you can speak. Right. Then when you started to serve God and serve other people, this new thing was like revealed to you through doing it. Is it some, are you sometimes up there going, whoa, like, well, he gives you a new gift. Okay.

You can articulate the things that we're doing and playing baseball, this and that. But the gift that he gives you is his anointing. and he allows you to speak a different language. He educates you in a totally different way when you submit yourself to him, for real. You can't straddle the fence and think, well, I can say these things and it works. And it doesn't have the anointing. The anointing is what works when you are walking truly with him and understand his principles.

I understand it more air today than I ever have. It does not belong to me. And a lot of people have the gift and the platform, but they utilize it for themselves. I don't utilize the gift for myself. I utilize it for the kingdom to make a difference. Because I don't want God to say I gave it to you and you made it clearly about you. You wanted to sound good. You want it to look good.

You want to dress up and make people say, oh, wow, he's special. There's nothing special about me. There's nothing special about nothing. None of us at the end of the day. We're just a vessel that he takes and he pours his spirit into. And it goes here. I love that. Go help people.

It's really interesting. I have this theory. Tell me what you think about this. I think God soes into each of us two or three really special gifts that are ours, that are a piece of him in us. And when you look at the person, when you see them with it, you see Christ in them. So, but those gifts are different. Yours could be your verbal anointing, right?

But for other people, they don't realize they have this gift. It might be their gift of discernment. It might be their gift of resiliency or humor or beauty or nurturing ability or kindness or their ability to listen. They think, well, that's not a gift because a gift is being six, five, and hitting home runoff board. But seriously, or it's LeBron. He can win-mill dunk or it's Beyonce how she sings and looks. I don't have gifts. Your gifts are equally powerful.

They're just unique to you. But what's interesting about life, it's like how do they get revealed? I found they get revealed usually through two paths. One is when we go through pain. Right. You go through a painful time. And on the other side of that pain, because it's temporary, you do get a revelation of a new gift or a new understanding of yourself you didn't have before.

Or the other one is service in our world of God's kingdom. But everyone has those gifts, but they're revealed through those two things. You're totally right. You know, I think people don't recognize that. You know, pain is part of life. And you don't stay there. You don't dwell in it. You pick yourself up.

and then God's going to reveal to you a happy side. I agree. More than anything. I think people stay there and pour me, poor me, poor me. Well, nothing can work through you if you feel like that. This body is, you know, just the operation system that's for more to come out of. And I always tell people, my pain of who I was led me. to my greatness of playing baseball.

But my greatness led me to the destructive behavior. It's two parts of that. Okay. And then there's the other part, okay, where you become like a new creature. You are created in a new place and you develop all these other gifts that are inside of you.

People don't let those other gifts, gifts come because they don't trust the process. And they won't discipline themselves. You've got to discipline yourself and everything that you're going to do if it's going to work. I mean, if you want to stay at one place and you want to get out of here, just being a baseball player, a singer, get out of here, you're missing the whole point of this life. It's more to it than just that.

How the heck is this better than the last time we did this? Like this is actually better than the last time. And I'm telling you, that's one of my favorite shows ever. But you're spitting some depth of wisdom now. You're at a different level now, Daryl. You are at a different level now. Like, this is tremendous what you're saying.

Okay. I just want to acknowledge this on that. Well, thank you. Because I'm sitting here going, sometimes it happens to me when I'm doing the show. I'm like, shoot, this is good. You know, and that's not always the case when you're doing the interview.

Like, you're just getting out of your way today. I got, I'm allowed two more questions because I have to go speak. Okay. You're going to be speaking later. One is only for me and Red Sox fans. And then the other one will be a deep, profound question. We're going to end with a banger that everybody needs to wait for.

But I got to ask you this. 86. I want to talk a lot about this because I'll start crying. Okay. I know. Yeah, I don't, okay. He's showing the ring, you guys. I don't know.

Congratulations to you. Thank you. But did you, you didn't really. think you were coming back in that game. Like, you know the game I'm talking about. Game six. Mookie hits it under Buckner's legs. Were you in the dugout going into that inning going, we're done?

I just need to know what was actually happening in the Mets dugout. If you guys all don't know this, I think arguably the greatest comeback in the history of baseball happened in the ninth inning, a game six, 1986. I literally cried on the floor of my house, so you know, because of you and these fools you were playing with. But when you go back into the ninth inning, you're down, this thing's over. Did you think it was over for real? I heard there were guys in your locker room drinking beer during that inning thinking this thing was over.

Is there any truth to that? There was the only one guy that was probably Keith. Keith, he was entertaining a beer. And I was in Davey Johnson's office with him too because I was pissed off because I had got double switch in the game. So that's a little chipper on my shoulder. I wanted to be out there. And if we're going to lose, you don't lose. I want to be a part of it.

If we're going to win, I want to be a part of it. But what people fail to realize about the 86 match is we came back 40 times that year behind to win games. 4-0. Yeah. Okay. So we knew how to, after the seventh inning or something like that, we used to know how to come back. And I think that's what people failed to realize about those guys that were coming to the plate. They were determined.

We had been in this place before many times. Yeah, a couple of us thought, man, we blew this because we were so good. They were the best team. Yeah, and we beat the Astros. We got through them, and that was a tough series, and we just thought, man, we blew this. We blew this. We blew the series.

Carter wasn't going to, he didn't want to make the last out. Mitchell came up, he didn't want to make the last out. Ray Knight came up, he didn't want to make the last out. I mean, they never give those guys credit for not making that last out. True. Calvin Sheraldi and Stanley didn't get anybody out. And then they want to blame the one play on Billy Buckner, who was a great player. Great player.

You know, and they crucified him in Boston. I mean, he had to move out from the understanding about the situation. And what a great player almost had 3,000 hit. He was a great player in his career. I mean, I would want to be on the field, too, for the first. time to be able to feel what it's like to jump up and win the championship because every player that's every player dream when he's young and grow up and see that and there it was him trying to be mookie to the back and he looked up and he he didn't see Stanley there I believe

okay because if he I think if he because he got a late he got a late run off to get there he had to be there you're right by way because for him to keep his eye on the ball and he's looking and seeing if his pictures over there so he can flip it to him and he wasn't there yet and he wasn't there. No offense to Stanley but that was a big slow dude and he was not there at normal speed

and Buckner was also injured. Right, he had injuries and everything but I think that's when he took his eye off ball because he was looking where's my pitcher and before you know it, ball rose to his legs and there he go. But they had us in game seven too. I know.

I don't want to be inside base ball too much. But the next night, you guys are down again. Came back. But did you, you're, this is just a life lesson too. I'm asking as a Red Sox fan, but like it truly isn't over until it's over. And I think a lot of people watching this, they think it's over. Like they've booted the ball in life, seriously. And they think it's game over and it's not. It's not. You know, this is what people, baseball is just like the game of life. Yeah. It's not over till it's over. And if you sit on and say, well, it's over and we want it, And you say, well, it's over in my life.

It's not over. If you think it is, it is. If you think it is, it's over. But if you don't think it's over, bro, you get another life, man. And you become even more incredible than you can ever imagine. Well, that's my last question. This is the banger of the interview. I'm waiting to the end to ask it.

Someone's watching. They're like, I want another life. I want a different life. And if I could run into Daryl Strawberry, you and I ran into each other down at that coffee shop earlier, right? Let's say that wasn't me. They said, hey, I heard you on the head of my let's show. And I'm getting your book. I ordered your book, but I haven't got it yet.

So I'm curious, I want another life, I want a different life. I'm not happy in my life right now. I want another one. What would you say to them? I would encourage them, you know, take new steps. You tried everything else. It didn't work. Just like me, I tried everything out there.

And it didn't work. And I tried a different way of life. I tried to, do it on my own and I wasn't strong enough to do it on my own. And I ask God for his help for real. And I stopped playing God in my life. Because see, a lot of them want to play that. We want to control, like you talked about ego.

A lot of us got these big egos and that's the three-letter word, easing God out. I'll do it myself. A guy goes, go ahead. I was like that too. Go ahead. Just drive it off the cliff. Because that's where you're going to drive it. And you're going to end up in a ditch somewhere and you're not able to get out.

And you have to be able to trust that process. It's not an overnight miracle that happens in people's lives. I think people think it should happen overnight. You didn't get in this mess overnight. So it's going to take some time to walk through and trust other people that have experienced it, that have wisdom and knowledge in these areas, not trying to force anything on you. But I'm trying to tell you, this is where his love is for you. He's got something for you.

Go get it. Get up. Dude, what happens when we... Do you do this all the time or is this like something that happens to you? This was a great conversation today. Well, thank you. You make it easy, so... Oh, I don't know about that.

You put it out there for me. Brother, this was a great conversation. Like, Max, I know this thing's not supposed to come out for a while. My son's the producer. I'm like, this needs to get out quick. Both our sons are here today. Yeah, no, that's cool. That's what it's all about.

Yeah. Thank you. Thank you. brother. This was out. Thank you, man. I'm proud of you and I love you. I appreciate it. I love you too, brother. You always. You know that. Stay alive. You too. You try to, you know. I'm working on it. All right, everybody. His book is Another Life. That's Daryl Strawberry. I don't need to ask you to share this one. Just go do it. God bless you. Max out your life. This is the Edm Island Show.