Entertainment
NEW: Trump Pardons MLB Legend Over Tax Evasion Conviction
President Donald Trump on Friday issued a full pardon for New York Mets legend Darryl Strawberry for past a past conviction on federal tax evasion charges in 1995.
Strawberry’s brush with the law stemmed from financial missteps during his peak earning years. In 1985, fresh off a breakout rookie season, he inked a groundbreaking six-year, $7.1 million extension with the New York Mets, which was the richest deal for an active MLB player at the time.
Complications arose with a $700,000 interest-bearing annuity portion of the contract, however, which he failed to report properly on his taxes. By 1995, after his playing days had unraveled amid personal demons, Strawberry pleaded guilty to one count of tax evasion. He was sentenced to three years’ probation, six months of home confinement, and ordered to repay $350,000 in back taxes and penalties.
The IRS even auctioned off that annuity to settle the debt. “Mr. Strawberry served his time and paid back taxes,” a White House official noted in a statement to the New York Post, highlighting his compliance.
Strawberry during his time with the New York Mets
The pardon arrives more than three decades after Strawberry’s tax woes and over 15 years since he and Trump shared the boardroom spotlight on the third season of NBC’s “The Celebrity Apprentice” in 2010. Strawberry, then 48 and openly discussing his battles with addiction, was the third contestant eliminated after a task involving a luxury car wash promotion.
Despite his early exit — in which he was fired for what Trump described a lackluster performance — the show humanized the slugger, showcasing his charisma and vulnerability. Trump, ever the showman, praised Strawberry’s resilience during filming.
“Darryl’s a winner—he’s been through hell and back, and look at him now,” the future president said at the time. He further praised the New York sports great for his contribution to team tasks during his time on the show calling him “a great guy with a fighter’s heart.”
Strawberry’s stint on the show sparked a long-running relationship between the two, with Trump later reflecting on Strawberry’s “unbreakable spirit” in interviews about the season.
Strawberry’s addiction struggles began in his early 20s, rooted in a traumatic childhood marked by an abusive, alcoholic father, which left him feeling broken and empty despite skyrocketing baseball success. As the 1983 NL Rookie of the Year and an eight-time All-Star, he spiraled into heavy alcohol use, cocaine and amphetamine abuse.
These issues largely derailed his career, leading to multiple suspensions and a full-season ban for the 2000 season following a drug-related arrest. In 2003, Strawberry entered a long-term recovery program and had what he described as a spiritual breakthrough, which led to him becoming a devout Christian after years of nominal belief.
The former MLB star has long credited his faith with turning his life around. In 2006, he and his wife, Tracy, founded Strawberry Ministries in 2006, a faith-based organization focused on “rescuing, redeeming, and restoring” lives through biblical principles.
