MLB All-Star, Darryl Strawberry, to Speak at Fairfield University | Press Releases

FAIRFIELD, Conn., (March 21, 2017) — Fairfield University will host former Major League Baseball all-star, Darryl Strawberry, on April 18, 2017 at 7 p.m. at the Regina A. Quick Center for the Arts. His talk, “From Strikeout to Recovery and Hope,” will trace his struggles of substance abuse and his commitment to his recovery. The event is free and open to the public.

Darryl Strawberry’s career spanned 17 years, playing for the New York Mets, San Francisco Giants, LA Dodgers and New York Yankees. He was named Rookie of the Year in 1983, won two World Series — with the Mets and Yankees — was named to the All-Star Team nine times and is one of only five MLB players to hit two pinch-hit grand slams in the same season.

Though successful in his career, Strawberry suffered from alcohol and drug addiction which had an impact on his career and personal life, including a suspension from baseball in 1995, two years of house arrest and several stints in jail.

However, Strawberry has now been clean and sober for 14 years and has founded the Darryl Strawberry Recovery Centers. These residential program centers are designed to treat all forms of substance abuse addictions.

“Fairfield University is a pioneer in welcoming and supporting students who have struggled with addiction,” said Susan Birge, PhD, Assistant Vice President and Director of Counseling & Psychological Services. “Darryl Strawberry is not only a true baseball legend, but an inspiration — he has learned from mistakes, made changes, embraced his faith, and is devoted to helping others. His story is one of hope.”

The event is co-sponsored by Fairfield University’s Collegiate Recovery Program, which provides services and recovery housing for students recovering from alcohol and drug addiction. The recovery houses provide students with an independent living environment with fully integrated support services including recovery coaching, a weekly recovery group using the 12-step model, individual counseling, recreational programming, group dinners, academic success support, Ignatian spirituality, and the opportunity to be of service to others.

The event is also co-sponsored by Counseling & Psychological Services and the Office of the Dean of Students.

Pictured: Darryl Strawberry, who is speaking at the Quick Center on April 18. Credit: Getty Images

#Vol. 49, No.145

Fairfield University is a Jesuit University, rooted in one of the world’s oldest intellectual and spiritual traditions. More than 5,000 undergraduate and graduate students from 36 states, 47 foreign countries, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico are enrolled in the University’s five schools. In the spirit of rigorous and sympathetic inquiry into all dimensions of human experience, Fairfield welcomes students from diverse backgrounds to share ideas and engage in open conversations. The University is located in the heart of a region where the future takes shape, on a stunning campus on the Connecticut coast just an hour from New York City.