Mets had great gesture for Darryl Strawberry at his number retirement

Nov 1, 2015; New York City, NY, USA; New York Mets former player Darryl Strawberry is interviewed game five of the World Series against the Kansas City Royals at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

The New York Mets are retiring outfielder Darryl Strawberry’s No. 18 on Saturday, and they had a great gesture for the former outfielder as part of the festivities.

For Saturday’s game, the Mets tweaked the trademark “Big Apple” display that appears whenever the team hits a home run. The team shared a picture of the display on social media, with the apple covered up to look like a strawberry instead.

Home run strawberry for the day 🍓 pic.twitter.com/gN9xXsXqng

— New York Mets (@Mets) June 1, 2024

Clever and quite well-done by the Mets, who have been much more eager to embrace and celebrate their history since Steve Cohen became the team’s owner. The jersey retirements have not been universally popular, but have largely been well-received by the team’s fanbase.

Strawberry spent eight years with the Mets, hitting at least 30 home runs in three different seasons while making seven All-Star teams and winning NL Rookie of the Year in 1983. Despite those numbers, his legacy is the subject of some controversy, as he was occasionally a disruptive presence with the Mets and struggled with drug addiction. He suffered a heart attack in March, but it has not impacted his big day.