By Andy Hale

When I was a kid, my first Little League team was named after the New York Mets. It was the luck of the draw, considering the team from Queens had just won a World Series. Naturally, the Mets became my favorite team.

And while some Mets fans wore the jersey of Keith Hernandez, Lenny Dykstra, or Dwight Gooden, there was only one player for me: #18 Darryl Strawberry.

So, my inner child screamed in delight when presented with an opportunity to interview the lefthanded wonder of right field for the CBF Podcast. Only, I made a promise to myself to not go too fanboy on him.

“I’m a living example of how God can flip the script in a person’s life to show his love, grace, and mercy can turn anyone’s season around,” said Darryl Strawberry on the CBF Podcast.

Since retiring in 1999, Strawberry has seen a radical change in his life, coming to faith in Jesus, and giving his life over to the Gospel’s ministry. Using his years of struggle with addiction, Darryl uses his story as a steppingstone to talk about the power of love and forgiveness.

“Sin is costly. My sins cost me two failed marriages and millions of dollars of fines and penalties. Incarceration and multiple stints in rehab for cocaine addiction and alcoholism destroyed relationships and robbed me of years of peace and purpose.”

He has a new book, Turn Your Season Around: How God Transforms Your Life. We sat down with the four-time World Series champion to discuss his ministry and, of course, baseball.

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This podcast episode is brought to you by The Center for Congregational Health, Baptist Seminary of Kentucky, and McAfee School of Theology Doctor of Ministry program.

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Andy Hale is the creator and host of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship Podcast. Hale is the senior pastor of University Baptist Church of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, following eight years as the founding pastor of Mosaic Church of Clayton and five years as CBF’s church start specialist. Follow on Twitter @haleandy