By
Kamy Shaygan
Arizona Daily Wildcat
I remember it like it was yesterday.
There I was - a chubby, 10-year-old Persian kid, listening to the Dodger game on the radio, while my mom had a bunch of her friends over for coffee.
The Dodgers were in a clutch game against the Atlanta Braves, who were making a run for pennant that season. It was the bottom of the ninth, Azul (that's blue in Spanish) down by two, two runners on, and Darryl Strawberry was the winning run at the plate.
Dodgers' Hall of Fame broadcaster Vin Scully was calling the game, and he made that old, run-down, Sony radio sound like a piece of art.
"Here's the pitch to Strawberry...he hits it wayyyy back, sheeeee isssss gone!" Scully said, while I was jumping up and down out of sheer excitement.
I ran down the stairs and began yelling Strawberry in Persian to my Mom's friends, who were laughing because they said I was "cute."
I wasn't trying to be cute. I was making a statement.
Strawberry was the reason I listened to Dodger games on the radio. He was the reason I genuinely was running around my house singing my made-up Dodger song. Strawberry was what made the game of baseball so pure to me.
Of course this was before he became public about snorting coke and had to be kept away from the baselines for fear he might suck chalk up his nose.
Strawberry has had a well documented personal battle with colon cancer, cocaine and spousal abuse. Every time he would get caught with a wrongdoing, I would pray that it would be the last time for the former baseball great.
It's really easy for people to say, "Stop doing cocaine, Darryl. Stop pulling out the mirror, and don't buy any more candy cane."
What they don't realize is Strawberry has some serious issues. Rather than ridiculing him, they should offer a helping hand. Earlier this year, when Strawberry was in court, he said that he no longer has a reason to live and the only thing preventing him from committing suicide are his children.
Does that sound like someone who has his head on straight? Major League Baseball should take it upon themselves to really step up to the plate and hit a home run for Strawberry. They should get him the best doctors and therapists money can buy.
After all, do you realize how many millions of dollars Strawberry generated for baseball?
Strawberry escaped his drug treatment center last week and was proclaimed a "fugitive" by law. Shortly after his four-day disappearance, he walked into a hospital and was immediately apprehended by authorities.
This guy should not go to jail. He needs help. Throwing him in the slammer is not going to make him a better person.
All that will do is make him worse than he already is. So the next time you hear Darryl's name, don't clown him.
Say a prayer.
