'My heart is with them'

Yanks' Strawberry surgery-ready, says he'll watch Game 3

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Posted: Friday October 02, 1998 04:49 PM

Strawberry has been proving his mental toughness for years, overcoming a cocaine addiction and a tax conviction Ezra O. Shaw/Allsport

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) -- At a time when he could've been feeling sorry for himself, Darryl Strawberry is thinking about his New York Yankees teammates. He said he would be watching Friday night's playoff game with Texas, on the eve of his surgery for colon cancer.

"I want them to know that my heart is with them, regardless of what I'm going through," Strawberry said Friday in an interview with ESPN from his home in Fort Lee, New Jersey.

He wiped away a tear when reminded of the video message that his teammates made in Texas on Thursday to let them know he was in their thoughts, too.

"It means a lot," he said. "I'm on a team that has been great -- no selfish guys."

Strawberry called the visitors' clubhouse at The Ballpark on Thursday shortly after learning he has colon cancer, to let his worried friends know what was happening, but mainly to give them encouragement. Pitcher Andy Pettitte, who took the call, said Strawberry told him "he'd be fine, that he wants us to go out and win this thing."

"The thing he told me was, 'Go out and get the job done,' " said manager Joe Torre, next on the line. "I think that everyone realizes that's what he wants us to do. Hopefully, when this is all done he will be able to celebrate with us, if we are fortunate enough to go on and do what we want to do."

The Yankees go into Friday's Game 3 of their American League division series against Texas with a 2-0 lead. A victory would send New York into the AL championship series. It also would send them home in time to be with Strawberry for his recovery from surgery Saturday.

Colon Cancer Facts Colon cancer is the second-leading cancer killer in America. Still, most people know little about the disease. Only 7 percent of colon cancers occur before age 50, but "high-risk" candidates: • have a family history of colon cancer; • prior experience of cancer or precursor neoplastic polyps; • a history of chronic digestive disease condition; • the presence of any appropriate gene markers for colorectal cancer; • or other predisposing factors. For more information on colon cancer, visit The American Cancer Society

"Darryl is going to have a lot of confusion and he is going to be scared," said pitcher David Cone, who said he'll wear Strawberry's No. 39 on his hat when he starts Friday's game. "We are all scared. But the prognosis is good. ... From what we hear, there has been early detection and there is an excellent chance of full recovery."

If Strawberry needs motivation, he can look to childhood friend Eric Davis, who bounced back from the same problem in 1997 to lead Baltimore into the playoffs.

"I'm a walking witness," said Davis, noting that his tumor was bigger than Strawberry's.

Davis already has played a key role in Strawberry's ordeal. Strawberry told ESPN that when he had severe stomach pain, he remembered that Davis had had similar symptoms, and that spurred him to visit the doctor.

"Knowing what Eric had experienced really helped me," he said.

The next step is being with Strawberry for his recovery. Davis promised to be a phone call away.

"I told him if he needs me, I'd be there," Davis said. "From what he told me, it wasn't in his lymph nodes and it wasn't in his blood. I think his surgery will be a success like mine was."

Davis described Strawberry's attitude as upbeat.

"I don't think you have a choice," Davis said. "Any time you do things like this, your mental state is so important. That's what drives you."

Strawberry, 36, has been proving his mental toughness for years, first overcoming a cocaine addiction, then battling through a tax conviction to make it back to the majors and become an important part of the Yankees' AL-record 114-win season.

"He's a well-respected veteran who is part of the personality of this team," said Cone, who also played with Strawberry on the Mets from 1987-90. "He symbolizes the resilience of this team with all he's been through in his career and his life."

Teammate Chili Davis, another longtime friend of Strawberry, believes he will persevere.

"We're all concerned about Darryl, but not afraid because we know how strong he is," Davis said. "He's handled adversity before."

The Yankees are becoming veterans at dealing with illness in the postseason. During their 1996 World Series championship run, Torre's brother, Frank, was at the same hospital, Columbia-Presbyterian Medical Center, for a heart transplant.

"I think that we know what we have to do," Torre said.

Torre said Strawberry did not mention whether he hopes to resume his career.

"He's looking forward to getting this over with," Torre said. "Once he gets past that step, he can plan his future."  

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