Strawberry Takes Cuts Shows Improvement In Minors And Won’t Be Rushed By Yankees

Controversial outfielder Darryl Strawberry began knocking off rust formed by 10 months of baseball abstinence Wednesday, hitting two doubles and an RBI single to help the Yankees sweep the Astros, 4-0 and 5-0, in a Gulf Coast League doubleheader at Osceola County Stadium and Sports Complex.

The bat did the talking for Strawberry, who hasn’t spoken publicly about his comeback since signing a 1-year, $850,000 contract last week with the New York Yankees.

Strawberry, 33, hitless Tuesday against Detroit rookies, grounded out and struck out against Astros rookies Tony McKnight and Mark Sacharko before doubling to snap an 0-for-5 streak.

“It was my first pro game. I was a bit nervous facing a pro like Darryl,” said McKnight, 18, Houston’s firstround pick, the 22nd player taken in the June draft. “I knew who he was, but he never was my hero. I tried to keep the ball away and he tried to pull an outside pitch and grounded out.”

Sacharko, 19, who owns Strawberry’s rookie card, got a third strike called with a high curve in the third, but yielded Strawberry’s first hit, a double to right, two innings later.

“I didn’t pay attention who was at the plate until I got the sign from the catcher,” said Sacharko, a 19th-round pick in the 1994 draft. “You don’t get many chances to pitch against a guy like that at this level. Getting the strikeout on a back-door curve felt good. The hit came on a high inside fastball, not a good pitch.”

A designated hitter in the first game, Strawberry played left field in the second game. The Astros didn’t hit one to him, but he hit several at them.

Pitcher Freddy Garcia got Strawberry on a comebacker to the mound in the first, but yielded a double in the third. Chris Crawford walked Strawberry on five pitches in the fifth before Strawberry got to Brett Brown for a run-scoring sixth-inning single.

Former big-league manager Dick Williams, a special-assignment scout evaluating Strawberry’s progress, said the Yankees are in no hurry to rush Strawberry to the majors before he’s ready, a departure from a report that had Strawberry joining the Yankees Friday in Milwaukee.

“We want him to get a lot of atbats, play some games under the lights if possible,” he said. “The decision on whether he stays (in the minors), or goes (to New York), won’t be made until after the All-Star break (July 11).”

Strawberry, whose 60-day suspension for drug abuse ended Saturday, remains under house arrest until November following a plea bargain for income-tax evasion.

“He can go from the hotel to the ballpark, or church,” said Arthur Richman, another senior advisor charged with overseeing Strawberry’s activities.

Signing Strawberry has drawn mixed reviews from fans.

“What Pete Rose did isn’t any worse than what Darryl did and he’s out of baseball,” said Rita Brooker of Nelsonville, Ohio.

Not all are critical of owner George Steinbrenner.

“I’m a recovering alcoholic. I know what Darryl has been through, what he’s going through,” said John Mullin.

Mullin, 45, traveled from Orlando to give his son, Brian, 14, a chance to get Strawberry’s autograph.

“I look into his face and see he’s scared, that he doesn’t fit in, but wants to,” Mullin said. “I’m not one of those people eager to discard people like throwing away an old sneaker. Nobody’s perfect and I bet nobody’s sorrier for what he did than Darryl Strawberry.”

Among nearly 50 clamoring for autographs was Orlando Magic general manager Pat Williams, who broke away from NBA Draft Day skull sessions to renew a friendship.

Williams, general manager of the Philadelphia 76ers in 1980, was fighting the Lakers for an NBA title when the series moved to Los Angeles.

“I’d heard about the kid they called a black Ted Williams and drove to Crenshaw High to watch Darryl,” said Williams, a former minor-league catcher. “I’ve followed his career ever since.

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