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Even the Princess swooned for the Straw.
Met legend Darryl Strawberry came to Keyspan Park on Monday for a “Straw-bobble” giveaway and Medieval Times night, and everyone from the king on down went wild.
The 6-foot-6 slugger with the sweet swing (but the self-destructive off-field tendencies) took the mound with a royal trumpet fanfare and tossed a ceremonial first strike to reliever Mike Lynn. Then Strawberry, who led the Amazin’s to a World Series championship in 1986, signed baseballs and Mets jerseys for the fans mobbing the Clones’ dugout.
“It’s always fun to get over here. I love the Brooklyn fans,” said Strawberry in an exclusive, wide-ranging interview with The Brooklyn Paper.
The Straw even signed for the rightful rulers of Lyndhurst, N.J., who had ventured forth from the family castle to promote their jousting-’n’-wenches theme restaurant.
“He is truly kingly,” said Princess Leonor, clutching her anachronistic souvenir. “I was in awe.”
The Cyclones couldn’t believe it either.
As Strawberry emerged from the clubhouse, Nick Giarraputo whispered, “That’s Darryl Strawberry” to manager Pedro Lopez.
“Yeah, I know him,” said Lopez, playing it cool.
Giarraputo scoffed.
But the manager does know Strawberry — the two played against each other during the star’s brief stint in the Puerto Rican winter league in 1995.
Not that Lopez, then a catcher, remembers it fondly.
“I called a changeup and he hit a homer that hasn’t landed yet,” said Lopez.
So on Monday, when the Straw spotted the skipper, Lopez told him, “We could use a bat,” but Strawberry said he wasn’t available.
Brooklyn could have used the slugger once known as “the black Ted Williams” as Hudson Valley ran away with a 7–0 win.
But the 2,500 fans who scored bobbleheads didn’t care — though the dolls looked suspiciously similar to the earlier President Obama doll.
©2009 Community Newspaper Group
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