November 10, 2000
Darryl Strawberry says he has given up on ever returning to baseball -- and has accepted that colon cancer may kill him.
"My career is over -- done," Strawberry told Jane Pauley in a jailhouse interview to air Sunday on NBC's "Dateline."
"I'm physically not able to go anymore, and I just don't have the desire to go anymore."
Strawberry -- who last week said he had stopped his cancer treatment and lost the will to live -- said his doctors told him his long-term prognosis is good. But he's not so sure.
"I have no idea what's going to happen," he said. "I've reached a point of understanding that life is going to come-to an end one day for me."
Excerpts of the interview were released yesterday as Strawberry, 38, was sent back to jail by Hills-borough County Judge Florence Foster, who told him to resume chemotherapy treatments "or you are history."
The ex-New York Yankee was sentenced to 30 days but will get credit for the 15 days he has served since testing positive for cocaine last month, a violation of his probation on drug and solicitation charges.
Strawberry could be out of jail in a few more days with his time served and other considerations of Florida's prison system, prosecutors and defense attorneys said.
Once Strawberry is released, he must return to the private substance-abuse treatment center where he had been under house arrest for violating probation on drug and prostitution charges.
He will also be forced to wear an electronic monitor - and the judge vowed to send him back to prison if he leaves again.
* RED SOX: Team officials have decided to keep Carl Everett under contract for an extra year, exercising the $9.15 million option they held on the center fielder for the 2003 season, the Boston Globe reported.
It remains to be seen whether Everett will declare publicly he wants to be traded, as agent Larry Reynolds told several people immediately after the season.
* FREE AGENTS: Two former Orioles, Padres reliever Randy Myers and Devil Rays infielder Ozzie Guillen, filed for free agency, leaving the total at 129 with one day remaining.
Free agents may start negotiating money terms of contracts with all teams starting tomorrow.
Designated hitter Jose Canseco, whose $4 million option for next year was declined yesterday by the Yankees, which decided to pay a $500,000 buyout, is eligible to file today, as are Gooden, Yankees outfielder Paul O'Neill, Seattle Mariners outfielder Jay Buhner and Cardinals first baseman Will Clark, who has said he is retiring.
Canseco is third among active players with 446 homers. The 36-year-old slugger batted .252 this year with 15 homers and 49 RBIs in 329 at-bats.
Four more players could be eligible if their teams decline options: Red Sox pitcher Rod Beck, Indians outfielder Kenny Lofton, Yankees outfielder Glenallen Hill and Reds pitcher Pete Harnisch.
Also, Athletics right-hander Omar Olivares must decide whether to exercise his player option, and outfielder Delon Sanders has a mutual option with the Reds.
* ROCKIES: The independent St. Paul Saints signed right-handed pitcher Matt Harrington, who was Colorado's first-round draft pick in June.
Harrington was considered by many the best high school player in the draft. But he wasn't picked until seventh overall because of concerns that a team might not be able to sign him.
Harrington rejected a two-year deal with Colorado that included a $4 million bonus. The Rockies had also offered an eight-year major-league deal that would have guaranteed him $5.3 million in bonuses.
* MARLINS: Rlcky Bones, a former Oriole, agreed to a one-year contract that guarantees him $850,000. A middle reliever, Bones went 2-3 with a 4.54 ERA in 56 games for Florida last season.
* REDS: Reconfigured Cinergy Field will have a higher outfield wall next season.
As construction crews continue tearing down a portion of the out-side wall, making way for the new Great American Ball Park, they are putting together the steel frame that will make a new outfield fence inside the stadium.
Home plate is being moved back 10 feet because of the partial demolition. The new fence, which will be moved in 20 feet, will be 14 feet high -- 6 feet higher than the old fence, to make up for the shorter distance.
