On-Base Perception
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Tom Seaver to Darryl Strawberry: Are you wearing handcuffs?
Photo credit: AP | Former Mets outfielder Darryl Strawberry addresses the media before the memorial service for Gary Carter. (Feb. 24, 2012)
Call him Tom Tasteless.
What was supposed to be a congenial gathering of Mets greats on Sunday for the team's 50th anniversary became awkward at best when Tom Seaver asked Darryl Strawberry if he was wearing handcuffs.
Strawberry has a history of legal issues stemming from his problems with drug abuse, the last of which was resolved about a decade ago.
But during a question and answer session with the Mets All-Time team, things got testy when SNY's Kevin Burkhardt posed an innocent enough question to Strawberry: "Who would have won a game between the '69 Mets and the '86 Mets, Seaver vs. [Dwight] Gooden?"
During his answer, Strawberry took aim at Tom Seaver, the pitcher, saying he "would've loved to get a piece of that with my Louisville Slugger," drawing loud applause from the crowd in attendance.
Seaver seemed to chuckle, but later appeared to take aim at Strawberry, the man.
"You don't have any handcuffs on your hands, wrists there, do you?" Seaver said.
The audience responded with hushed, nervous laughter as Seaver cracked up.
For his part, Strawberry handled the incident quickly.
"No," he said, before changing the subject. "Remember, I told you, I got Nolan [Ryan]."
Tags: Mets , Darryl Strawberry , Tom Seaver
