STRAWBERRY JAILED ON A PAROLE VIOLATION

TAMPA, Fla., March 12 -- Darryl Strawberry, the former Mets and Yankees
star who has battled drug and alcohol problems for years, was jailed today
for violating his probation after breaking a rule at the drug treatment
center where he had been serving an 18-month sentence. In the process, he
may have let down George Steinbrenner for the last time.

Steinbrenner, the Yankees' principal owner, who has supported Strawberry
through his recent problems, did not react with his usual support of
Strawberry or with promises of future employment. Instead, he suggested in
a statement that Strawberry could be on his own.

"The Yankees have long been supportive of Darryl Strawberry, and I'm sure
we all respect that things have not worked out the way we would have
hoped," Steinbrenner said. "However, at this point, it is up to Darryl. He
must stand up and be personally accountable."

Strawberry's lawyer, Joseph Ficarrotta, did not return several telephone
calls. But Joe Papy, the supervisor of probation services in Tampa, told
the Associated Press that Strawberry, who turned 40 today, had broken house
rules and had been unsuccessfully discharged from Phoenix House, a drug
treatment center in Citra, about 80 miles north of Tampa. Papy said the
violation was not drug related.

Strawberry was held without bond in the Marion County Jail. He was
scheduled to appear Wednesday at the Marion County Judicial Center.

Outside the jail, Strawberry said he was confused by the arrest. "They just
said I was discharged from the program," he told The Ocala Star-Banner,
adding that he considered his stay a success.

On May 17, Hillsborough Circuit Court Judge Florence Foster sentenced
Strawberry to 18 months in the Phoenix House after he fled another
court-ordered treatment program for a four-day drug binge. His original
sentence stemmed from a 1999 conviction for drug possession and
solicitation of prostitution.

He must now return to Tampa to appear before Foster, who has been lenient
in the past but has warned that Strawberry, who has violated probation five
times, is running out of chances.