Strawberry Strikes Out

10/21/1998 at 12:00 AM EDT

Bad news for New York Yankee slugger Darryl Strawberry, after his third strike for cocaine violations: Baseball commissioner Bud Selig imposed a one-year suspension from the game on Monday, and left no provision for Strawberry, who turns 38 next month, to return early for good behavior. This could signal the end of his career for the eight-time All-Star, who last year triumphantly returned to the game after battling colon cancer. "I worried about the effect my decision would have on his health and the welfare of his family," Selig, in a statement, said of Strawberry, who has been plagued by legal and substance-abuse problems. "In the end, I could not ignore Darryl's past infractions and concluded that each of us must be held accountable for his or her actions." Selig added that his hope for Strawberry is that he will care for himself and his family.