Strawberry back in jail for breaking treatment center rules

<br>OCALA, Fla. (AP) _ Former baseball star Darryl Strawberry was jailed Tuesday, his 40th birthday, for breaking a rule at the drug treatment center where he had been serving two years of house arrest.

Tuesday, March 12th 2002, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

OCALA, Fla. (AP) _ Former baseball star Darryl Strawberry was jailed Tuesday, his 40th birthday, for breaking a rule at the drug treatment center where he had been serving two years of house arrest.

Florida Corrections Department officials did not provide details of the violation. The eight-time All-Star did not leave the program or test positive for drugs, said Joe Papy, supervisor of probation services in Tampa.

Strawberry was kicked out of the drug treatment program at Phoenix House, a rehab center about 80 miles north of Tampa. He was being held without bond in the Marion County Jail on charges of violating his probation. He was scheduled to appear Wednesday at the Marion County Judicial Center.

Strawberry was sentenced last May to two years of house arrest at the center following a four-day drug binge.

Strawberry faces up to 18 months in prison for violating his probation, which he has already violated five times.

His lawyer, Joseph Ficarrotta, said he was surprised by the arrest and did not immediately have details.

Strawberry won World Series titles with the New York Mets in 1986 and the Yankees in 1996 and 1999. In addition to drug problems, he has undergone operations for colon and stomach cancer. Recent tests showed no signs of the disease.

Last month, Yankees owner George Steinbrenner said he would give Strawberry a player-development job with the team after he is released.

Steinbrenner left a spring training game Tuesday in Dunedin without commenting on the arrest. Spokesman Rick Cerrone said the Yankees would not comment until they had details of what occurred.