Former MLB star Darryl Strawberry received a presidential pardon from US President Donald Trump for his 1995 federal tax-evasion conviction. The 1983 Rookie of the Year pleaded guilty to unreported income from autograph and memorabilia appearances in 1995.Apart from this, he had a drug addiction, resulting in suspensions from MLB. He also made multiple probation violations for which he served about 11 months in Florida after a state prison stint.Why did President Donald Trump pardon Darryl Strawberry?The White House cited Darryl Strawberry's decade-long sobriety, Christian faith and commitment to helping others as reasons behind this decision.Strawberry, who represented the New York Mets and the New York Yankees, is now reportedly clean. He also founded a Christian ministry and is part of an addiction recovery center.“Following his career, Mr. Strawberry found faith in Christianity and has been sober for over a decade. He has become active in ministry and started a recovery center, which still operates today,” a White House official told NBC on Friday.The report also mentions that Strawberry "served time and paid back taxes after pleading guilty to one count of tax evasion."Darryl Strawberry filled with gratitude to Donald Trump after presidential pardonUpon receiving the pardon, Darryl Strawberry expressed deep gratitude to Donald Trump. He took to Instagram and posted:“Thank you, President @realdonaldtrump for my full pardon and for finalizing this part of my life, allowing me to be truly free and clean from all of my past."Strawberry was taking care of his wife, Tracy, following her surgery, when he learned about the news. He added:"Half asleep, I glanced over and saw a call from Washington DC. (Trump) spoke warmly about my baseball days in NYC, praising me as one of the greatest players of the '80s and celebrating the Mets. Then, he told me he was granting me a full pardon from my past."Strawberry thanked Trump for "caring deeply as a friend.""God used him as a vessel to set me free forever," Strawberry added.Darryl Strawberry was a right fielder in MLB, having played his last season in 1999 for the Mets. He was a three-time World Series champion, eight-time All-Star and two-time Silver Slugger awardee. The Mets have retired his No. 18 jersey and he is in the franchise's Hall of Fame.