Strawberry Admitted to Rehabilitation Clinic : Baseball: Mets say right fielder, arrested nine days ago after allegedly threatening his wife, has alcohol problem.

Troubled New York Met slugger Darryl Strawberry checked himself into a Manhattan rehabilitation center Saturday for treatment of what the team called an “alcohol problem.”

Strawberry entered the Smithers Alcoholism and Treatment Center--where teammate Dwight Gooden underwent drug rehabilitation in 1987--just eight days after his arrest in Encino after police said he threatened his wife, Lisa, with a handgun.

“This is an alcohol and not a drug problem,” Strawberry’s agent, Eric Goldschmidt, said. “The Mets tell me that Smithers has a great reputation, and I know things will work out for the better.”

Strawberry’s decision to seek help came after three days of consultations last week with the team’s employee assistance program director, Dr. Allan Lans, a psychiatrist associated with Smithers, according to Jay Horwitz, director of public relations for the Mets.

Lans, who flew to Los Angeles at the suggestion of team officials Wednesday, spent two days with Strawberry at an airport hotel, talking with him and accompanying him shopping and to the movies. Lans escorted the 27-year-old right fielder back to New York Friday night, Horwitz said, and the two spent the night at Lans’ home in Teaneck, N.J. Strawberry agreed to enter Smithers Saturday and was admitted just before 9 a.m., PST.

“Our first concern is for Darryl’s welfare,” Met Executive Vice President Frank Cashen said in a statement released by the team. “Dr. Lans has worked closely with Darryl and spent several days in Los Angeles with him. . . . We are confident this will be the best thing for Darryl.”

The team wouldn’t say how long Strawberry has had the alcohol problem, or whether it played a role in his dismal 1989 season.

“We won’t speculate,” Horwitz said. “How long it’s been a problem and those kind of details come under doctor-patient confidentiality.”

After finishing second in the voting for the National League’s most valuable player in 1988, Strawberry promised a “monster” season in 1989. But Strawberry, the No. 1 draft choice in the nation in 1980, delivered a horror: his production at the plate dropped dramatically as he hit .225.

Strawberry’s troubled off-season began with a bitter contract dispute with the Mets. Strawberry, who can become a free agent after earning $1.8 million this season, reportedly was stung when Cashen said he wasn’t worth the $3-million a year his agent asked.

On Jan. 24, blood tests showed he was the father of a child born in 1988 to a St. Louis woman. Strawberry didn’t dispute the medical findings and a court will determine how much he should pay in child support.

Two days after that announcement, Strawberry was arrested at his home in Encino after his wife accused him of hitting her in the face and then threatening her with a gun, which was registered to her.

Strawberry spent a short time in jail before he was released on $12,000 bond. A hearing scheduled for Friday to determine whether misdemeanor charges will be filed is expected to be postponed.

It was unclear Saturday how long Strawberry will be at Smithers. The average stay is 28 days. Since spring training could be postponed by a lack of a labor agreement between the players’ union and team owners, Strawberry might not miss any time with the team.

Despite turmoil in his personal life and with teammates--including a celebrated fight with Keith Hernandez last spring--Strawberry has established himself as the all-time Met leader in home runs with 215 over his seven-year career.