ANALYSIS : The Strawberry Situation Is Far From Finished

Amid speculation that Darryl Strawberry’s admission Monday of a drug problem is a ploy to escape being released by the Dodgers, his attorney, Bob Shapiro, said Wednesday that the doctors who examined Strawberry have determined he has a serious drug problem.

“After an extensive evaluation of Darryl, the (doctors) have come to the conclusion that he has a serious substance abuse problem and that his frame of mind is such that he is amenable to treatment,” Shapiro said.

Strawberry was evaluated in New York by two doctors--one representing major league baseball and the other the players’ union--and is expected to enter a treatment facility by Friday.

“I can confirm that the doctors believed that Darryl needs treatment and he will beentering an institution. However, I will not disclose the site,” said Gene Orza, general counsel for the players’ union. “The reason for his institutionalism is not alcohol.”

Strawberry’s admission places many of his key issues in limbo.

--The Dodgers, who have tired of Strawberry’s continual involvement in controversial situations, were admittedly on the verge of releasing him after he failed to show up in Anaheim on Sunday for the team’s final spring game. They said the excuse he gave the club--which still has not been disclosed--was unacceptable, but it did not constitute a violation of the good behavior clause in his contract.

If the Dodgers had released Strawberry, they would still have to pay him the $8 million they own him the next two seasons. But they were prepared to release him anyway, then search Strawberry’s contract for a way to void it.

This organization, though, seldom denies treatment to anyone, and it would be poor public relations for them to release a player who is seeking help. That doesn’t mean that at the end of Strawberry’s treatment the Dodgers won’t cut him loose--unless they can trade him--and take the loss, because to void Strawberry’s contract will involve a difficult fight with the players’ union.

The Dodgers have an additional morals clause written into Strawberry’s contract, but their case would need to be fortified by something more concrete.

--The two legal issues Strawberry is facing have also been complicated since Monday.

A grand jury in New York is continuing to hear testimony concerning Strawberry’s alleged failure to report income of $300,000 received from baseball card shows from 1987-90. The investigation, by the IRS and U.S. attorney’s office in White Plains, N.Y., has been ongoing for more than a year and includes other baseball players, but Strawberry is the biggest name.

It has been speculated that an indictment would come down around the April 15 tax deadline--a practice by the IRS with high-profile defendants--but indicting a man in a drug treatment center weakens the case. Insiders also say that any indictment is months away because of the steps Strawberry’s attorneys are entitled to before a judgment is rendered.

The current situation might slow the IRS, but it won’t stop it. The investigation has been so widespread that the IRS flew a former inmate of the Lompoc Federal Penitentiary to New York to testify. The inmate, a former mortgage broker, testified that while arranging a loan for Strawberry on a house in Encino, Strawberry opened a safe inside his house and showed him stacks of cash, worth six figures. “The Grand Jury flew (the witness) to New York in July (1993) and then talked with him again later on,” said a well-placed source. “When he got back from testifying, he said he was able to give the grand jury what they needed.”

Marty Gelfand, Strawberry’s tax attorney, said that he had no comment on the testimony.

Strawberry has denied the IRS charge, saying that he relied on his agent and accountant to handle the reporting of his income.

--A case involving an altercation last April with an alleged homeless man is still active, but deposing Strawberry now presents a problem for Ronald Whiteman, the attorney who is representing Robert Whited.

Fred Claire, Dodger executive vice president, said that though he had suspected a drug problem with Strawberry, things had gone so well during spring training, he was not concerned. The only time Strawberry reported late was after he returned from a trip to Los Angeles about three weeks ago, when he was visiting his newborn son. But he was not more than a half-hour late, and that day he played his best game.

What Claire did find strange was the story Strawberry told for being late--that his limousine broke down on the way to Vero Beach, Fla., from the Orlando airport, and he had to spend the night in the car.

The reports concerning Strawberry continue to fly. Some say Strawberry fooled the club by never returning to Los Angeles to see his son, instead staying in Florida, but Manager Tom Lasorda’s wife, Jo, sat next to Strawberry during the entire nonstop flight.

Even Lisa Strawberry, Strawberry’s former wife, has been affected. After Monday’s news of Strawberry’s admission, a tip surfaced that a car owned by Lisa had been seized last week in Encino by the Drug Enforcement Agency, because it was involved in an alleged drug transaction in St. Louis. The LAPD Narcotics Division confirmed they assisted the U.S. Marshals in the seizure. Lisa Strawberry was not arrested.

The Dodgers might hope to go on without Strawberry, but the situation will continue to plague them as long as he is associated with the team.

Still, Lasorda said he has had it with the subject. “I’m through talking about Darryl” Lasorda said. “No more. I have a team to think about.”