Dwight Gooden

Career

Gooden attended Hillsborough High School in Tampa where he was teammates on the school's baseball team with Vance Lovelace. A native of Tampa, Florida, Dwight Gooden was drafted in the first round in 1982, the fifth player taken overall. He spent two seasons in the minors, 1982 in which he went 5-5 combined between Kingsport and Little Falls and in 1983 in which he led the Class-A Carolina League in wins, strikeouts and ERA while playing for the Lynchburg Mets. Gooden had 300 strikeouts in 191 innings, a performance which convinced Triple-A Tidewater Tides manager and future Mets manager Davey Johnson to bring him up for the Tides' postseason.

1984–1994: New York Mets

Gooden made the rare jump from High-A directly to the major leagues in one year, bypassing Double-A and Triple-A. He made his major-league debut on April 7, 1984, with the New York Mets at the age of 19. He quickly developed a reputation with his 98 miles per hour (158 km/h) fastball and sweeping curveball, which was given the superlative nickname of "Lord Charles", in contrast with "Uncle Charlie", a common nickname for a curveball. He was dubbed "Dr. K", in reference to the letter "K" being the standard abbreviation for strikeout, which soon became shortened to "Doc". Gooden soon attracted a rooting section at Shea Stadium that called itself "The K Korner", and would hang up cards with a red "K" after each of his strikeouts.

When he took the mound in the fifth inning on July 10, 1984, Gooden became the youngest player to appear in an All-Star Game. He complemented this distinction by striking out the side, AL batters: Lance Parrish, Chet Lemon, and Alvin Davis. Setting up Gooden, NL Pitcher Fernando Valenzuela had already struck out the side in the fourth, putting down future Hall of Famers Dave Winfield, Reggie Jackson, and George Brett. The two pitchers' combined performance broke an All-Star game record, coincidentally on its celebrated 50th anniversary—Carl Hubbell's five consecutive strikeouts in 1934.

That season, Gooden won 17 games, the most by a 19-year-old since Wally Bunker won 19 games in 1964 and the second most for a Mets rookie, after Jerry Koosman's 19 wins in 1968. Gooden won eight of his last nine starts; in his final three starts of the 1984 season, he had 41 strikeouts and 1 walk. Gooden led the league in strikeouts, his 276 breaking Herb Score's rookie record of 245 in 1955, and also set the record for most strikeouts in three consecutive starts with 43. As a 19-year-old rookie, Gooden set the then-major league record for strikeouts per 9 innings, with 11.39, breaking Sam McDowell's record of 10.71 in 1965. He was voted the Rookie of the Year, giving the Mets two consecutive winners of that award (Darryl Strawberry had been the recipient in 1983). Gooden also became the third Mets pitcher to win the award, joining Tom Seaver (1967) and Jon Matlack (1972). Gooden finished second in the NL Cy Young Award voting, even though he had more wins, strikeouts, and innings pitched as well as a lower ERA than the NL winner, Rick Sutcliffe.

In 1985, Gooden pitched one of the most statistically dominant single seasons in baseball history. Leading Major League Baseball with 24 wins, 268 strikeouts, and a 1.53 ERA, the second-lowest in the live-ball era, trailing only Bob Gibson's 1.12 in 1968. Gooden earned the major leagues' pitching Triple Crown. He led the National League in complete games (16) and innings pitched (2762⁄3). After his first start, his ERA never rose above 2.00. At age 20, he was the youngest pitcher of the last half-century to have an ERA+ above 200. Gooden's ERA+ was 229; 23-year-old Dean Chance (200 ERA+ in 1964) was the only other pitcher under the age of 25 to do so. From August 31 through September 16, Gooden threw 31 consecutive scoreless innings over four games, and through October 2, threw 49 consecutive innings over seven games without allowing an earned run. Gooden had one of the highest quality start percentages in a season, with 33 quality starts in 35 games.

1996–1997: New York Yankees

Gooden signed with the New York Yankees in 1996 as a free agent. After pitching poorly in April and nearly getting released, he was sent down to the minors where he worked on his mechanics and soon returned with a shortened wind-up. He no-hit the Seattle Mariners 2–0 at Yankee Stadium on May 14; the no-hitter was the first by a Yankee right-hander since Don Larsen's perfect game in the 1956 World Series and the first by a Yankee right-hander during the regular season since Allie Reynolds' second no-hitter in 1951. He ended the 1996 season at 11–7, his first winning record since 1991, and showed flashes of his early form, going 10–2 with a 3.09 ERA from April 27 through August 12. He proved to be a valuable asset for the Yankees that season as David Cone was out until early September with an aneurysm in his shoulder.

Gooden was left off the 1996 postseason roster due to injury and fatigue. In 1997, he posted a respectable 9–5 record with a 4.91 ERA. He had one start for the Yankees in the 1997 ALDS against the Cleveland Indians; coincidentally, he again faced his 1988 postseason nemesis Orel Hershiser. Gooden left Game 4 during the sixth inning with a 2–1 lead, but the Yankee bullpen faltered in the 8th, and Gooden was left with the no-decision.

1998–1999: Cleveland Indians

Gooden then signed with Cleveland and enjoyed moderate success in 1998, going 8–6 with a 3.76 ERA. He started two games in the 1998 postseason, getting a no-decision against the Boston Red Sox and a loss to his former team, the Yankees. He remained with the Indians in 1999 but did not match his respectable numbers from the previous year, going 3–4 with a 6.26 ERA.

In 1999, Gooden released an autobiography titled Heat, in which he discussed his struggles with alcohol and cocaine abuse.

2000–2001: Houston, Tampa Bay, and New York Yankees (second stint)

Gooden began the 2000 season with two subpar stints with the Houston Astros and Tampa Bay Devil Rays but found himself back with the Yankees mid-season. He would go on to have a respectable return with the Yankees, going 4–2 with a 3.36 ERA as a spot starter and long reliever, including a win against his former team, the Mets, on July 8 in the regular-season Subway Series. He made one relief appearance in each of the first two rounds of the playoffs, both times with the Yankees trailing. Gooden did not pitch in the 2000 World Series against the Mets, though 2000 would be the second time Gooden received a World Series ring in his career.

Postseason career

Gooden failed to win a postseason game, going 0–4 in the course of nine postseason starts over eight series. In the 1986 National League Championship Series, however, he had an earned run average of only 1.06 after starting two games and allowing just two earned runs in 17 innings pitched.

Batting and fielding

For a pitcher, Gooden was an above average hitter, posting a .196 batting average (145-for-741) with 60 runs, 15 doubles, 5 triples, 8 home runs, 67 RBI, and 14 bases on balls. He recorded a .950 fielding percentage, which was five points lower than the league average at his position.

Retirement

Gooden retired in March 2001 after he was cut by the Yankees in spring training, ending his career with a record of 194–112. More than half of those wins came before age 25.

Gooden appeared on the 2006 Baseball Hall of Fame ballot. He was named on only 17 ballots, which was 3.3 percent of the 520 writers' ballots. Because he named on fewer than 5 percent of the ballots, he was removed from future writers ballots.

After retiring, Gooden took a job in the Yankees' front office. He acted as the go-between man during free agent contract negotiations between his nephew, Gary Sheffield, and the Yankees prior to the 2004 season. In July 2009, he was hired as a vice president of community relations for Atlantic League's Newark Bears. He left the post in November of the same year.

Gooden appeared at the Shea Stadium final celebration on September 28, 2008, the first time he had appeared at Shea Stadium since 2000. On April 13, 2009, he made an appearance at the newly opened Citi Field. Gooden spontaneously signed his name to a wall on the inside of the stadium. The Mets initially indicated that they would remove the signature, but soon decided instead to move the part of the wall with Gooden's writing to a different area of the stadium and acquire additional signatures from other popular ex-players. On August 1, 2010, he was officially inducted into the Mets Hall of Fame along with Darryl Strawberry, Frank Cashen, and Davey Johnson. That day, Gooden threw out the ceremonial first pitch to Gary Carter.

VH1 announced on June 11, 2011, that Gooden would be a patient on an upcoming season of the reality show Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew.

Gooden's number 16 was retired by the Mets on April 14, 2024.

Legal troubles

In December 1986, Gooden was arrested in Tampa alongside nephew Gary Sheffield and former high school teammate Vance Lovelace after police stopped his Chevrolet Corvette. Gooden was charged with resisting arrest with violence, battery on a police officer, and disorderly conduct. He pleaded no contest in January 1987 and was sentenced to three years probation and 160 hours of community service.

On February 20, 2002, Gooden was arrested in Tampa and charged with driving while intoxicated, having an open container of alcohol in his vehicle, and driving with a suspended license. He was arrested again in January 2003 for driving with a suspended license. On March 12, 2005, Gooden was again arrested in Tampa for punching his girlfriend after she threw a telephone at his head. He was released two days later on a misdemeanor battery charge.

On August 23, 2005, Gooden drove away from a traffic stop in Tampa after being pulled over for driving erratically. He gave the officer his driver's license, twice refused to leave his car, and then drove away. The officer remarked in his report that Gooden's eyes were glassy and bloodshot, his speech was slurred, and a "strong" odor of alcohol was present on him. Three days after the traffic stop, Gooden turned himself in to police.

Gooden was again arrested in March 2006 for violating his probation, after he arrived high on cocaine at a scheduled meeting with his probation officer. He chose prison over extended probation, perhaps in the hope that incarceration would separate him from the temptations of his addiction. He entered prison on April 17, 2006. On May 31, Gooden said in an interview from prison, "I can't come back here ... I'd rather get shot than come back here ... If I don't get the message this time, I never will." Gooden was released from prison November 9, 2006, after nearly seven months' incarceration and was not placed on further probation.

On the morning of March 24, 2010, Gooden was arrested in Franklin Lakes, New Jersey, near his home, after leaving the scene of a traffic accident, having been located nearby and found to be under the influence of an undisclosed controlled substance. He was charged with DWI with a child passenger, leaving the scene of an accident, and other motor vehicle violations. Gooden was also charged with endangering the welfare of a child because a child was with him at the time of the accident. He later pleaded guilty to child endangerment, received five years' probation, and was ordered to undergo outpatient drug treatment.

In popular culture

American rock band the Mountain Goats released a song entitled "Doc Gooden" on their 2019 album In League with Dragons. Songwriter John Darnielle's lyrics reference life as a baseball player.

American rapper Action Bronson mentioned Gooden in his 2015 song "Baby Blue."

American hiphop group Da Lench Mob referenced Gooden along with Babe Ruth in the 1992 song "You And Your Heroes."

The baseball video game MLB Power Pros uses Gooden's Dr. K nickname as the name for an ability that makes pitchers pitch well with two strikes.

In the seventh season premiere of Law & Order "Causa Mortis," aired in 1996, Adam Schiff compares a defense attorney whose career has rebounded after a series of personal and professional setbacks to Gooden, asking, "If Doc Gooden can rise from the dead, why not Abe Mercer?"