Dwight Gooden
From SoSH
| Born: | November 16, 1964 |
| Birthplace: | Tampa, Florida |
| Height: | 6' 3" |
| Weight: | 210 lbs |
| Bats: | Right |
| Throws: | Right |
| Drafted: | 1982: 1st Round, 5th Pick by the New York Mets |
| College: | None |
| High School: | Hillsborough High School (FL) |
| Teams: | New York Mets 1984-1994 NY Yankees 1996-1997, 2000 Cleveland Indians 1998-1999 Houston Astros 2000 Tampa Bay Devil Rays 2000 |
Dwight "Doc" Gooden was one of baseball's most enigmatic stars of the 1980s.
Contents |
Early Career
Born on November 16, 1964 in Tampa, Fl., Doc was drafted out of High School by the New York Mets with the 5th overall pick of the 1982 Amateur Draft. Doc quickly rose up through the New York Mets system, and pitched his first major league game on April 7, 1984 at the tender age of 19. His rookie season was outstanding, as he accumulated a 17-9 win loss record, finished second to Rick Sutcliffe in the National League Cy Young voting, was named the 1984 National League Rookie of the Year (beating out Orel Hershiser and teammate Ron Darling, among others) and was named to the NL All-Star team.
"The Summer of Doc"
But 1984 would be just a prelude. Called the "Summer of Doc" by ESPN's Bill Simmons, Doc dominated the 1985 season. Throwing 276 innings, "Doc" threw 8 complete game shutouts and 10 complete games en route to a 24-4 overall record and his first Cy Young award. Armed with a wicked curve named "Lord Charles," Doc struck out 268 batters in his 276 innings of work. Like Biggie Smalls, the sky was the limit for the lanky 20-year old nicknamed "Dr. K." The baseball cognoscenti, from Jim Frey to bowtie-wearing dorks like George Will, wrote vaguely homoerotic paeans to the good Doctor, lauding his future as a sure-fire Hall of Famer.
1986: Doc and the Sox
During the 1986 World Series Gooden faced the Red Sox in Games 2 and 5. In Game 2, Gooden was rattled early by the 3-B trio of Wade Boggs, Marty Barrett, and Bill Buckner at Shea Stadium. All 3 knocked in runs during the third inning. Dwight Evans later hit a 2-run shot and Dave Henderson added a solo shot to tag Doc with 6 runs over 5 innings of work and a loss.
Similarly, the Red Sox were able to chase Doc from Game 5 after a mere 4 innings of work. Gooden took the loss again, but eventually won the war.
Doc's Downfall
Despite Doc's squeaky-clean public image, he secretly abused drugs, specifically Cocaine and alcohol. Doubts began to surface in 1986, when he missed an exhibition game and the Mets' ticker tape parade with questionable excuses. After the 1986 season, he failed a drug test before the season started and checked himself into rehab. Although Doc was still an effective pitcher, winning 2/3 of his starts between 1986 and 1991, his halcyon days were over. He slowly backed off his rehabilitation schedule and continued to drink heavily.
By 1992 and 1993, the drinking began to affect Doc's performances, and he struggled both on and off the field. After failing drug tests in the strike-shortened season of 1994, Doc was banned from the majors for the 1995 season.
Doc's ignominy reached its peak on February 20, 1996 when he signed as a free agent with the New York Yankees. About 21,000, ahem, "rabid" Yankee fans turned out at the Toilet to watch Doc hurl a no-hitter against the Seattle Mariners on May 14, 1996.
Doc bounced around from team to team over the next few years, including the Cleveland Indians, the Houston Astros, the Tampa Bay Devil Rays and back to the New York Yankees. Doc retired from baseball after the 2000 season.
Doc's Legacy
Presently, Doc does not have the counting stats or the "soft" stats to be seriously considered for the Baseball Hall of Fame. His resume reads like the prototypical Hall of Very Good member, with multiple All-Star appearances and at least one major award. However, Doc's cultural legacy lives on. Whenever a young star burns brightly and then fades, they are said to resemble a "Doc Gooden." Doc also represented how not to use a young pitcher; he pitched over 750 innings by the time he was 21.
Award and Achievements
- 1984 NL Rookie of the Year
- 1985 NL Cy Young Award Winner
- 4-time National League All-Star (1984, 1985, 1986, 1988)
- 1992 Silver Slugger (Pitcher)
- Won 1985 Pitching "Triple Crown" (Wins, ERA, Strikeouts)
Trivia
- At the time, Doc was the youngest player ever to appear in the All-Star game.
- At the time, Doc was the youngest player to win 20 games in a season (1985).
- The New York Yankees have not won a World Series title since Doc played for them.
- In his first 100 starts, lost only 19 games.
Transactions
- June 7, 1982: Drafted by the New York Mets in the 1st round (5th pick) of the 1982 amateur draft. Player signed June 10, 1982.
- October 24, 1994: Granted Free Agency.
- February 20, 1996: Signed as a Free Agent with the New York Yankees.
- November 1, 1997: Granted Free Agency.
- December 8, 1997: Signed as a Free Agent with the Cleveland Indians.
- November 4, 1999: Granted Free Agency.
- January 6, 2000: Signed as a Free Agent with the Houston Astros.
- April 13, 2000: Purchased by the Tampa Bay Devil Rays from the Houston Astros.
- May 25, 2000: Released by the Tampa Bay Devil Rays.
- June 11, 2000: Signed as a Free Agent with the New York Yankees.
- November 10, 2000: Granted Free Agency.
- December 7, 2000: Signed as a Free Agent with the New York Yankees.
External Links
- Baseball-Reference.com - Career Statistics and Analysis
