Dwight Gooden facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Dwight Gooden |
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Gooden with the New York Mets in 1986
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| Pitcher | |||
| Born: November 16, 1964 Tampa, Florida, U.S. |
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| debut | |||
| April 7, 1984, for the New York Mets | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| September 29, 2000, for the New York Yankees | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Win–loss record | 194–112 | ||
| Earned run average | 3.51 | ||
| Strikeouts | 2,293 | ||
| Teams | |||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||
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Dwight Eugene Gooden (born November 16, 1964), often called "Dr. K" or "Doc", is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played 16 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB). Gooden pitched from 1984 to 1994 and again from 1996 to 2000. He played for the New York Mets, New York Yankees, Cleveland Indians, Houston Astros, and Tampa Bay Devil Rays.
In his career of 430 games, he pitched over 2,800 innings. He had a win–loss record of 194–112. His earned run average (ERA) was 3.51, and he recorded 2,293 strikeouts.
Gooden started his MLB career in 1984 with the Mets. He quickly became known as one of the best pitchers in the league. As a 19-year-old rookie, he was chosen for his first of four All-Star teams. He also won the National League (NL) Rookie of the Year Award. He even led the league in strikeouts that year.
In 1985, he won the NL Cy Young Award, which is given to the best pitcher. He also achieved the pitching Triple Crown. This means he led the league in wins (24–4 record), ERA (1.53), and strikeouts (268). He also pitched 16 complete games. The next year, he helped the Mets win the 1986 World Series.
Gooden continued to be a strong pitcher for several years. However, he faced personal challenges that affected his career. After having losing records from 1992 to 1994, Gooden was suspended for the 1995 season due to these challenges. In 1996, while playing for the Yankees, Gooden pitched a no-hitter. He also helped the team win a World Series championship. He played for four more teams but did not reach the same level of success he had with the Mets. In 2010, Gooden was inducted into the New York Mets Hall of Fame. On April 14, 2024, the New York Mets retired his number 16.
Contents
- Dwight Gooden's Baseball Career
- See also
- Images for kids
Dwight Gooden's Baseball Career
Gooden went to Hillsborough High School in Tampa, Florida. He played on the school's baseball team with Vance Lovelace. Gooden was born in Tampa, Florida. He was drafted in the first round in 1982. He was the fifth player chosen overall.
He spent one season playing in the minor leagues. There, he led the Class-A Carolina League in wins, strikeouts, and ERA. This was while he played for the Lynchburg Mets. Gooden had 300 strikeouts in 191 innings. This great performance led his Triple-A manager, Davey Johnson, to bring him up for the Tides' postseason.
Gooden's Time with the New York Mets (1984–1994)
Starting Strong: 1984 Season
Gooden made a rare jump directly to the major leagues in one year. He skipped both Double-A and Triple-A teams. He made his major-league debut on April 7, 1984. He was only 19 years old and played for the New York Mets.
He quickly became famous for his fast fastball (98 mph) and amazing curveball. His curveball was nicknamed "Lord Charles." Gooden himself was called "Dr. K," because "K" is the symbol for a strikeout. This nickname was soon shortened to "Doc." Gooden's fans at Shea Stadium created a special cheering section called "The K Korner." They would hang up red "K" cards after each of his strikeouts.
On July 10, 1984, Gooden became the youngest player to play in an All-Star Game. He was pitching in the fifth inning. He made history by striking out three batters in a row: Lance Parrish, Chet Lemon, and Alvin Davis. Before him, NL Pitcher Fernando Valenzuela had also struck out three batters in a row in the fourth inning. This combined performance broke an All-Star game record.
That season, Gooden won 17 games. This was the most wins by a 19-year-old since 1964. It was also the second most for a Mets rookie. Gooden won eight of his last nine starts. In his final three starts of 1984, he had 41 strikeouts and only 1 walk. Gooden led the league in strikeouts with 276. This broke the rookie record of 245 strikeouts set in 1955. He also set a record for most strikeouts in three straight starts with 43. As a 19-year-old, Gooden set a major league record for strikeouts per 9 innings, with 11.39. He was voted the Rookie of the Year. This made him the third Mets pitcher to win the award.
An Amazing Year: 1985 Season
In 1985, Gooden had one of the best pitching seasons in baseball history. He led Major League Baseball with 24 wins, 268 strikeouts, and a 1.53 ERA. This ERA was the second-lowest in the "live-ball era" of baseball. Gooden won the major leagues' pitching Triple Crown. He also led the National League in complete games (16) and innings pitched (276 and two-thirds).
After his first start, his ERA never went above 2.00. At 20 years old, he was the youngest pitcher in the last 50 years to have an ERA+ above 200. From August 31 to September 16, Gooden pitched 31 scoreless innings over four games. Through October 2, he pitched 49 innings over seven games without allowing an earned run. Gooden had 33 quality starts in 35 games.
The Mets finished second in their division in 1985. Gooden became one of only 15 black pitchers to win 20 games in a season. He was the youngest person ever to receive the Cy Young Award. That November, Gooden turned 21.
A huge photograph of Gooden was displayed at Manhattan's Penn Station. It showed his strikeout totals as the year went on. Also, a 102-foot-tall Sports Illustrated mural of Gooden was painted on a building in Times Square. It asked, "How does it feel to look down the barrel of a loaded gun?" From August 11, 1984, to May 6, 1986, Gooden had an amazing record of 37–5 with a 1.38 ERA. He had 412 strikeouts and 90 walks in 406 innings.
World Series Champion: 1986 Season
In 1986, Gooden had a 17–6 record. His 200 strikeouts were fifth in the National League. Gooden felt his fastball was not as effective as before. He had a high number of strikeouts per nine innings in his first two seasons. For the rest of his career, his strikeout rate was lower.
In another All-Star record, Gooden became the youngest pitcher to start an All-Star Game in 1986. He was 21 years old. Gooden was the Mets' top pitcher going into the playoffs. He lost a close 1–0 game in the NLCS opener. He then pitched 10 innings in Game 5, allowing only one run. He did not pitch as well in the World Series against the Boston Red Sox. He did not pitch past the 5th inning in either of his two starts. Still, the Mets won the championship. Gooden did not attend the team's victory parade.
Challenges and Injuries: 1987–1991
Gooden faced personal challenges in 1987. He had to take time away from the game for personal reasons. He did not make his first start of the season until June 5. Even though he missed a third of the season, Gooden won 15 games for the 1987 Mets.
In 1988, Gooden had an 18–9 record. The Mets returned to the postseason. In the first game of the NLCS, Gooden pitched well. He allowed only 4 hits and had 10 strikeouts. However, the Mets lost that game. In Game 4, Gooden had a 4–2 lead in the ninth inning. But the other team hit a home run, and the Dodgers won the game and the series.
Gooden had a shoulder injury in 1989. This limited him to only 17 starts, where he had a 9–4 record. He bounced back in 1990, with a 19–7 season and 223 strikeouts. However, after another injury in 1991, Gooden's career changed a lot. Some experts believe his early heavy workload contributed to his pitching issues. Gooden threw over 10,800 pitches from 1983 to 1985, when he was only 18 to 20 years old. By his 21st birthday, Gooden already had 928 strikeouts in both minor and major leagues.
On August 9, 1990, Phillies pitcher Pat Combs hit Gooden in the knee with a pitch. Gooden thought it was on purpose and ran towards the pitcher's mound. This started a big argument between the teams. Gooden was one of six players who were sent out of the game.
Later Years with the Mets: 1992–1995
1992 was Gooden's first season with more losses than wins (10–13). Before the 1993 season, Sports Illustrated wrote a story about Gooden. The next year, Gooden finished with a 12–15 record.
During the 1994 season, which was shorter due to a strike, Gooden had a 3–4 record. He faced challenges that led to suspensions. He was suspended for the entire 1995 season. In July 1995, a famous mural of Dwight Gooden in Times Square was replaced. This mural had been a part of New York City for over 10 years.
Dwight Gooden with the New York Yankees (1996–1997)
Gooden signed with the New York Yankees in 1996. After pitching poorly in April, he was sent to the minor leagues. He worked on his pitching style there. He then returned and pitched a no-hitter against the Seattle Mariners on May 14 at Yankee Stadium. This was the first no-hitter by a Yankee right-handed pitcher in a regular season game since 1951. He finished the 1996 season with an 11–7 record. This was his first winning record since 1991. He showed flashes of his old form, with a 10–2 record and a 3.09 ERA from April 27 to August 12. He was very helpful to the Yankees that season.
Gooden was not on the 1996 postseason team because of an injury. In 1997, he had a good 9–5 record with a 4.91 ERA. He started one game for the Yankees in the 1997 ALDS. Gooden left Game 4 with a 2–1 lead, but the Yankees' relief pitchers struggled.
Gooden's Time with the Cleveland Indians (1998–1999)
Gooden then signed with the Cleveland Indians. He had some success in 1998, with an 8–6 record and a 3.76 ERA. He started two games in the 1998 postseason. He stayed with the Indians in 1999 but did not have the same good numbers. He finished 3–4 with a 6.26 ERA.
In 1999, Gooden released a book called Heat.
Final Seasons: Houston, Tampa Bay, and New York Yankees (2000)
Gooden started the 2000 season with the Houston Astros and Tampa Bay Devil Rays. He then returned to the Yankees in the middle of the season. He had a good return with the Yankees, with a 4–2 record and a 3.36 ERA. He pitched as a spot starter and a long relief pitcher. This included a win against his former team, the Mets, on July 8. He made one appearance in relief in the first two rounds of the playoffs. Gooden did not pitch in the 2000 World Series against the Mets. However, 2000 was the third time Gooden received a World Series ring in his career.
Postseason Performance
Gooden did not win a postseason game, with a record of 0–4 in nine postseason starts. However, in the 1986 National League Championship Series, he had a very low earned run average of only 1.06. He allowed only two earned runs in 17 innings pitched over two games.
Batting and Fielding Skills
For a pitcher, Gooden was a good hitter. He had a .196 batting average (145 hits in 741 tries). He scored 60 runs, had 15 doubles, 5 triples, 8 home runs, and 67 runs batted in. He also had 14 walks. He had a .950 fielding percentage.
Retirement from Baseball
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| Dwight Gooden's number 16 was retired by the New York Mets in 2024. |
Gooden retired in March 2001 after the Yankees released him during spring training. He ended his career with a record of 194–112. More than half of his wins happened before he turned 25.
Gooden was on the ballot for the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2006. He received votes from only 17 writers, which was 3.3 percent. Because he received less than 5 percent of the votes, he was removed from future ballots.
After retiring, Gooden worked in the Yankees' front office. He helped with contract talks between his nephew, Gary Sheffield, and the Yankees in 2004. In July 2009, he was hired as a vice president for community relations for the Atlantic League's Newark Bears. He left that job in November of the same year.
Gooden appeared at the final celebration at Shea Stadium on September 28, 2008. This was his first time at Shea Stadium since 2000. On April 13, 2009, he visited the new Citi Field. Gooden signed his name on a wall inside the stadium. The Mets decided to move that part of the wall to a different area and get more signatures from other popular former players. On August 1, 2010, he was officially inducted into the Mets Hall of Fame. He was inducted along with Darryl Strawberry, Frank Cashen, and Davey Johnson. That day, Gooden threw out the first pitch to Gary Carter.
Gooden's number 16 was retired by the Mets on April 14, 2024.
See also
- List of Major League Baseball annual ERA leaders
- List of Major League Baseball annual strikeout leaders
- List of Major League Baseball annual wins leaders
- List of Major League Baseball career strikeout leaders
- List of Major League Baseball no-hitters
- Major League Baseball Triple Crown
Images for kids
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Dwight Gooden's retired number 16
