Ex-Met Dwight Gooden Busted for DUI After NJ Smash-up

(25th March, 2010)

Dwight Gooden, the New York Mets’ troubled ace of the 1980s, was arrested yet again after a two vehicle crash in Franklin Hills, NJ on Wednesday morning. The 45 year-old ex-pitcher, who captured the imagination of fans everywhere by winning the 1984 National League Rookie of the Year at 19 and the Cy Young Award a year later, was cited for eight violations, including driving under the influence of a controlled substance, and leaving the scene of an accident, which occurred on Old Mill Road at 8:50 am. Gooden, whose five year-old son was unharnessed in the backseat at the time of the accident, was also nailed with a child endangerment charge.

Bergen County police did not confirm what drugs were in his system, but did acknowledge that the minor was unharmed, and that Gooden was later released on his own recognizance, pending a municipal court hearing.

Ronald Schmidt, the driver of the other car, said he recognized the former Mets’ star immediately.

“I looked at him, and I knew it was Dwight Gooden,” he told WABC-TV in New York. “I think he was surprised; he shook my hand.”

This incident was just the latest in a series of drug-related episodes that shortened a once-promising baseball career, and has nearly ended his life on multiple occasions.

In February 2002, Gooden was cited for driving while intoxicated in his hometown of Tampa, Florida. A further check into his background produced a suspended license, which was still on his record when, eleven months later, he was nabbed again.

By 2005, Gooden was several months removed from punching his then-girlfriend during a domestic dispute, when he was stopped for driving erratically. His eyes were reported to be glassy and bloodshot, there was slurred speech, and a ‘strong’ odor of alcohol was eminent. Though Gooden was not arrested on the spot, he did turn himself in within three days.

At his March 2006 probation hearing, Gooden opted for a prison term with the hope that his addiction could be cured. After six weeks in the slammer, he shared his thoughts of prison life.

“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 in November of that year, and appeared to have turned his life around. He had recently moved to Franklin Lakes, and was going to open a baseball academy before his investors recanted. In September 2009, Gooden accepted an upper management role with the Newark Bears.

This past January, he was notified of his inclusion into the Mets’ Hall of Fame –along with several key components of the 1986 championship team -GM Frank Cashen, manager Davey Johnson and longtime teammate Darryl Strawberry. The induction is scheduled for August 1, but whether the Mets will now honor him remains to be seen.

Gooden was invited to act as a spring training adviser for the Mets this year, but politely declined.

During his phenomenal first season, Gooden won 17 of 26 decisions and fanned a rookie-record 276 hitters in just 218 innings. Teammates dubbed him ‘Doc’ as a testament to the way he operated on the mound. Gooden proved even better during his sophomore year, with a 24-4 mark, 268 strikeouts, and a league-best 1.53 earned run average.

He retired in 2001 with a very impressive 194-112 record over 16 seasons [.634 winning percentage]. However, as Gooden had won 100 games before his 25th birthday, he will always be symbolic of the ballplayer who never quite reached his full potential.

Readers Comments