On Sunday afternoon, the New York Mets officially retired Dwight “Doc” Gooden’s No. 16 at Citi Field. Gooden had repeatedly requested to be re-signed by the team, even on a one-day contract, so he could retire as a Met. However, his requests were denied until new owner Steve Cohen took over and decided to honor franchise legends.
During his speech, Gooden expressed his gratitude for his health and the opportunity to retire as a Met. The audience applauded him warmly. Surprisingly, Darryl Strawberry was also present at the ceremony, despite recently suffering a heart attack and traveling from St. Louis with a portable defibrillator. Strawberry was joined by other former teammates like Keith Hernandez, Ron Darling, Mookie Wilson, Roger McDowell, Jesse Orosco, Lee Mazzilli and others who gathered to celebrate Gooden’s career.
The Mets drafted Gooden out of high school in Tampa with the 5th pick in the 1982 draft. He made his MLB debut at the age of 19 in 1984 and delivered one of the best rookie seasons ever with a 2.60 ERA and 276 strikeouts. In 1985, he won Rookie of the Year and Cy Young award with an incredible 1.53 ERA. Despite being a key player for the 1986 World Series win, injuries and drug addiction sidelined his career in the late-1980s and 1990s
