Dwight Gooden’s storied life reads like both a dream and a nightmare.
On one hand…you’ve got a guy who, in 1984, made the Majors at 19, and became the youngest player to both play in an All-Star Game and bring home the Rookie of the Year Award. A year later, he was named the National League Cy Young Award winner, went 24-4 and posted the second lowest ERA (1.53) of the live-ball era. In 1996, while with the eventual World Champion New York Yankees, he threw a no-hitter. All in all, during his 16-year big league career, he was part of three World Series-winning teams.
And then…the aforementioned nightmare.
As a member of the New York Mets, Gooden missed the 1986 World Series parade because he was high and in a drug dealer’s apartment. Six weeks later, he was arrested after fighting with police in Tampa. Prior to the 1987 season, the pitcher tested positive cocaine, entered rehab and missed the first third of the season. The years that followed were no picnic either. There was a rape accusation (charges were never filed, however), a “bunch” of failed drug tests and a 60-game suspension.
Post baseball, Gooden’s life continued to spiral out of control.
“I never thought I would make it to fifty,” Gooden told the New York Post. “I’ve been to rehabs. I’ve been to counseling. I’ve been to jail. I’ve been in prison. The only place I haven’t been yet is the cemetery.”
In a four-year span, beginning in 2002, Gooden racked up a number of arrests related to both cocaine and alcohol abuse and ended up serving time in prison. In 2010, he’d find himself in trouble again.
“This one particular night I went out, I was drinking, I did cocaine and about 3 o’clock that morning I took Ambien…to help me sleep,” Gooden said. “I woke up to take my kid to school, felt okay, threw water on my face and got ready. I knew I was in trouble when I was backing out of the garage and went about 50 yards and my son said, ‘Dad, why are you driving on these other people’s yards?’”
Gooden eventually was sentenced to five years probation after pleading guilty to child endangerment.
But now, as he celebrates a half-century of life, and three years of sobriety, the former fireballer has got his life on track and he’s using his missteps as a way to help others.
“I can still help people. That is my true passion…that’s why I want to tell my story,” Gooden said. “Unfortunately I hurt a lot of family members, friends, but I had to go through all the downfalls to become who I am now. As tough as it was this was meant to be. Fifty is a magic year, but I look at every day as a magic day.”
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