Wednesday, March 24, 2010

Gooden Was Greatest - Briefly

By Thomas Van Riper

More legal trouble for former major league pitcher Dwight Gooden, who was recently cited by New Jersey police for driving under the influence of drugs. It's just the latest in a series of drug and alcohol incidents the former strikeout king has dealt with over the years.

It's a true shame, because no pitcher in modern history burst on to the scene the way Gooden did with the New York Mets in the mid-1980s. Not Roger Clemens, not Randy Johnson, not Greg Maddux.

As a 19-year-old rookie in 1984, Gooden's record stood at 9-8 on August 6. He finished with a flourish, going 8-1 with a 1.07 earned run average the rest of the way, including a September one-hitter over the division leading Cubs. He followed with a 24-4, 1.53 ERA season in 1985, running away
with the NL Cy Young Award.

Gooden's overall numbers from August 1984 through September 1985: 32 wins, five losses, 1.43 ERA, with 373 strikeouts in 353 innings. There may never have been a better pitcher for a season and a third. And he was still only 20. Who knew he'd never be the same again.

Source : http://blogs.forbes.com/sportsmoney/2010/03/gooden-was-greatest-briefly/

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