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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