'Dr. K' reflects on his MLB debut 40 years later

NEW YORK -- Almost two weeks before getting uniform No. 16 retired at Citi Field, Mets living legend Dwight Gooden was sitting in an empty office at the stadium reminiscing about his Major League debut, which occurred 40 years ago this Sunday against the Astros. Gooden couldn’t believe that game occurred that long ago.

“Forty years? Wow. I didn’t know it had been that long. I know it’s been a while,” Gooden said. “First, I would say time is moving fast. But it’s also a blessing. I’m very humble about it. After 40 years, I’m still here and healthy.”

Prior to the game at the Astrodome, Gooden, then 19, was New York’s top prospect. A lot of hype surrounded the right-hander. He may have had a shy personality, but his mound presence was that of a 10-year veteran. During his last full Minor League season in 1983, Gooden had 300 strikeouts in 191 innings for Single-A Lynchburg before helping Triple-A Tidewater capture the Governors' Cup title later that year.

That winter, the Mets’ front office, led by general manager Frank Cashen, had already decided that Gooden would start the 1984 season at Double-A Jackson or at Tidewater. But new Mets manager Davey Johnson had other ideas.

Johnson already told Gooden a year prior, even before he was named skipper of the team, that he was going to be on the Major League roster. Johnson first met Gooden in 1982 when Johnson was the team’s roving instructor and Gooden was throwing for Kingsport, a Rookie-level team. Then Johnson saw Gooden again at the end of the ’83 season when Gooden played for him at Tidewater.

“It was pretty easy [to put Gooden on the Major League roster],” Johnson told MLB.com last year. “The problem was, Cashen didn’t see talent on the level that I saw it, whether it was Lenny Dykstra or Kevin Mitchell -- guys I thought were instrumental to our club. … [Cashen] might have disagreed with what I thought, but the manager lives with the players, knows them. The manager hears the heartbeat. I had Dwight Gooden when he was 18. He was from Single-A Lynchburg. He came over to Tidewater for two weeks. At 18, he could paint [the corners]. He knew the idea of keeping the ball down.”

Gooden found out he made the Major League roster during the last day of Spring Training. He started the season as the fourth man in the rotation behind Mike Torrez, Ron Darling and Walt Terrell. By the time the season ended, Gooden was the ace of the staff.

The Beginning
After having lunch with his parents during the afternoon of April 7, Gooden decided to walk three miles from the team hotel to the Astrodome. When he arrived, Gooden didn’t know how to get inside the stadium, so he climbed an eight-foot fence and Astros security stopped him and questioned who he was.

“So I said, ‘I'm Dwight Gooden. I’m pitching today.’ Security said, ‘Yeah, right.’ I showed them my license. Luckily, when they called down to the clubhouse, the trainers were there. They had to come get me.”

When it was time to warm up in the bullpen. Gooden was pouring sweat. He was that nervous. Pitching coach Mel Stottlemyre assured him that he was going to be fine, it wasn’t going to be his last start and to relax.

Easier said than done, Gooden thought to himself.

Gooden took the field and looked as poised as could be. He retired the first six batters before walking Denny Walling in the third inning. Gooden ended up pitching five innings, allowing one run on three hits and two walks with five strikeouts before Johnson took him out of the game in favor of right-hander Dick Tidrow. Gooden ended up winning his first Major League game as New York edged Houston, 3-2.

“That was probably the only time in my career [as a member of the Mets] I wanted to come out,” Gooden said. “Normally, you wanted to pitch the whole game. I didn’t want to push it too far. Five should be good.

“After the game, I remember talking to my dad, and he goes, ‘What do you think?’ I said, ‘I should win a lot of games. I think I’m OK.’ My next start [against the Cubs], I was knocked out in the fourth inning. -- ‘I don’t know if I’m ready.’”

It turned out that Gooden was ready. He brought electricity and winning baseball to Shea Stadium in the 1980s -- Gooden with his electric arm. Almost every start was a sellout. He earned the nickname Dr. K for his many strikeouts. Fans in the right-field bleachers had K placards ready to show how many opponents went down on strikes. And how about the “Lord Charles” nickname for Gooden’s unhittable curveball?

Gooden’s years with the Mets were spent at Shea Stadium from 1984-94. He ranks second in franchise history in wins (157) and strikeouts (1,875), as well as third in innings (2,169 2/3), complete games (67) and starts (303) and quality starts (209). Gooden’s best seasons were 1984 and ’85. In ’84, he won the National League Rookie of the Year Award after setting a Major League rookie record with 276 strikeouts.

The following year, he became the youngest pitcher to win the Cy Young Award as he captured the Triple Crown of pitching, leading the Majors in wins (24), strikeouts (268) and ERA (1.53). Gooden credits his catcher, Gary Carter, for his success that year.

“He is the only catcher I ever had that would catch me between starts. Normally, it’s the bullpen catcher, but Gary didn't want anyone catching me but him. He always communicated with me,” Gooden remembered.

Gooden Plenty
One of the best days of Gooden’s life will occur on April 14 at Citi Field. That’s when the Mets will retire his uniform number before a game against the Royals.

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Gooden will become the ninth player -- joining Willie Mays, Keith Hernandez, Jerry Koosman, Mike Piazza, Jackie Robinson, Tom Seaver, Gil Hodges and Casey Stengel -- to have his number retired by the franchise.

During the ceremony, Gooden will remember five of the most important people in his life -- his parents, Johnson, Stottlemyre, Carter -- who will not be there because of death or illness.

“I couldn’t have had a better loving family than I had. They taught me the right way,” Gooden said. “This is not about sorrow. I have my health. I have my kids. My grandkids never saw me play. They are going to get a taste of what I went through as a player. I’m going to mention [Johnson, Stottlemyre and Carter] in my speech. I’m going to try not to get emotional. If I get emotional, so what.”

Asked to rate his Mets career from a scale of 1-10, Gooden gave it an 8 1/2. He took points off for his off-the-field problems, which included drugs and alcohol. Gooden has been drug-free for four years.

“I had a couple of years where I could have really done more,” he said. “Unfortunately, once I got into my addiction, my work ethic kind of changed. It wasn’t the same. I still had the same hunger on the field, but off-the-field preparation between starts changed a little bit. Some of the wear and tear might have caught up with me.”