On Sunday afternoon, the New York Mets officially retired Dwight “Doc” Gooden’s No. 16 at Citi Field. The momentous occasion was attended by a host of legendary players who gathered to celebrate Gooden’s illustrious career.
The Mets drafted Gooden out of high school in Tampa with the 5th pick in the 1982 draft, and he made his MLB debut at the age of 19 in 1984, delivering one of the best rookie seasons ever with a 2.60 ERA and 276 strikeouts. He won Rookie of the Year and the Cy Young award in 1985 with a staggering 1.53 ERA, cementing his place as one of baseball’s brightest young stars. Despite being a key player for the 1986 World Series win, injuries and drug addiction sidelined his career in the late-1980s and 1990s.
In his speech during the retirement ceremony, Gooden expressed his gratitude for his health and the opportunity to retire as a Met. He thanked his longtime teammate Darryl Strawberry for joining him on this special day, even though Strawberry had recently suffered a heart attack and traveled from St. Louis with a portable defibrillator. Alongside Strawberry were other former teammates like Keith Hernandez, Ron Darling, Mookie Wilson, Roger McDowell, Jesse Orosco, Lee Mazzilli, and many others who all gathered to honor Gooden’s legacy.
As he walked onto the field with family members by his side to receive his official jersey bearing No. 16 on it, Gooden was overwhelmed by emotion as he took in all that had happened throughout his career – both good times and bad times – but ultimately grateful for everything he had accomplished as part of this incredible team.
