Dwight Gooden
As a 19-year old in 1984, flame-throwing Dwight Gooden dominated major league batters with his blazing fastball and devastating curveball. But the success, which earned him Rookie of the Year honors, and the Cy Young Award, led to pressures that Gooden's immature and troubled psyche could not handle. With several brushes with the law and a drug-addiction, Gooden destroyed a chance at immortality and finished his career adrift, despite the chances he was given by several major league teams.
| Career Batting Stats |
| G |
AB |
H |
R |
HR |
RBI |
SB |
AVG |
SLG |
OBP |
OPS |
OPS+ |
| 434 |
741 |
145 |
60 |
8 |
67 |
1 |
.196 |
.262 |
.212 |
.474 |
64.3 |
|
Best Season: 1985
As a 20-year old, Gooden won 24 games and hurled eight shutouts with a 1.53 ERA and 268 K's.
The 12 Black Aces
Through 2004, twelve African-American pitchers had won 20-games in the major leagues. Of course, black pitchers had won twenty many times in the negro leagues, but these dozen, who, under the direction of Mudcat Grant, called themselves the "12 Black Aces," are an exclusive club:
1. Don Newcombe
2. Sam Jones
3. Bob Gibson.
4. Mudcat Grant
5. Earl Wilson
6. Fergie Jenkins
7. Al Downing
8. Vida Blue
9. J.R. Richard
10. Mike Norris
11. Dwight Gooden
12. Dave Stewart
Where He Played
Starting pitcher
Born
Dwight Eugene Gooden was born on November 16, 1964, in Tampa, FL.
Batted: Right
Threw: Right
Major League Debut
4 7,
Nine Other Players Who Debuted in 1984
Terry Pendleton
Kirby Puckett
Stan Javier
Eric Davis
Roger Clemens
John Franco
Dwight Gooden
Mark Langston
Bret Saberhagen
Nicknames
Doc,Dr. K.
Similar Players
David Cone, Denny McLain
Related Players
Darryl Strawberry
| Hall of Fame Voting |
| Year |
Election |
Votes |
Pct |
| 2006 |
BBWAA |
17 |
3.3% |
|
No-Hitter
5/14/1996: For NYY (A) vs. SEA (A), 2-0 at NYY. 9 innings pitched.
Post-Season Appearances
1986 National League Championship Series
1986 World Series
1988 National League Championship Series
1998 American League Championship Series
1998 American League Divisional Series
2000 American League Championship Series
2000 American League Divisional Series
Awards and Honors
1984 NL Rookie of the Year
1985 NL Cy Young
1985 NL Triple Crown
Pitching Feats
All-Star Selections
1984 NL
1985 NL
1986 NL
1988 NL
Other stories on the Web about Dwight Gooden
Gooden pleades guilty to fleeing police ⇒
Learn More about Dwight Gooden
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