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101. Dwight Gooden

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101. Dwight Gooden
  1. General
  2. Awards
  3. Career Stats
  • Born: November 16, 1964 in Tampa, FL USA
  • Weight: 190 lbs.
  • Height: 6'2"
  • Bats: R
  • Throws: R
  • Debut: April 07, 1984
  • Final Game: September 29, 2000
  • Rookie of the Year - 1984
  • Cy Young Award - 1985
  • Pitching Triple Crown - 1985
  • TSN All-Star - 1985
  • TSN Pitcher of the Year - 1985
  • Silver Slugger - 1992
  • Cy Young - 1984
  • Cy Young - 1985
  • Cy Young - 1986
  • Cy Young - 1987
  • Cy Young - 1990
  • MVP - 1984
  • MVP - 1985
  • MVP - 1990
  • Rookie of the Year - 1984
 
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There was a time that Dwight Gooden was the best Pitcher in baseball, but as we know, drug use rendered him a shell of what he was well before his time.  One of the incredible things about his career, though, was how long he played and remained a serviceable hurler.

Gooden’s first two seasons in the Majors were about as good as you could hope for.  As a teenager, he won the Rookie of the Year award and was the Cy Young runner-up.  He would win the latter award as a sophomore when he went 24-4, and led the league in Wins, ERA (1.53), Innings Pitched (276.2), Strikeouts (268), and FIP (2.13) and had a WHIP of 0.965.  While this would be his peak (only at 20), he remained an upper-tier pitcher for the rest of the decade.

This was around the time when drugs became a problem for Gooden, but he had three more top seven top ten finished in Cy Young voting, and he helped the Mets win the 1986 World Series.  Granted, Gooden was abysmal in that Fall Classic, but he was a huge reason they got there.  His play suffered in later years, and he was suspended for the entire 1995 seasons due to cocaine.

Gooden would return and play five more seasons, but not with the Mets.  He played for the Yankees, won two World Series Rings, and threw a no-hitter in 1996.  That was good, but he was far from the player he used to be.  He also had stints with Cleveland, Houston, and Tampa, and after that, a final stint with the Yankees, where he won that third ring.

Had Gooden not gotten so heavily involved with drugs, it is easy to speculate that he would already be in the Hall of Fame.  As it stands, we have a very good hurler who, at one time the best in the business, but he could be considered a big what if?  

The Bullet Points

  • Country of Origin: Tampa, Florida, U.S.A.
  • Eligible In: Sunday, 01 January 2006
  • Position: Pitcher
  • Played For: Cleveland Indians, Houston Astros, New York Mets, New York Yankees, Tampa Bay Rays
  • Major Accolades and Awards:

    World Series Rings (3) (New York Mets, 1986 & New York Yankees, 1996 & 2000) 
    Cy Young Award (1) (NL) (1985)
    The Sporting News Pitcher of the Year (1) (1985)
    Rookie of the Year (NL) (1984)
    Silver Slugger (NL) (1) (1982)
    Highest bWAR for Pitchers (2) (NL) (1984 & 1985)
    Lowest ERA (1) (NL) (1985)
    Most Wins (1) (NL) (1985)
    Lowest WHIP (1) (NL) (1984)
    Lowest H/9 (1) (NL) (1984) 
    Highest SO/9 (1) (NL) (1984)
    Most Innings Pitched (1) (NL) (1985)
    Most Strikeouts (2) (NL) (1984 & 1985)
    Most Complete Games (1) (NL) (1985)
    Highest ERA+ (1) (NL) (1985)
    Lowest FIP (3) (NL) (1984, 1985 & 1990)
    Highest Win Probability Added (1) (NL) (1985)
    Highest Championship Win Probability Added (1) (NL) (1985)
    Most Putouts by a Pitcher (2) (NL) (1985 & 1988)

  • Other Points of Note:

    Top Ten MVP Finishes: 
    (NL: 1985, 4th
    Top Ten Cy Young Finishes: (Won the 1985 NL Cy Young) 
    (NL: 1984, 2nd), (NL: 1986, 7th), (NL: 1987, 5th) & (NL: 1990, 4th)
    4 Top Ten Finishes (bWAR for Pitchers)
    4 Top Ten Finishes (ERA)
    4 Top Ten Finishes (Wins)
    4 Top Ten Finishes (WHIP)
    5 Top Ten Finishes (H/9)
    3 Top Ten Finishes (BB/9)
    7 Top Ten Finishes (SO/9)
    4 Top Ten Finishes (Innings Pitched)
    7 Top Ten Finishes (Strikeouts)
    3 Top Ten Finsihes (Games Started)
    6 Top Ten Finishes (Complete Games)
    7 Top Ten Finishes (Shutouts) 
    7 Top Ten Finishes (SO/BB)
    4 Top Ten Finishes (ERA+)
    7 Top Ten Finishes (FIP)
    3 Top Ten Finishes (Win Probability Added)
    4 Top Ten Finishes (Championship Win Probability Added)

  • Notable All Time Rankings:

    58. Strikeouts: 2,293
    72. Putouts by a Pitcher: 224
    95. Championship Win Probability Added: 27.6

  • Vote Percentage Received for the Hall of Fame:

    2006: 3.3%

  • Should be Inducted As A: New York Met

Should Dwight Gooden be in the Hall of Fame?

Definitely put him in! - 72.7%
Maybe, but others deserve it first. - 9.1%
Probably not, but it wouldn't be the end of the world. - 9.1%
No opinion. - 0%
No way! - 9.1%

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