#16 Dwight Gooden

[Casey2296]

Originally Posted by bk400

Number is going to be retired by the Mets. Good on Stevie Cohen for remembering the guys who got it done before the Mets started to suck. Prime Dwight Gooden is the best starting pitcher in the history of the game.

If I had to pick one guy the start Game 7, it would be the 1985 version of Dr K. Nolan Ryan -- whatever. Randy Johnson -- whatever. Dwight Gooden was the Lawrence Taylor of baseball.

That would be Walter Johnson for me.

In 1913, Johnson was 36-7 with a 1.14 ERA. His WAR of 15.1 that season is the best single-season total for any pitcher in the modern era (post 1900). Johnson's 13.2 WAR in 1912 is second on that list.

Or Bob Gibson.

In 1968 he went 22-9 with a sparkling ERA of 1.12 to go along with 268 strikeouts, 13 shutouts, 15 consecutive wins and a stretch of 95 innings in which he gave up just two runs.

And a card.
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[G1911]

Radbourn in 1884 is the obvious real answer. 205 ERA+ over 678 innings is far and away the most valuable pitching season.

Pedro in 2000 with a 1.74 ERA. 2nd in the league that year was Roger Clemens with a 3.70, 2 runs higher.

[Snapolit1]

Never saw a more dominant pitcher than Gooden when he first came up. It was like he was supposed to be in a higher league that didn’t exist. When you see footage of him striking out the side it’s almost comical. Never saw major league look so helpless.

[Peter_Spaeth]

Originally Posted by Snapolit1

Never saw a more dominant pitcher than Gooden when he first came up. It was like he was supposed to be in a higher league that didn’t exist. When you see footage of him striking out the side it’s almost comical. Never saw major league look so helpless.

WHIP
Pedro 2000 0.737
Gooden 1985 0.965
'
You were saying?

[Shoeless Moe]

Originally Posted by Peter_Spaeth

WHIP
Pedro 2000 0.737
Gooden 1985 0.965
'
You were saying?

Apparently the Mets fan were coked up as well.

[Eric72]

There are plenty of stats to support the notion that other pitchers in their prime were better than Doc in his prime. I saw Gooden with my own eyes, though. Not through a camera lens, not on a stat sheet. I saw Gooden pitch in person.

It still stands out as the most impressive display of pitching I've ever witnessed. I was in a lower level seat (200 level, Veteran's Stadium) on the third base side. I had the perfect vantage point to watch each pitch from pitcher's hand to catcher's mitt. The combination of speed and movement made it difficult to even track the ball with my eyes. I could only imagine trying to hit the damn thing.

Yes, he had short peak. Yes, he had some off-the-field issues. Still, Dwight Gooden was one hell of a pitcher.

I wouldn't call him the all-time best ever; however, the Mets retiring his number makes sense to me.

[Peter_Spaeth]

Originally Posted by Shoeless Moe

Apparently the Mets fan were coked up as well.

No question it was an amazing season and no question that when he came on the scene it was an astonishing thing to see. That said, peak Pedro was better.

[cgjackson222]

During the same ceremony they will also be retiring Darryl Strawberry's #18.

Strawberry had the one of the sweetest swings ever. I'll never forget when he hit a home run at Shea that traveled so far that it a moving train. Couldn't find a video of that, but here are some others.

Game 7 of the 1986 World Series: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QjfJJUqPF0g

Blast off the roof of Expos' Olympic Stadium: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p3sdYKj_VHc