Well, according to Deadspin.com, Dwight Gooden was arrested early Tuesday morning in New Jersey for Driving under the influence.
If true it will be the latest of a long string of drug/alcohol related problems for the former Cy Young Award winner.
Back in my “Top Mets Players of All Time” post a few weeks back, I mentioned how much of a “grudge” I held against Gooden and Darryl Strawberry for messing up their lives and careers the way they did with substance and alcohol abuse. This brings about the thought that do we REALLY want to get to know our heroes that well? When we see their true selves exposed, do most of them mange to live up the high (and often unfair) expectations we set for them? There’s always an arguement about whether or not Sports stars should be considered role models. The arguement not withstanding that so many young kids look up to these guys it’s unreal, and when this sort of thing happens it’s rough.
Gooden (and Strawberry) were young and talented beyond anything we could imagine. Both fell and fell hard. Both lost out on what everyone and his brother thought would be long Hall of Fame bound careers. It’s a true shame. It really is.
The Mets had invited Gooden to spring training this year to be an instructor, but he declined the invite due to his wife being pregnant. He was also (along with Straw) inducted into the Mets Hall of Fame recently.
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