Dwight ‘Doc’ Gooden Number 16 Retired by Mets

Dwight "Doc" Gooden is now enshrined in Mets immortality.

Gooden received the highest honor any team can bestow on a player when the New York Mets officially retired his number 16, sending it to the rafters to join the likes of Keith Hernandez, Mike Piazza and Tom Seaver.

Flanked by family, his children and nephew Gary Shefield, as well as members of the '86 Mets, it was a moment for Gooden to come full circle after a up and down career and life.

Gooden broke into Major League Baseball in 1984 as a phenom with a golden right arm. He struck out 276 batters his first year. He followed that up by striking out 268, winning 24 games and pitching to a 1.53 ERA in 1985. Those feats helped Gooden earn the moniker Dr. K or Doc Gooden.

Unfortunately, as we all know, Gooden's life soon came crashing down as drugs consumed his life. For the rest of his career he would bounce around baseball, and battle his demons with illegal drugs and alcohol, including subsequent arrests.

To the credit of the New York Yankees, Gooden got another shot at playing in New York. He tossed a  no-hitter in 1996, and owns World Series rings with the 96 and 2000 Bronx Bombers.

Oddly enough, Gooden's speech on Sunday was as topsy turvy as he relationship with the Mets had been over the years.  When he mentioned the Yankees, he got booed, to which he quickly retorted, "I'm always a Met."  Still his message was about redemption, forgiveness and second chances.

Gooden isn't the only troubled star who will see his number retired by the Mets. Darryl Strawberry, who battled his own demons and found redemption, will have his number 18 retired by the Amazins on June 1.

Oh, and there was a game too. The Mets defeated the Kansas City Royals 2-1 to take their third consecutive series. Harrison Bader's infield single proved to be the difference as the Mets chalked up a pair of runs in the bottom of the eighth. Edwin Diaz worked around a two-out homer for the save.

The Mets (7-8) host the Pittsburgh Pirates this week.

As for Doc and Darryl's other former team, the Yankees, they fell in Cleveland 8-7 in extras on Sunday. It was rough afternoon for reliever Caleb Ferguson, who gave up three runs, two earned in 2/3 of inning of work and took the 'L'.

The positives: Anthony Volpe had another huge day. The shortstop went 3-for-4 with an RBI and runs cored. Volpe is battling .382 this early season. Aaron Judge showed signs of breaking out with a three hit day that included his third homer of the year. Anthony Rizzo had two RBI on a single.

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The New York Mets open the 2024 season under some inauspicious skies on Thursday as it is expected to rain heavily for much of the day. The opener against the Milwaukee Brewers could end up getting moved to Friday, but one has to wonder is Thursday's forecast a harbinger of things to come for the Amazin's in 2024?

Expectations are not high going into the season. Yet, the club did add six-time All Star J.D. Martinez to bolster their lineup late in Spring Training, giving Mets fans some hope for a better than expected season. What are the key storylines for the 2024 New York Mets? Let's discuss below!

The biggest question mark of this Mets team is its starting rotation. On paper it's not great. Jose Quintana will start Opening Day, but the well traveled lefty hasn't pitched a full season since 2019 with the Cubs. Behind him are former Yankee cast off Luis Severino in need of a bounce back year, former Oakland A's castoff Sean Manaea, Tylor MeGill and Adrian Houser. The Mets hope that Kodi Senga returns soon from his shoulder injury that he suffered at the start of camp. If the Mets are to contend this year they'll need these guys to pitch well enough to give this offense a shot in the later innings.

Mets President of Baseball Ops David Stearns, and owner Steve Cohen stressed the importance of playing the "young guys" in 2024 and moving forward. The Mets have a number of young talented pieces, but it has to start coming together. Francisco Alvarez showed flashes last year belting 25 homers, but he can't hit .209 again this year. Brett Baty found himself in a battle with Mark Vientos for the third base job. Is Baty the long term solution? We will find out. Behind those two guys, prospects like Vientos and pitcher Christian Scott are names to be aware of as the season progresses. Scott might be the Mets answer to their starting pitching woes.

Two years ago Edwin Diaz became a fan favorite of Mets fans for not only his incredible entrance song Narco , but he finally proved why former GM Brodie Van Wagenen made a deal with Seattle to get him back in 2019. Diaz pitched to a 1.31 ERA with 32 saves in 2022. He was easily the game's most electric closer before suffering a season ending knee injury at the World Baseball Classic in 2023. If Diaz can get back to being the guy we saw two years ago, it will only help the Mets cause.

The Mets signed J.D. Martinez a week ago hoping the six-time All Star still has plenty left in the tank at age 36. The Mets needed a power bat behind Pete Alonso, and they found it in Martinez. Martinez corked 33 homers last year in Los Angeles with the Dodgers. If he can come close to that production it will only lengthen the Mets lineup, and make things easier on Alonso and Francisco Lindor, and could even take some pressure off Starling Marte in the sixth spot of the lineup.

Pete Alonso is a free agent to be in 2025. He is coming off a down year for him with the stick, where he hit only .217, despite blasting 46 homers. Alonso has expressed interest in staying  a Met, but he won't come cheap. Stars in free agent years tend to have BIG seasons. Expect Alonso to push for 50 homers and raise that batting average back around .250 if he is going to get the $300 million plus deal he might be seeking.  What would make the Mets even happier is he ultimately decides to stay.

There was something off with the 2023 Mets in the clubhouse. A team that felt close in 2022 was distant in 2023, and there were rumblings at the end of the year about friction between Buck Showalter and Billy Eppler. Both men are now gone. Showalter was fired, and Eppler resigned in disgrace after he was banned by baseball for faking up the injury reports.

Carlos Mendoza enters his first year as a manager. So far the returns seem positive out of Spring Training. Can a younger voice get the Mets back on track, and keep this clubhouse collegial and focused? That is Mendoza's biggest challenge of all.