Dwight Gooden pitches for Sheepshead Bay bank
New York Mets legend Dwight Gooden met hundreds of fans when he made an appearance at the Ridgewood Savings Bank in Sheepshead Bay on Oct. 5. “Doc” Gooden, he was known by fans that watched him pitch for the Mets in the mid-1980s, was the featured guest at the bank’s Community Appreciation Celebration.
Gooden was only 19 years old when he broke into the major leagues. He was named Rookie of the Year in 1984, won the Cy Young Award in 1985 and helped the Mets win a World Series in 1986. A decade later, in 1996, as a member of the New York Yankees, he pitched a no-hitter.
His career was plagued by drug problems and run-ins with the law, however, and in his later years as a player he was never able to regain the heights he had achieved early on. But he always remained a fan favorite.
