Every long time player has interesting stats - Dwight Gooden included.
Let's take a look.
If you saw the Doctor burst onto the scene at age 19 like no other pitcher ever, fanning 276 in just 218 innings, you thought "DOCTOR K".
He fanned a lot of guys, too, in his Cy Young season of 1985 at age 20, fanned 268 in 277 innings.
First two seasons? 9.9 Ks per 9 IP. Swish!
After that, not much of a Doctor K, with "just" 1,749 Ks in 2,306 innings (6.8 per 9 IP).
After his Mets career, in fact, he averaged a hair under 6 Ks per 9 IP. More like Dr. Contact than Dr. K.
Amazingly, despite a non-Mets ERA of 4.91 over 125 outings, he was a solid 37-27 pitching for other teams.
When he was good, he was very, very good. In his 194 career wins, an ERA of 1.95.
In his 112 career losses, an amazingly elevated ERA of 6.54.
And man, did he show that even more in his age 19 rookie year. In his 17 wins, a 1.14 ERA, and in his 9 losses, and 8.35 ERA. Of course, he could have won 20 that first year, as in his 5 no-decisions, he had an ERA of 0.73!
Despite a somewhat elevated (for him) 3.32 ERA against the Cubs, he owned them, going 28-4 (and a save) lifetime against them in 40 outings.
Against the Red Sox, not so good - actually awful: 0-5, 7,78 ERA in 9 outings.
At the middle of the Gooden win-loss fulcrum, he had equal wins and losses (27-27) against the Pirates (12-12), Expos (10-10), and a combined 5-5 against the Rangers, KC and White Sox.
Against the Mets? Just one start, a 5 inning outing and win.
One would have thought that with his searing heat in his early years combined with a knee-buckling curve, he would have had much greater success against righty hitters. Not so, grasshopper. Pretty dead even, actually.
Against righties, he was .245/.304/.365.
Against lefties, he was .243/.314/.351.
Maybe he let up a bit against the righties and bore down more against the lefties.
Lastly, he loved home cooking:
He was 107-56, 3.24 ERA at home, but 87-56, 3.81 on the road. As a rookie, he was a dominating fan delight at 12-2 at home, but was just 5-7 on the road.
Part of that "winning at home" stuff had to do with his bat - at home over his career, a very decent .218/.232/.296, but on the road, a much weaker .173/.192/.227. No doubt, fans cheering you on while you're at the plate helps. And Mets fans believed Doc could hit.
Lastly, Doc Gooden thrills for the fans?
Too many to count, and on the other hand, not enough.
For me, Doc was one of my all-time favorite Mets.
Consider me thrilled.
When you consider that Gooden was a lefty hitter that wasn’t allowed to bat lefty because it exposed his pitching arm, I think that stat line speaks to his athleticism! The reason JDG is allowed to bat lefty is when he came up, no one expected him to dominate. Still, he wears that elbow guard every time, as does Wheeler and Matz.
ReplyDeleteThat is pretty amazing on Godden - I had forgotten about that switch around.
ReplyDeleteIt is odd how many Mets pitchers seem to have that pitching elbow facing the pitcher in the batters box. I was "normal" - left arm, lefty hitter.
We may never see another 1984-85 version of Doc Gooden again .... that Gooden was an absolute joy to watch. I realize drug addiction is an "illness" but the post-1985 Gooden was unreliable .... an addition to your list is the fact that he NEVER won a post-season game, so one could say that the Mets won the 1986 World Series despite him.
ReplyDeleteRon, great point on winless playoff Gooden. Except for Boston in 1986, he pitched well as a Met in the playoffs, but Great Scott, man, Dwight couldn't get any Ws of his own,
ReplyDeleteGooden was 37-2 in games where the home plate ump was Jack West, Harry Wendelstedt, Ed Montague, and Jim Quick. When Charlie Williams and Bill Hohn were behind the plate, he was just a combined 4-10. Now THAT would be a great thing to ask Gooden about - what a bizarre difference.
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