With all the talk of Felix Hernandez being the next Doc Gooden on the mound, let's hope he doesn't follow his path off the field.
Some quotes:
"The officer stopped Gooden's car because he was weaving in traffic near downtown Tampa, McElroy said. Gooden, a Tampa native and resident, has a history of drug abuse and is awaiting trial on a domestic violence charge. The officer pulls over the car and immediately notices that the driver is under the influence," she said. "He has bloodshot, glassy eyes, his speech is slurred and he has a strong odor of alcohol."
"Gooden handed the officer his driver's license but refused two requests to get out of the car, McElroy said. He then drove off with the officer still holding his license."
I think if Dwight Gooden had pitched in Seattle instead of New York circa 1984, things might have turned out differently for ol' Doc. Then again, he would've been in New York three-to-four years later, anyway, most likely.
“To get ass, you’ve got to bring ass." -- Roy Jones Jr.
"Your input has been noted. I hope you don't take it personally if I disregard it." -- Guru Zim
That's a shame about Gooden. Looking at his numbers from '84 to '86 (when he was only 19 to 21), he could have been one of the best ever. Even with all the problems he had, his career was still pretty damned good (194-112 career).
Speaking of King Felix, I can't wait to get a look at him. Only four starts, but he's gone eight innings in his last three, has a 30/4 K/BB ratio, and hasn't allowed a single extra base hit. Incredible. It's unfortunate the Mariners are so bad that they probably aren't on National TV between now and the end of the season.