Mets to retire Gooden’s No. 16 and Strawberry’s No. 18 next season
NEW YORK (AP) — Dwight Gooden’s No. 16 and Darryl Strawberry’s No. 18 will likely be retired by the New York Mets in separate pregame ceremonies subsequent yr honoring gamers who have been keys to the staff’s final World Series title in 1986.
New York can have retired 9 numbers of gamers and managers following the choice introduced Friday, up from 4 earlier than Steve Cohen purchased the staff in November 2020.
Gooden and Strawberry have been integral components of the 1986 Mets, who went a serious league-best 108-54 and beat Boston in a seven-game World Series, then derailed their careers with drug issues.
Gooden’s Mets profession ended when he was suspended by Major League Baseball for 60 days in June 1994 for violating his drug aftercare program. He turned a free agent after the season and was suspended by MLB for your complete 1995 season for repeated violations for his aftercare program and MLB’s drug coverage.
“I was completely overwhelmed when I got the call,” Gooden mentioned in an announcement launched by the staff. “I want to say ‘thank you’ to the fans who supported me through the good times and bad times.”
Strawberry was suspended by MLB 3 times after leaving the Mets, twice for optimistic cocaine exams and as soon as following an arrest for cocaine possession for which he pleaded no contest.
“When I got the call from Steve, I welled up with tears of joy,” Strawberry mentioned in an announcement launched by the Mets. “I started to reflect on my journey through the organization. I had some ups and downs, but in the end, I am proud of my time in New York.”
Gooden, 58, was a four-time All-Star whereas taking part in for the Mets from 1984-94, profitable the 1984 NL Rookie of the Year and the 1985 NL Cy Young Award. He was 157-85 with a 3.10 ERA with 1,875 for the Mets and completed a 16-year profession with the New York Yankees (1996-97, 2000), Cleveland (1998-99), Houston (2000) and Tampa Bay (2000). Overall, the right-hander went 194-112 with a 3.51 ERA and a pair of,293 strikeouts.
Strawberry, 61, was an eight-time All-Star, together with seven throughout his time with the Mets from 1983-91. He hit .263 with 252 homers, 733 RBIs and 191 steals for the Mets, then left as a free agent to signal with the Los Angeles Dodgers. He performed for the Dodgers by means of 1993, spent the next season with San Francisco and completed with the Yankees from 1995-99.
Strawberry hit .259 with 335 homers, 1,000 RBIs and 221 stolen bases in 17 seasons.
The Mets beforehand retired No. 14 (Gil Hodges, 1973), No. 17 (Keith Hernandez, 2022), No. 24 (Willie Mays, 2022), No. 31 (Mike Pizza, 2016), No. 36 (Jerry Koosman, 2021), No. 37 (Casey Stengel, 1965), No. 41 (Tom Seaver, 1988). In addition, Jackie Robinson’s No. 42 was retired all through Major League Baseball in 1997.
